TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) announced Friday (Aug. 8) that the island's elderly care market could reach NT$3.6 trillion (around US$120.6 billion) this year as the Healthy Ageing Tech Show (2025高齡健康產業博覽會) opened. The president urged government agencies and businesses to harness artificial intelligence and seniors' wisdom to create more elder-friendly environments. Taiwan faces rapid demographic changes as its population ages significantly.
President Lai noted that Taiwan has become a super-aged society, with about 4.57 million people aged 65 and older comprising approximately 19.6% of the population. Taiwan's birth rates have fallen to historic lows, and this elderly population figure is expected to reach 20% within the year. The president announced that the government will reinforce three main health pillars to address mounting health challenges among the elderly.
The first pillar focuses on enhancing medical quality across Taiwan's healthcare system. President Lai has pushed increased funding for the national health insurance since taking office last year and launched the Healthy Taiwan Deep Cultivation Plan. This comprehensive initiative runs from 2025 to 2029 with an allocated budget of nearly NT$50 billion (around US$1.7 billion), including reforms to improve medical personnel working conditions and smart medical technology applications.
President Lai emphasized that critical cancer screening ages have been lowered to 30 to improve early detection and treatment outcomes. The screening budget increased dramatically from NT$2.8 billion (around US$93.8 million) last year to NT$6.8 billion (around US$227.8 million), with gastric cancer screenings newly added to the program. The government established a NT$10-billion (around US$335.1 million) cancer drug fund to tackle the economic burden on cancer patients.
