Taiwan

The main languages spoken in Taiwan are:
Mandarin (Standard Chinese) - the official language and language of instruction.
Taiwanese Hokkien - widely spoken by the majority Holo population.
Hakka - spoken by the Hakka community.
Formosan languages - a family of Austronesian languages spoken by Taiwan's indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples.
Matsu, Wuqiu, and Taiwan Sign Language are also recognized national languages.
Mandarin is the official language of Taiwan, with Hokkien, Hakka, and Formosan languages recognized as national languages.

Geography

Location: Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China

Map references: Asia

Area:
total: 36,197 sq km

People

Population: 23.2-23.4 million (2025-2026 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 11.66%
15-64 years: 68.86%
65 years and over: 19.48-20%

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.16 years
male: 78.17 years
female: 84.34 years

Nationality:
noun/adjective: Taiwanese

Ethnic groups: Han Chinese (including Holo, approximately 70% of the population, plus Hakka and other groups originating in mainland China) more than 95%, Indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples 2.3-2.5%, new immigrants (primarily from China and Southeast Asia) 2.5%

Religions: Buddhist 28-35.3%, Taoist 24-33.2%, no religion 27%, Christian 3.9-7%, other 10-13% (varies by source; 2005-2023 est.)

Languages: Mandarin (official), Taigi/Hokkien, Hakka, Formosan (Indigenous Austronesian) languages, Matsu, Wuqiu, Taiwan Sign Language

Population distribution: peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts

Major urban areas: 4.504 million New Taipei City, 2.754 million Taipei (capital), 2.319 million Taoyuan, 1.553 million Kaohsiung, 1.369 million Taichung (2023)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of China (ROC)
conventional short form: Taiwan

Data code: TW

Government type: unitary semi-presidential republic; a multiparty democracy

National capital: Taipei

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lai Ching-te
head of government: Premier (Executive Yuan President) Cho Jung-tai

Background: the main island was inhabited by Taiwanese Indigenous peoples speaking Austronesian languages until Han settlement began in the early 17th century; controlled by the Dutch, then Ming loyalists, then Qing China; ceded to Japan in 1895; came under Republic of China administration in 1945; the ROC government retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War; throughout the following decades the island prospered, becoming one of East Asia's economic "Tiger" economies, and has become a major investor in mainland China as cross-Strait economic ties matured since 2000

Economy

Economy - overview: advanced, high-income East Asian economy; global leader in semiconductor manufacturing and electronics; runs a large trade surplus with many economies including China and the US; among the world's largest foreign reserves; population aging rapidly

GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.99-2.275 trillion (2025-2026 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 8.68% (2025)

GDP - per capita: $98,051 PPP (2026 est.) - among the highest in the world

Inflation rate: 1.66% (April 2025)

Unemployment rate: 3.35% (2025)

Population below poverty line: 1.13% (2024)

Industries: electronics/semiconductors, communications and IT products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, pharmaceuticals

Currency: New Taiwan dollar (TWD)