Economy - overview:
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy that is driven largely by industrial manufacturing, and especially exports of electronics, machinery, and petrochemicals. This heavy dependence on exports exposes the economy to fluctuations in global demand. Taiwan's diplomatic isolation, low birth rate, rapidly aging population, and increasing competition from China and other Asia Pacific markets are other major long-term challenges.Following the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed with China in June 2010, Taiwan in July 2013 signed a free trade deal with New Zealand - Taipei’s first-ever with a country with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations - and, in November of that year, inked a trade pact with Singapore. However, follow-on components of the ECFA, including a signed agreement on trade in services and negotiations on trade in goods and dispute resolution, have stalled. In early 2014, the government bowed to public demand and proposed a new law governing the oversight of cross-Strait agreements, before any additional deals with China are implemented; the legislature has yet to vote on such legislation, leaving the future of ECFA uncertain. President TSAI since taking office in May 2016 has promoted greater economic integration with South and Southeast Asia through the New Southbound Policy initiative and has also expressed interest in Taiwan joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership as well as bilateral trade deals with partners such as the US. These overtures have likely played a role in increasing Taiwan’s total exports, which rose 11% during the first half of 2017, buoyed by strong demand for semiconductors.Taiwan's total fertility rate of just over one child per woman is among the lowest in the world, raising the prospect of future labor shortages, falling domestic demand, and declining tax revenues. Taiwan's population is aging quickly, with the number of people over 65 expected to account for nearly 20% of the island's total population by 2025.The island runs a trade surplus with many economies, including China and the US, and its foreign reserves are the world's fifth largest, behind those of China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland. In 2006, China overtook the US to become Taiwan's second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment. Taiwan since 2009 has gradually loosened rules governing Chinese investment and has also secured greater market access for its investors on the mainland. In August 2012, the Taiwan Central Bank signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cross-Strait currency settlement with its Chinese counterpart. The MOU allows for the direct settlement of Chinese renminbi (RMB) and the New Taiwan dollar across the Strait, which has helped Taiwan develop into a local RMB hub.Closer economic links with the mainland bring opportunities for Taiwan’s economy but also pose challenges as political differences remain unresolved and China’s economic growth is slowing. President TSAI’s administration has made little progress on the domestic economic issues that loomed large when she was elected, including concerns about stagnant wages, high housing prices, youth unemployment, job security, and financial security in retirement. TSAI has made more progress on boosting trade with South and Southeast Asia, however, which may help insulate Taiwan’s economy from a fall in mainland demand should China’s growth slow in 2018.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Imports: Imports - commodities: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$1.175 trillion (2017 est.)
$1.152 trillion (2016 est.)
$1.136 trillion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 23
$571.5 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
2% (2017 est.)
1.5% (2016 est.)
0.7% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$49,800 (2017 est.)
$49,000 (2016 est.)
$48,300 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 30
34.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
35.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
36.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 52.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 14.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 21.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 64.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -52.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 1.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 36%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 62.1% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
rice, vegetables, fruit, tea, flowers; pigs, poultry; fish
electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
11.78 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 4.9%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 35.9%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 59.2% (2016 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
3.8% (2017 est.)
3.9% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
1.5% (2012 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 6.4%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 40.3% (2010)
33.6 (2014)
32.6 (2000)
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $93 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $91.67 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
16.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
0.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
29.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
31.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data for central government
country comparison to the world: 163
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
1% (2017 est.)
1.4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
1.38% (31 December 2016)
1.63% (31 December 2015)
country comparison to the world: 123
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
2.7% (31 December 2017 est.)
2.63% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$535.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$501.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$1.374 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.28 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$835.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$778.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$851.2 billion (31 December 2016)
$742.5 billion (31 December 2015)
$848.3 billion (31 December 2014)
country comparison to the world: 14
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
$79 billion (2017 est.)
$74.28 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$344.6 billion (2017 est.)
$310.4 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
semiconductors, petrochemicals, automobile/auto parts, ships, wireless communication equipment, flat display displays, steel, electronics, plastics, computers
$272.6 billion (2017 est.)
$239.7 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
oil/petroleum, semiconductors, natural gas, coal, steel, computers, wireless communication equipment, automobiles, fine chemicals, textiles
$468.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$439 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$204.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$172.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$85.58 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$80.68 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$367.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$354 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar -
30.68 (2017 est.)
32.325 (2016 est.)
32.325 (2016 est.)
31.911 (2014 est.)
30.363 (2013 est.)