Life in Taiwan: Every Number That Shapes It (1800–2100)
Updated September 2026 · methodology
A child born in Taiwan in the 2020s can expect to live 76 years on an average income of 16,000 international dollars. (UN WPP / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)
To look at the numbers defining Taiwan is to see the quiet, cumulative transformation of daily existence. It is the story of a society that has consistently expanded the baseline of human security, shifting the focus of life from mere survival toward the pursuit of education and connection. The daily reality has shifted from rural hardship to modern stability, where the physical body itself has evolved, with the average male height rising from 163 to 172 cm.
The historical arc reveals a striking pivot across three centuries. The story is written in the lengthening of a single lifespan from 45 to 76 years and the dramatic fall of child mortality from 220 to 15 per 1,000 births. In the 1950s, 65 percent of the population lived in extreme poverty, while today that figure is 1.5 percent. This transition is mapped by the migration from agrarian labor to a digital era defined by 65 percent internet access.
A child born in Taiwan in the 2020s can expect to live 76 years on an average income of 16,000 international dollars. This life exists in a new equilibrium, with a fertility rate of 1.8 births per woman and education having climbed from 2.5 to 9.5 years of schooling. With annual working hours having decreased from 2,600 to 2,100, the individual now navigates a world fundamentally different than that of previous generations.
Explore MYRIAD to see your parallel life in Taiwan.
🇹🇼 Every dimension below links to the full three-century series for Taiwan — and to the same series for every other country, so you can see exactly where the birth lottery placed its people.
The numbers today vs 1950
| Dimension | 1950s | 2020s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 45 | 76 years | history → |
| Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) | 1,600 | 16,000 intl-$ | history → |
| Child Mortality (under 5) | 220 | 15 per 1,000 births | history → |
| Years of Schooling | 2.5 | 9.5 years | history → |
| Children per Woman | 5.6 | 1.8 births | history → |
| Living in Cities | 17 | 60 % | history → |
| Internet Access | 0 | 65 % | history → |
| Electricity at Home | 15 | 97 % | history → |
| Homicide Rate | 3 | 1.8 per 100,000 | history → |
| Annual Working Hours | 2,600 | 2,100 hours/year | history → |
| Average Male Height | 163 | 172 cm | history → |
| Extreme Poverty | 65 | 1.5 % | history → |
See your parallel life in Taiwan →
Questions people ask
What is life expectancy in Taiwan?
76 years in the 2020s (UN WPP / World Bank data compiled by MYRIAD).
Is Taiwan a good place to be born, statistically?
MYRIAD ranks every country by a composite of longevity, income, child survival, education and safety for each birth decade — enter your details on the homepage to see where Taiwan lands for your cohort.