Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Taiwan
Taiwan: Number of people living in urban and rural areas was 18.24 million people in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
18.24 million people
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
47th
of 236 countries
All-time high
18.83 million people
in 2016
All-time low
3.41 million people
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Taiwan, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2025, number of people living in urban and rural areas in Taiwan stood at 18.24 million people.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas in Taiwan peaked at 18.83 million people in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3.41 million people, in 1950.
That places Taiwan 47th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Taiwan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.41 million people | — |
| 1951 | 3.57 million people | +4.6% |
| 1952 | 3.73 million people | +4.5% |
| 1953 | 3.89 million people | +4.4% |
| 1954 | 4.06 million people | +4.4% |
| 1955 | 4.24 million people | +4.6% |
| 1956 | 4.44 million people | +4.6% |
| 1957 | 4.66 million people | +4.8% |
| 1958 | 4.90 million people | +5.3% |
| 1959 | 5.19 million people | +5.9% |
| 1960 | 5.48 million people | +5.6% |
| 1961 | 5.78 million people | +5.3% |
| 1962 | 6.07 million people | +5.1% |
| 1963 | 6.36 million people | +4.7% |
| 1964 | 6.63 million people | +4.2% |
| 1965 | 6.88 million people | +3.8% |
| 1966 | 7.12 million people | +3.5% |
| 1967 | 7.33 million people | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 7.51 million people | +2.5% |
| 1969 | 7.70 million people | +2.4% |
| 1970 | 7.88 million people | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 8.09 million people | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 8.33 million people | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 8.74 million people | +4.9% |
| 1974 | 9.47 million people | +8.3% |
| 1975 | 9.93 million people | +4.9% |
| 1976 | 10.44 million people | +5.1% |
| 1977 | 11.09 million people | +6.2% |
| 1978 | 11.56 million people | +4.3% |
| 1979 | 12.12 million people | +4.8% |
| 1980 | 12.55 million people | +3.6% |
| 1981 | 12.96 million people | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 13.37 million people | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 13.70 million people | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 14.04 million people | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 14.41 million people | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 14.81 million people | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 15.12 million people | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 15.36 million people | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 15.51 million people | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 15.67 million people | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 15.99 million people | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 16.21 million people | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 16.28 million people | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 16.36 million people | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 16.56 million people | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 16.75 million people | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 16.83 million people | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 16.94 million people | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 17.22 million people | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 17.40 million people | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 17.53 million people | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 17.60 million people | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 17.64 million people | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 17.86 million people | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 17.95 million people | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 18.11 million people | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 18.33 million people | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 18.49 million people | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 18.51 million people | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 18.58 million people | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 18.75 million people | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 18.78 million people | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 18.75 million people | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 18.73 million people | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 18.79 million people | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 18.83 million people | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 18.82 million people | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 18.77 million people | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 18.74 million people | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 18.79 million people | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 18.66 million people | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 18.48 million people | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 18.40 million people | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 18.32 million people | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 18.24 million people | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.21 million people | 3.41 million people | 5.19 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.69 million people | 5.48 million people | 7.70 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.77 million people | 7.88 million people | 12.12 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.18 million people | 12.55 million people | 15.51 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.48 million people | 15.67 million people | 17.22 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.94 million people | 17.40 million people | 18.51 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.75 million people | 18.58 million people | 18.83 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.48 million people | 18.24 million people | 18.79 million people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Taiwan
More population data for Taiwan
- Number of children under 5, by world region 301,946 people (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5325 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population density 282.89 people per km² (2100)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.2% (2100)
- World population growth -1.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.4176 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas in Taiwan?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Taiwan was 18.24 million people in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas recorded in Taiwan?
- The highest recorded value was 18.83 million people in 2016.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas recorded in Taiwan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.41 million people in 1950.
- How does Taiwan rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas?
- Taiwan ranks 47th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Taiwan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Taiwan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.