STATISTICS: TAIWAN

Taiwan Official name: Chung-hua Min-kuo (Republic of China). Form of government: multiparty republic with a National Assembly (334) and Legislative Yuan (225){1}. Chief of state: President. Head of government: Premier. Capital: Taipei. Official language: Mandarin Chinese. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = NT$34.55; 1 = NT$58.82. Demography Population (1998){2}: 21,843,000. Density (1998){2}: persons per sq mi 1,563.7, persons per sq km 603.7. Urban-rural (1991){3}: urban 74.7%; rural 25.3%. Sex distribution (1997{4}){3}: male 51.40%; female 48.60%. Age breakdown (1996){3}: under 15, 23.8%; 15-29, 26.5%; 30-44, 25.7%; 45-59, 13.0%; 60-69, 6.5%; 70 and over, 4.5%. Population projection: (2000) 22,250,000; (2010) 24,399,000. Major cities (1997{4}){3}: Taipei 2,595,699; Kao-hsiung 1,434,907; T'ai-chung 881,870; T'ai-nan 712,172; Chi-lung 374,874. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1997{4}): 14.7 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1997{4}): 6.1 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1997{4}): 8.6 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1995){3}: 1.8. Life expectancy at birth (1994): male 71.8 years; female 77.7 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1996){3}: malignant neoplasms 130.2; cerebrovascular diseases 64.9; accidents and suicide 57.8; heart disease 52.5; diabetes 35.0; liver diseases 21.5; kidney diseases 16.5; pneumonia 14.9. National economy Budget (1995){5}. Revenue: NT$2,102,737,000,000 (income taxes 15.2%, land tax 11.9%, business tax 10.2%, commodity tax 7.4%, surplus of public enterprises 6.7%, customs duties 5.5%). Expenditures: NT$2,074,929,000,000 (administration and defense 23.7%, economic development 21.1%). Population economically active (1990): total 10,236,324; activity rate 50.5% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 72.5%; female 38.5%; unemployed 2.7%). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): sugarcane 4,190,000, rice 1,577,000, citrus fruits 463,710, corn (maize) 321,322{6}, pineapples 274,113, sweet potatoes 204,000, bananas 140,997; livestock (number of live animals) 10,698,366 pigs, 318,404 goats, 164,825 cattle; timber 36,118 cu m; fish catch 1,231,834. Mining and quarrying (1990): silver 3,926 kg. Manufacturing (1996): cement 21,535,037; steel ingots 12,471,722; paperboard 3,209,458; fertilizers 2,197,742; polyester filament 1,199,470; polyvinyl chloride plastics 1,105,287; telephones 4,796,800 units; electronic calculators 2,951,086 units. Construction (1995): total residential and nonresidential 46,221,000 sq m. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1996) 124,973,000,000 (111,140,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1993) 328,000 ( 16,500,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 1993) 400,000 ( 215,400); natural gas (cu m; 1992) 767,000,000 (n.a.). Gross national product (1998): U.S.$297,953,000,000 (U.S.$13,900 per capita). Tourism (1995): receipts from visitors U.S.$3,286,000,000. Household income and expenditure (1995). Average household size (1996) 3.6; income per household NT$965,890 (U.S.$36,470{7}); expenditure: food 27.1%, rent, fuel, and power 19.7%, education 17.5%, transportation 11.6%, health care 7.6%, clothing 4.7%, furniture 2.9%. Foreign trade Imports (1996): NT$2,815,720,000,000 (electronic machinery 15.8%, nonelectrical machinery 10.9%, chemicals 10.7%, iron and steel 5.6%, crude petroleum 4.7%, road motor vehicles 4.4%). Major import sources: Japan 26.8%; U.S. 19.5%; Germany 4.9%; South Korea 4.1%; Malaysia 3.5%; Singapore 2.7%. Exports (1996): NT$3,176,625,000,000 (nonelectrical machinery 24.3%, electrical machinery 21.5%, plastic articles 6.6%, synthetic fibres 5.0%, transportation equipment 4.5%). Major export destinations: U.S. 23.2%; Hong Kong 23.1%; Japan 11.8%; Singapore 3.9%; Germany 3.1%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1996): track length 3,879 km; passenger-km 8,975,200,000; metric ton-km cargo 1,584,800,000. Roads (1994): total length 19,038 km (paved 89%). Vehicles (1996): passenger cars 4,146,500; trucks and buses 799,600. Air transport (1996): passenger-km 40,603,500,000; metric ton-km cargo 3,567,900,000; airports (1996) 13. Education and health Educational attainment (1995). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 9.1%; less than complete primary education 6.9%; primary 23.9%; incomplete secondary 26.0%; secondary 20.5%; some college 8.2%; higher 5.4%. Literacy (1995): population age 15 and over literate 15,006,668 (93.7%); males 8,156,195 (97.6%); females 7,149,455 (90.2%). Health (1995): physicians 24,465 (1 per 867 persons); hospital beds 112,379 (1 per 189 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births 6.4. Military Total active duty personnel (1996): 376,000 (army 63.8%, navy 18.1%, air force 18.1%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 5.0% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$618. {1} National Assembly functions as an electoral college or constituent body; the legislative branch is the formal lawmaking body. {2} Includes Quemoy and Matsu groups. {3} For Taiwan area only, excluding Quemoy and Matsu groups. {4} March. {5} General government. {6} 1991. {7} Based on the average exchange rate.