As of June 2026, the population of Taiwan is 24 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 18 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 0.08%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 38.6 years in 2016 to 44.1 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 82.1 years and population density is 677.6 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The population growth rate of Taiwan peaked in 1950, reaching around 4.06% annually, but has since declined to approximately 0.07% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 446.47 thousand in 1966 to nearly 17.78 thousand in 2026.
In Taiwan, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 77.9 years in 2006 to 82.1 years in 2026, representing an increase of more than 4 years over the past 2 decades.
Taiwan has several cities considered medium-sized by their number of inhabitants, but there are also some large ones. The most populous city is Taipei, Taiwan, with approximately 7.9 million inhabitants. It is followed by New Taipei City, Taipei with 4 million and Taichung, Taiwan with 2.9 million.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Taiwan:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taipei, Taiwan | 7,871,900 |
| 2 | New Taipei City, Taipei | 4,004,367 |
| 3 | Taichung, Taiwan | 2,850,285 |
| 4 | Kaohsiung, Takao | 2,737,660 |
| 5 | Tainan, Taiwan | 1,856,642 |
| 6 | Banqiao, Taipei | 551,221 |
| 7 | Taoyuan, Taiwan | 475,798 |
| 8 | Hsinchu, Taiwan | 453,536 |
| 9 | Keelung, Taiwan | 362,487 |
| 10 | Fengshan, Takao | 356,463 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Neihu, Taiwan | 274,538 |
| 12 | Chiayi City, Taiwan | 263,188 |
| 13 | Yongkang, Taiwan | 233,730 |
| 14 | Chang-hua, Taiwan | 226,564 |
| 15 | Changhua, Taiwan | 226,564 |
| 16 | Zhubei, Taiwan | 212,695 |
| 17 | Bade, Taiwan | 209,148 |
| 18 | Xizhi, Taipei | 204,619 |
| 19 | Danshui, Taipei | 189,271 |
| 20 | Shulin, Taipei | 180,044 |