Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Taiwan instead of United States, you would:

Economy

be 90.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Taiwan, however, that number is 1.5% as of 2012.

make 35.1% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Taiwan, the GDP per capita is $47,800 as of 2019.

pay a 13.6% higher top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Taiwan, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 23.2% less likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Taiwan, on the other hand, 4.0 children do as of 2022.

have 40.2% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Taiwan, there are 7.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 92.1% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Taiwan, that number is 1,566 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service, Taxation Administration, Ministry of Finance, R.O.C..

Taiwan: At a glance

Taiwan is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 32,260 sq km. In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist control after World War II. Following the communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Beginning in the 1950s, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the local population within the governing structure. This process expanded rapidly in the 1980s. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist (Kuomintang or KMT) to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of Taiwan's eventual status - as well as domestic priorities for economic reform and growth.
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How big is Taiwan compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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