Is Taiwan Really Poor? Its Per Capita GDP is Nearly Three Times That of the Mainland

Is Taiwan Really Poor? Its Per Capita GDP is Nearly Three Times That of the Mainland (Video)

[People News] Hello, dear audience, and welcome to "Forbidden News Decoded." I am Xiaokun.

What you just watched was a popular street interview video on Bilibili, where the interviewee claimed that the monthly salary of Taiwanese people is only 1,500 to 2,000 yuan. Honestly, I found that quite amusing. Which parallel universe is this Taiwan living in? Yet, when this individual made that statement, there was no hint of hesitation in his eyes, no sense of guilt, but rather an air of superiority and inexplicable sympathy. He genuinely believed that the people of Taiwan are living in dire conditions, struggling daily for a salary of just two thousand yuan.

This raises the question: where does this almost surreal perception originate?

In reality, this is not an isolated incident. If you frequently browse the internet, you will notice that the mainland's online discourse is rife with similar sentiments: "Taiwan's infrastructure resembles that of a large county town," "Taiwan's economy is twenty years behind the mainland," and "The living standards in the mainland are significantly higher than those in Taiwan."

Given that so many people perceive Taiwan as 'poor and backwards,' let's take a look at the latest economic data for 2026 released by the Republic of China’s Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. We will examine what kind of life the people of Taiwan are actually experiencing at this moment and determine who truly constitutes a developed economy compared to the other side, and who is the one in need of 'poverty alleviation'?

GDP on a Rocket Ride

Let’s begin by examining the macro-level GDP growth rate. There are individuals who sit behind their keyboards daily, repeating like a mantra that Taiwan's 'economy has stagnated for thirty years.' Today, we will use data to set the record straight.

In the recently concluded year of 2025, while the global economy was grappling with high inflation and geopolitical conflicts, and the US, Japan, and Europe were collectively struggling, Taiwan's Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics announced a remarkable upward revision of the economic growth rate for the entire year of 2025 to an impressive 8.63%! This not only marks the highest record in nearly 15 years but also leaves neighbouring countries like Japan and South Korea far behind.

And this is just the beginning. As we enter 2026, Taiwan's economy is skyrocketing as if it has been given a boost!

According to the latest data released by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics on May 29, Taiwan's GDP growth rate for the first quarter of 2026 reached an astonishing 14.55%!

What does a growth rate of 14.55% signify? This is not a figure that an emerging developing country achieves due to a low base; rather, it represents genuine growth from a highly developed economy in 2026! Thanks to a surge in exports of AI chips and high-end servers, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has revised Taiwan's economic growth rate for 2026 to 9.64% in one fell swoop!

When we compare this data with that of major developed countries worldwide, it becomes clear just how remarkable Taiwan's performance is!

As the world's largest economy, the United States is projected to have an economic growth rate of approximately 2.1% in 2026, a figure that stands out among developed Western nations. In contrast, Japan, facing long-term low birth rates and weak domestic demand, is expected to barely maintain a growth rate of 0.8% in 2026. Germany, often seen as Europe's economic engine, is struggling on the edge of recession with a projected growth rate of only 0.5%, hindered by poor performance in energy and supply chain restructuring. Taiwan, classified as a high-income economy, is experiencing economic growth rates that are several times, and in some cases over ten times, those of these established Western powers!

How does this compare to the mainland, which some take pride in? The Chinese Communist Party has set an economic growth target of around 5% for 2026. However, the growth figures released by the mainland have long been met with scepticism from numerous international scholars and market analysts. Those in the know understand how this 5% growth rate is achieved; without the extensive efforts of the statistical bureau, reaching this number would be impossible. Given the current reality of widespread salary cuts for civil servants, soaring youth unemployment rates, and a decline in consumer spending, the mainland economy has effectively plunged into a frozen state.

While some continue to mock Taiwan as a 'poor island' using outdated narratives from thirty years ago, they fail to recognise that this island has positioned itself at the forefront of the global AI and semiconductor wave, boasting unmatched economic figures.

Wages at the bottom are being ruthlessly crushed!

Some may argue that GDP is irrelevant to them, as money that doesn't end up in their pockets doesn't matter. So let's take a more grounded approach and examine Taiwan, which some young people perceive as having a 'monthly salary of 1,500.' How much do the lowest-tier workers, who lack education and skills, actually earn each month?

In Taiwan, workers' rights and minimum wages are firmly established by law. Beginning January 1, 2026, the statutory minimum monthly salary in Taiwan will be raised to NT$29,500. Based on the latest exchange rate for 2026, this amounts to approximately RMB 6,550. The minimum statutory hourly wage will also be adjusted to NT$196, which is about RMB 44.

It is important to note that this is the legally mandated minimum wage! This means that in Taiwan, as long as you are a legally compliant full-time employee, even if you have no education, no skills, or it's your first day on the job, if your employer pays you even one cent less, it constitutes a serious legal violation, and the labour inspection department will promptly take action against the employer.

Now, let's look at specific occupations.

In mainland China, sanitation workers are often associated with the elderly and low-level jobs, earning one or two thousand in minimum wage. In contrast, in Taiwan, a typical community cleaner usually earns between RMB 7,100 and 8,000 per month. If they manage to join a government cleaning team, with various allowances and year-end bonuses, their annual salary can easily exceed RMB 100,000, and they benefit from strict weekends off, along with overtime pay for additional hours worked.

Let’s examine the service staff. On the streets of Taipei, Taichung, or Kaohsiung, a formal waiter at an ordinary restaurant, such as Din Tai Fung, various chain hot pot restaurants, or bubble tea shops, typically earns a starting salary between NT$40,000 and NT$45,000, which is equivalent to RMB 8,800 to 10,000.

Next, let’s consider security guards. In Taiwan, community and building security personnel often work longer hours, with many on a 12-hour shift system, resulting in a substantial monthly salary that generally ranges from NT$42,000 to NT$50,000, or about RMB 9,300 to 11,000.

Now, let’s turn our attention back to mainland China. Even in so-called international metropolises like Shanghai and Shenzhen, how much can an ordinary sanitation worker, restaurant waiter, or security guard earn each month? 4,000? 5,000? This is under the harsh conditions of working 12 hours a day, having only two days off a month, and lacking any social insurance or housing fund. In third- or fourth-tier cities, a salary of one or two thousand yuan is the grim reality.

In summary, the minimum salary for low-level workers in Taiwan can easily outstrip the starting salaries of most university graduates in first-tier cities in mainland China.

Let’s take a look at the median salary of all citizens. When factoring in year-end bonuses, performance bonuses, and holiday gifts, the median real annual income for ordinary office workers in Taiwan stands at 580,000 New Taiwan Dollars, which translates to about 130,000 Yuan per year. This averages out to a substantial 11,000 Yuan per month. In mainland China, earning 130,000 Yuan annually places an individual in the top 3% of the elite class among a population of 1.4 billion. In contrast, in Taiwan, this figure represents only the median, indicating that half of the Taiwanese population earns more than this! This stark income disparity between ordinary citizens on both sides of the Taiwan Strait is clearly illustrated.

Per Capita GDP Surpasses Japan and South Korea

After examining wages, let’s turn our attention to the ultimate measure of a region's wealth: per capita GDP.

For a long time, the economic ceiling in Asia has been dominated by Japan and South Korea. Traditionally, Japan has been viewed as the epitome of refined living, while South Korea has been the face of powerful conglomerates, with Taiwan often appearing somewhat understated in comparison.

However, history has been dramatically rewritten over the past two years.

Didn’t some people mock Taiwan for being so poor it can’t even afford tea eggs? According to the latest reports from the International Monetary Fund and Taiwan's Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, driven by a surge in AI chip exports, Taiwan's per capita GDP is projected to reach $39,489 in 2025, and in 2026, it is set to break the $40,000 mark for the first time in history, soaring to $42,103!

Let's examine this timeline of economic overtaking that has left East Asian neighbours in astonishment:

First, we look at Taiwan and South Korea. As early as 2022, Taiwan's per capita GDP briefly surpassed that of South Korea, thanks to its semiconductor industry advantages. In the recently concluded year of 2025, Taiwan achieved a significant overtaking of South Korea for the first time in 22 years, with a per capita GDP of $39,489 compared to South Korea's $36,227. By 2026, South Korea's estimated per capita GDP is projected to be $37,412, while Taiwan is expected to reach $42,103. Even South Korean media are expressing concern, stating that in the coming years, Taiwan's per capita GDP is set to exceed South Korea's by more than $10,000. In terms of per capita wealth, Taiwan has firmly pressed the accelerator, leaving South Korea far behind.

Next, we turn our attention to Japan. This represents the most astonishing economic shift in all of East Asia. The yen has experienced significant depreciation in recent years, and Japan's traditional manufacturing sector has been marginalised in the new energy and digital age. By 2025, Japan's per capita GDP had fallen to $35,970, which is $3,500 less than Taiwan's $39,489 during the same period. Moreover, the latest forecast for 2026 indicates that Japan will remain stagnant at $35,703. Indeed! In 2025, Taiwan not only overtook Japan, but by 2026, it expanded the gap to $6,400!

Currently, aside from Singapore and Hong Kong, which are purely urban economies lacking strategic depth, Taiwan stands out as the wealthiest and most advanced developed society in the entire Asian region, without a doubt!

Now, let’s turn our attention to mainland China, which constantly touts itself as the 'world's second-largest economy' and claims, My country is amazing.' 

By 2026, mainland China's projected per capita GDP is expected to awkwardly remain around $14,874, still unable to penetrate the thin barrier separating it from high-income countries, and firmly trapped in the 'middle-income trap.' 

With Taiwan's per capita GDP at $42,103 compared to mainland China's $14,874, Taiwan's figure is nearly three times that of the mainland!

Those keyboard warriors from mainland China who ridicule Taiwan online as 'broken and impoverished' could never have imagined that the Taiwan they think needs to be 'rescued' and 'lifted out of poverty' has, by international standards, already evolved into a progressive society with a living standard that surpasses both Japan and South Korea, and a wealth level that approaches that of first-tier developed countries in Europe.

This raises an important question:

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High Technology vs. Hard Labor

Having established just how affluent Taiwan is, we now face an even more critical question: what exactly has enabled Taiwan to achieve this? Many might wonder: given Taiwan's small size, how can it generate such substantial profits? How did it manage to achieve a staggering growth rate of 14.55%?

The answer is straightforward, encapsulated in four words: industrial structure. More specifically, it is the absolute monopoly in the global AI revolution and the semiconductor industry.

Today, Taiwan is no longer the processing factory that once thrived on selling plastic toys. It has transformed into the heart of global technology, truly earning the title of “AI Silicon Island.”

Artificial intelligence has sparked the fourth industrial revolution worldwide. Whether it’s Microsoft, Google, Amazon, or Meta, any company looking to harness AI computing power must acquire AI chips and AI servers. And these products can only be manufactured in one place—Taiwan.

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) dominates over 90% of the global advanced process chip production. Without TSMC, no matter how advanced the chips designed by NVIDIA’s Huang Renxun may be, they remain mere circuit diagrams on paper, as no other factory worldwide can produce them.

Furthermore, key components and system assembly for AI servers are predominantly managed by Taiwanese firms such as Quanta, Wistron, and Foxconn, which collectively command over 80% of the global market share.

The soaring global demand for AI chips has propelled Taiwan's exports into a vertical bull market curve projected for 2025 to 2026. This surge is not merely a short-term bubble; the AI revolution is just beginning. Over the next 10 to 20 years, the demand for high-end chips will grow exponentially across various sectors, including cloud computing, AI smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and humanoid robots. With its unmatched technological advantage, Taiwan is poised to secure a leading position in global wealth distribution for the coming decade or two.

In contrast, the low-end characteristics of the industrial structure in mainland China are strikingly bleak.

Despite the government's daily promotion of the 'new three items'—electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics—claiming to be the world's leader, can this really mask the harsh reality that China's overall industry remains characterised by low added value, high pollution, and labour intensity?

Due to a lack of core technologies and patent protections, the vast majority of export products from the mainland earn only a meagre 'sweatshop processing fee' at the very end of the industrial chain. Additionally, a critical flaw in the mainland's industry is that whenever a sector becomes profitable, everyone rushes in, leading to fierce internal competition. The photovoltaic and electric vehicle sectors have resulted in collective losses for major domestic companies, which can only survive through government subsidies. Furthermore, with the international geopolitical landscape creating adversaries everywhere, when Europe and the United States shift their supply chains or impose tariffs, factories in the mainland quickly collapse in droves, sparking a wave of unemployment.

In simple terms, the mainland continues to rely primarily on selling cheap labour and squeezing workers into 'human batteries' to earn a meagre income. While Taiwanese companies rake in global profits with AI chips priced at hundreds of dollars each, mainland companies are still fighting over a few dollars for clothing and mere cents for plastic toys in the international market. One side consists of 'high-end individuals' holding core technology, while the other comprises hard-working 'labourers' selling their physical labour. Who will ultimately prevail? The answer is evident.

The 'poverty alleviation' myth of Yelang

In this context, let’s examine the political slogan that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) incessantly promotes—' Achieving complete reunification of the motherland will bring a better life to our compatriots in Taiwan.'

Ladies and gentlemen, after reviewing the authentic data from international authoritative organisations, doesn’t this statement strike you as the greatest dark humour of the 21st century? Is it not akin to a beggar trying to elicit sympathy from the wealthy, leaving one laughing until their stomach aches?

This is a regime with a per capita GDP of only $15,000, where six hundred million people earn less than a thousand yuan a month, where the youth unemployment rate is so high that the government is reluctant to disclose it, where ordinary citizens can only wait to die at home when faced with serious illness, where civil servants are lining up for pay cuts, and where local finances are on the brink of bankruptcy. Yet, it boldly claims to be a mature and developed society with a global per capita GDP of $40,000, a minimum monthly salary of 6,500 yuan for the lower class, top-tier medical benefits, and control over the global AI core: 'Come here, I have unified you, and I will ensure you live a better life in the future.'

Does this resemble a Bentley company that is on the brink of collapse, struggling to survive by issuing high-risk bonds, and is about to be unable to pay its employees? It goes to the chairman of a global tech giant, who has the highest market value, controls the lifeblood of global AI computing power, and holds hundreds of billions of dollars in cash, and says: 'Listen, I am going to forcibly acquire you. Once I take over your company, I promise to give you an extra pack of pickled vegetables every noon, ensuring that your future will be better than it is now.'

The main issue with this argument is the stark contrast between it and the current economic realities across the Taiwan Strait.

The comparison of the actual situations on both sides has long revealed the truth. Taiwanese people enjoy real freedom of news and speech; their passports allow visa-free travel to over a hundred countries, they can go wherever they wish, and if they fall ill, they have a healthcare system to rely on. Ordinary individuals do not have to endure the 996 work culture; they can achieve a dignified middle-class lifestyle through physical labour alone.

Who truly needs to be lifted out of poverty? It is the 1.4 billion ordinary citizens on the mainland who are still delivering takeout under the scorching sun for a few dollars in delivery fees, those who can only find work as couriers after earning a master's degree, and the elderly who receive only over 100 yuan a month in pension!

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) constantly calls for 'unification,' but its true intention has never been about the welfare of Taiwanese compatriots; it is merely a means for the rulers to fulfil their political ambitions and maintain the legitimacy of their dictatorial regime. Many Taiwanese view Beijing's emphasis on unification as primarily driven by political and strategic considerations, rather than a genuine need to improve the living standards of the Taiwanese people.

They aim to forcibly seize Taiwan, a global high-tech hub and a golden goose that lays golden eggs, and transform TSMC into another state-owned enterprise under party control, similar to 'SMIC'.

Ultimately, I want to address the mainland netizens who are caught up in grand narratives online and indulge in daydreams: it's time to wake up! Instead of feeling sorry for those Taiwanese compatriots who earn over ten thousand RMB a month and benefit from universal free healthcare, why not take a moment to examine your own paycheck, consider the mortgage that you might soon be unable to pay, and reflect on how long your savings would last in a hospital if you were to face a serious illness tomorrow!

Who is truly the 'frog at the bottom of the well'? Who is the one genuinely abandoned by this era, in need of rescue and care? The cold, hard data of history has already provided the most unforgiving answer.

Thank you for watching this episode. If you want more people misled by the CCP's propaganda to uncover the truth, please like, subscribe, and share our channel. If you have your own thoughts on the economic comparison between Taiwan and the mainland, we welcome you to leave a comment in the comments section. See you next time!

(‘Forbidden News Decoded’)
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