Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Taiwan instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 2.5 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Taiwan, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 92.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Hong Kong, 19.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Taiwan, however, that number is 1.5% as of 2012.

make 56.4% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,200 as of 2020, while in Taiwan, the GDP per capita is $24,502 as of 2018.

be 27.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Taiwan, that number is 3.7% as of 2019.

pay a 3.0 times higher top tax rate

Hong Kong has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Taiwan, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 55.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 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.

Geography

see 2.1 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In Taiwan, that number is 1,566 km.

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

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 Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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