Regular wage growth hits highest in 26 years in 2025, beating inflation

Taipei, Feb. 11 (CNA) Growth in the average monthly regular wage in Taiwan rose by more than 3 percent in 2025, the highest in 26 years beating inflation, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said Wednesday.

Data compiled by the DGBAS showed the average monthly regular wage in the local industrial and service sectors stood at NT$47,884 (US$1,512) in 2025, up 3.09 percent from a year earlier.

After adjusting for inflation, the average real regular wage also grew 1.40 percent to NT$43,690 in 2025, indicating that growth was above inflation, the data showed. The 1.40 percent growth was the highest level in five years.

Last year, average annual aggregate earnings, comprised of regular wages and non-regular wages such as overtime pay and bonuses, stood at NT$760,632, up 3.91 percent from a year earlier, while average annual real aggregate earnings grew 2.21 percent to NT$694,008, also beating inflation, according to the DGBAS.

The 2.21 percent growth was the highest in seven years, according to the DGBAS.

Speaking with reporters, Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲), deputy director of the DGBAS Census Department, said the higher regular wage came after an increase in the minimum wage.

With the economy growing, employers gave bonuses and demanded overtime hours, boosting non-regular wages, Tan said, adding that in 2025 Taiwan's economy grew at a stunning pace of 8.63 percent with exports boosted by AI applications.

Local consumer price index (CPI) growth eased to 1.66 percent, below the 2 percent alert level set by the central bank, ensuring both the average regular wage and earnings beat inflation, she added.

In 2025, about 69.74 percent of local employees received a regular wage below the monthly average, marking the fourth consecutive year that share has increased, as highly paid employees skewed the average, Tan said.

The median monthly regular wage rose 3.03 percent in 2025 from a year earlier to NT$38,406, while after being adjusted for inflation, the real median monthly wage also rose 1.35 percent to NT$35,042, the DGBAS said.

Due to robust global demand for AI applications, the DGBAS said, the number of average monthly overtime hours in the local electronics industry for 2025 hit 27.9 hours, the highest for 46 years.

Demand for AI and high-performance computing devices was stronger than expected, which benefited the export-oriented electronic components industry, Tan said.

In addition to the growth in overtime hours, Tan added, the electronic components industry also reported that average aggregate earnings rose 8.52 percent in 2025, the highest of any industry in the country.