Taiwan's student population drops 6.7% in 5 years amid low birth rate

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) Taiwan's student population fell by about 283,000, or 6.7 percent, over the past five school years, dropping from about 4.212 million in 2020 to 3.929 million in 2025, according to a Ministry of Education (MOE) report released Wednesday.

The sharpest declines were seen in senior high schools and colleges, reflecting the continued impact of Taiwan's low birth rate, said the report.

The number of senior high school students fell by about 77,000, or 12.7 percent, to roughly 532,000 in 2025. College enrollment declined by about 147,000, or 12.2 percent, to 1.057 million, the report showed.

Enrollment declined across all senior high school programs over the five-year period. In 2025, about 275,000 students were enrolled in general high schools and 199,000 in vocational high schools.

While overall enrollment fell, the share of students attending general high schools increased from 46.6 percent in 2020 to 51.7 percent in 2025. By contrast, the proportion enrolled in vocational programs dropped from 40.1 percent to 37.4 percent.

In higher education, undergraduate enrollment declined by about 140,000 to 778,000 students, largely because of the shrinking college-age population. However, graduate enrollment rose by about 10,000 students over the same period, while doctoral enrollment increased by about 1,000.

Science and technology remained the largest field of study in higher education in 2025, with 512,000 students, or 48.4 percent of total enrollment. Social sciences accounted for 354,000 students (33.5 percent), while 191,000 students (18.1 percent) studied humanities.

Compared with five years earlier, the share of students majoring in science and technology rose by 4.4 percentage points, while the proportions studying social sciences and humanities fell by 2.9 and 1.5 percentage points, respectively.

Among other education levels, preschool enrollment fell by about 52,000 students, or 9 percent, to 531,000, while elementary school enrollment declined by about 9,000, or 0.7 percent, to 1.165 million. Junior high school enrollment, however, increased by about 8,000 students, or 1.3 percent, to 605,000.