TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Social Welfare League reported that 9% of respondents in Taiwan believe they live in poverty, while 7.8% believe they live in near poverty, unable to overcome illness or unemployment, according to survey results released on Monday (Sept. 25).

The group said the survey reveals a gap in government reporting, which officially puts the poverty rate at about 2.6%, or approximately 600,000 households across Taiwan, according to the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), per UDN. In Taiwan, a low-income family is defined by the average income per family member being lower than the minimum cost of living, which in 2023 was set at NT$19,013 (US$590) in Taipei.

However, Wang Chin-wei (王今暐), the league's commissioner, said regulatory factors prevent people from obtaining this designation, leading to underreporting which obfuscates the true extent of poverty. The league urged the government to relax restrictions preventing people from registering as low-income, such as stateless people, those without families, those with property, and new immigrants who have yet to receive Taiwanese citizenship.

These regulations have prevented 280,000 people from registering as low-income, according to the league. 

The survey also found that 60% of Taiwanese believe new immigrants should be eligible to apply for social assistance even if they have not yet obtained Taiwanese citizenship. As the 2024 presidential election nears, the league called on candidates to support amendments to the Public Assistance Act to make regulations more consistent with the current social conditions.