TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Slowing inflation helped lift Taiwan’s real wages to a five-year high in the first five months of this year, Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics reported Thursday.

DGBAS data showed that real regular wages in the industrial and service sectors averaged NT$43,572 (US$1,489) between January and May, up 0.96% year-on-year, the strongest growth since 2019, per CNA. Real total wages, which include bonuses and overtime, climbed 1.65%, the most in four years.

In May, average regular wages reached NT$47,796, a 2.88% increase from a year earlier. With seasonal Dragon Boat Festival bonuses and rising overtime pay factored in, average non-regular income jumped to NT$14,106. This brought total average monthly wages to NT$61,902, up 7.2% year-on-year.

For the January–May period, average regular wages rose 3.02% year-on-year to NT$47,568, marking the largest increase for that stretch in a quarter century. DGBAS Census Department Deputy Director Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) said the recovery in real wages reflects not only steady pay hikes but also a significant easing in consumer price inflation.

To provide a more accurate picture of wage distribution, the agency also reported the median regular wage in May at NT$38,224. Median figures help offset distortion from high-income earners and offer a clearer view of typical earnings.