TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The government estimates Taiwan’s gross domestic product will expand 9.64% in 2026, the largest increase in 16 years, reports said Friday.
The new estimate is 1.93% higher than the figure mentioned by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics in February. The government department also said growth during the first quarter of the year will likely hit 14.55%, the highest level in 48 years, the Liberty Times reported.
GDP per person will reach NT$1.43 million (US$45,610) this year, while the consumer price index will increase 1.93%, or 0.25% more than previously expected, the government said.
The main engine behind the higher-than-predicted growth is the strong expansion of demand for AI-related products, including semiconductors, servers, and parts, officials said. Taiwan’s key role in related supply chains also fueled exports of goods, with the latest estimate for 2026 set at NT$28.08 trillion, a rise of 39.77% compared to 2025, the strongest increase in 50 years.
Private investment is set to rise 6.43%, or 2.19% more than previously forecast, per the Liberty Times. Sluggish trends in the real estate sector offset strong growth in the AI and airline businesses. During 2025, private investment expanded 10.96%, according to government data.
