TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s inflation-adjusted regular wages rose 1.27% year-on-year in the first five months of 2026, marking their strongest growth in six years, CNA reported Friday.
Average monthly regular wages reached NT$49,216 (US$1,530) in May, up 2.95% from a year earlier, according to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. Regular wages include base pay and fixed monthly allowances but exclude bonuses and overtime.
CTEE reported that the annual increase was the second largest recorded for May in nearly 27 years. Additional earnings, including bonuses and overtime pay, averaged NT$13,363 during the month.
Average total monthly wages, including regular and additional earnings, reached NT$62,579 in May. This was 0.94% higher than in the same month last year.
Median regular wages rose 3.14% year-on-year to NT$39,426. The median better reflects what a typical worker earns because it is less affected by a small number of very high salaries.
After adjusting for inflation, average regular wages reached NT$44,128 during the first five months of the year. The 1.27% increase showed that regular pay continued to grow faster than consumer prices.
Inflation-adjusted total wages rose 1.37% during the same period. This was lower than the 1.67% increase recorded a year earlier, per Economic Daily News.
Government officials said the slower growth in total wages was partly caused by the timing of Dragon Boat Festival bonuses. Many companies paid the bonuses in May during the previous two years, while some delayed payments until June, CTS News reported.
