Taiwan

Charge cards are not used extensively by the Taiwanese, and this category remains niche in payment cards in Taiwan. Users of charge cards must settle their outstanding dues by the end of the billing month. Charge cards in circulation and transactions...

As waves of financial innovations hit Taiwan, banks invested and developed digital banks to attract a wider customer base. As of 2019, there were four digital bank-issued credit cards targeting the young generations and witnessing impressive growth ...

Debit card transactions in Taiwan are largely supported by young demographics who are not eligible for ownership of credit cards. According to Money101.com.tw, there are still 8.3 million people aged over 20 years old do not have credit cards, ...

Total card payment transaction value accounted for 40% of total consumer payments in Taiwan in 2019. The majority of card payment transaction value in the country took place in credit cards, while debit and charge cards contribute significantly small...

In Taiwan, dual function of credit and pre-paid cards are very common. Leading pre-paid card issuers - EasyCard, Icash, iPass and HappyCash - account for the lion’s share of market shares in both volume and value terms. The four pre-paid cards are ...

Store cards are not available in Taiwan. Hypermarket chain Carrefour was the last retailer to offer such cards and ceased its operations in 2005. A trend towards embracing alternative payment options means the likelihood of store cards being ...

Taiwan’s consumer lending has registered impressive growth, thanks to low interest rates, moderate inflation and is well supported by sufficient bank funding. For the first time since 2013, consumer lending witnessed the highest growth, with consumer...

Other personal loans have surged in popularity, registering the fastest current value growth in 2019. The major drivers for the strong growth of other personal loans are the rise in consumption, favourable demographics, and wide and easy ...

Topical analgesics/anaesthetic remained dominant in value size of analgesics and recorded robust growth in 2019. Long working hours increased the number of people suffering from back or waist pain. Many choose topical analgesic patches or gels to ...

Combination cold and flu remedies remained the largest portion of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in 2019. Due to the well-established National Health Insurance programme in Taiwan, many people prefer to visit doctors in clinics to take ...

Prevalence of skin problems, such as athlete’s foot, continued to support value growth of dermatologicals in 2019. In addition, summers in Taiwan are becoming hotter and longer every year due to climate change. The average temperature in May 2018 ...

The average time spent on digital screens, especially on mobile phones, is rising rapidly according to a survey by Taiwan National Development Council. The habit of using phones and computers for long hours has given rise to many eye health problems ...

The eating-out population continues to rise in Taiwan due to busy lifestyles and increasing number of double-income families. Dining out usually means oily and heavily flavoured food, and a diet lacking vegetables and fruits. Due to the oily diet ...

According to the mobile phone usage survey by Taiwan National Development Council, almost 90% of mobile phone owners surf the net via their phone. In addition, telecom companies in Taiwan competed fiercely by launching unlimited data plans at ...

The majority of consumers consider products made with natural or herbal ingredients to be safe and have fewer side effects. The concept is deeply rooted in Taiwanese consumers due to the long history of using Chinese herbal therapies, which is a part...

The negative image of smoking and its impact on health continued to spread among the public in Taiwan. To boost public health, Taiwan’s government started imposing a tax on tobacco and increased the tax rates in 2006, 2009, 2016 and 2017 driving up ...

National Health Insurance in Taiwan has faced deficits over several consecutive years partly due to drug abuse and the public’s over-reliance on subsidised medical services. To sustain the National Health Insurance programme, the government has been ...

Taiwan has the lowest fertility rate in the world and it continues to drop. According to Taiwan Department of Household Registration, the fertility rate of childbearing age women in 2018 dropped to 1.06, the lowest since 2010, during which the ...

OTC sleep aids are still relatively small in Taiwan as of 2019....

According to the exercise habit survey conducted by Taiwan Sports Administration, the population engaged in regular exercise, 30 minutes a time and three times per week, has been rising since 2009. The Ministry of Finance also indicated that the ...