Taipei's Ximending shopping district: Young people, who were previously less politically active in Taiwan, hold the potential to swing the next election. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

Taiwan's young voters fret over material and existential issues

Demographic is larger than that of the elderly and may swing presidential poll

THOMPSON CHAU, Contributing writer, CHENG TING-FANG and LAULY LI, Nikkei staff writers

January 9, 2024 06:00 JST

TAIPEI/KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan -- This week's Taiwan presidential election is framed by many onlookers as a poll to decide the democratic island's future relationship with China. But for one key constituency, it's as much about more material issues such as wages, inflation, energy security, equality and social justice.

Young voters, analysts say, could swing the election. More than 6 million, or 31% of the island's 19.5 million eligible voters, are aged between 20 and 39, a larger slice of the electorate than the 5.26 million aged 60 or over.