A. Social and Economic Background:
---The average per capita GNP had risen to US$12,490 in 1995 (estimated).
---The natural population growth rate dropped continuously after 1991. With those 65 and older making up more than 7% of the entire population in 1993, the R.O.C. became an aging society. On the other hand, the proportion of those younger than 14 continued to drop. Those 0-14 years old constituted only 24.1% of the population in 1995, while it is estimated that those 65 years and older had increased to 7.5%.
---While the unemployment rate stayed at low levels throughout the early nineties, and was only 1.4% in 1993, more recently there has been a climbing trend. Nevertheless, the 1.8% unemployment rate in 1995 is still much lower than that in the advanced industrial nations.
---The number of overseas contract laborers working in Taiwan increased.
---Public education continued its progress towards higher levels, and the growth of the nation's college and university system quickened. By 1995, 18% of those 15 and older had participated in higher education, 31.9% had attended high school, and only 7.1% were illiterate.
B. Food
---Electromagnetic hotplates and electric stew pots were widely used in cooking.
C. Clothing
---Local clothing stayed in tune with worldwide fashions.
D. Housing
1. Urban housing:
---Apartment-style housing had already supplanted original freestanding or duplex residences. Greater attention was paid to interior design and an apartment management outlook was adopted.
---The average residential floor space per person is 26.5 square meters and the average number of bedrooms per person is 1.15 (1990).
2. Rural housing:
---Row houses and free-standing houses become universal and traditionally-built rural houses decrease. Most new houses are still built from brick, reinforced brick, and reinforced concrete. While interior furnishings are modern, little attention is yet paid to interior design.
---Homes are universally equipped with electrical appliances.
3. While people continue to migrate to the cities, the rate of this movement has slowed. Those dwelling in urban areas now constitute 80% of the population (1991).
4. The promotion of environmental protection continues and resource conservation plans are carried out.
E. Transportation
---Cellular telephones gradually become widespread. Passenger cars rapidly increase in number, causing urban traffic congestion and worsening the parking shortage.
F. Education
---Bachelor's degrees become commonplace and the number of individuals with master's and Ph.D. degrees increases. ---Audiovisual education, computerized education, practical training using automated apparatus, use of the Internet, and library automation are growing trends in education. Ground is broken for new universities and other institutions of higher learning.
---Attendance swells at the R.O.C.'s museums of science and industry, prehistoric culture, marine biology, traditional art, and ethnic music.
G. Recreation
---Satellite television, CD's, laser discs, multimedia apparatus and HDTV come into use.
---Society enters a high-income, information-intensive stage. Citizens spend a decreasing amount of time at work and possess an increasing amount of leisure time. A growing trend is to spend long holidays on overseas travel. As much as 19.06% of the total population travelled overseas for sightseeing purposes in 1993.
---Environmental consciousness grows; environmental education and ecological travel join the ranks of travel and leisure activities.
---Thanks to the rapid transmission of information, the advance of technology and communications systems, and the abundance of information concerning overseas and domestic tourism and recreation activities, citizens can select from a wide range of travel options.
---The government has drawn up plans for the systematic development of sightseeing and vacationing in Taiwan; domestic touristic resources are to comprise several systems in accordance with regional planning.
---Because of the growing diversity of recreational activities and their increasing degree of challenge, citizens increasingly place greater importance on travel and recreation safety.
---In response to the need to protect the environment, travel and recreation combined with ecological education is gaining acceptance.
---Many theme parks and amusement parks are being developed by private corporations.
H. Health Care
---The implementation of national health insurance in 1995 has provided all citizens with equal access to suitable medical and health care services.
---There were 11.6 physicians trained in Western medicine, 1.35 physicians trained in traditional medicine, 3.31 dentists, and 49.2 hospital beds for every 10,000 persons as of 1994.