Taiwan’s Democracy, by the Numbers:

Key moments in democratization

Looking back at Taiwan’s democratization process, political scientist Chen Fang-yu, cofounder of the website Who Governs TW, traces its history from the “Dangwai” movement (early democracy advocates “outside the party,” i.e. outside the Kuomintang) and the Kaohsiung Incident of 1979, to the lifting of martial law in 1987 and the complete reelection of the parliament in 1992. The 1992 election was especially significant: For the first time, all seats in the parliament were filled through elections held in Taiwan, giving the democratic system a new source of legitimacy.

The first peaceful transfer of power between political parties, in 2000, demonstrated that the democratic system was strong. Chen stresses that in that same year Tang Yao-ming, chief of the general staff, declared the military’s allegiance to the constitution rather than any single political party, ensuring the neutrality of the armed forces and laying a firm foundation for stable democracy in Taiwan.

Voters line up in an orderly fashion outside a polling station. (MOFA file photo)

Only 6% under “full democracy”

According to international democracy evaluators including the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Freedom House, and Sweden’s Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, Taiwan ranks highly on all indicators. Chen notes that Taiwan is one of only 15% of countries worldwide (accounting for only 6% of the world’s population) to enjoy “full democracy,” the highest EIU ranking.

In terms of freedom of speech, Taiwan’s society is rare in the Chinese-speaking world for its open debate of public policies. It has also shown significant improvement in women’s participation in politics, with the proportion of female national legislators surpassing 40% in recent years, the highest in Asia. The three peaceful transitions of power between political parties and an active civil society have also been important bases for international judgments of Taiwan’s democracy.

It is noteworthy that despite a decline in global democracy since 2010, Taiwan’s political system has shown continued stability and been one of the few examples of improvement.

Supporters avidly participate in a campaign rally. (photo by Chin Hung-hao)

Democracy, economics, technology

In the course of democratization, Taiwan has continuously enjoyed a robust economy, belying the misguided notion that economic development requires strongman rule. In recent years, the local semiconductor industry and supply chain (built around the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) have secured a critical position for Taiwan in the global division of labor in technology.

Taiwan’s economic and technological power, along with its geostrategic location, have made it a high-profile democratic case study globally. Facts show that Taiwan stands on the front line in defense of freedom and technological progress.

Political scientist Chen Fang-yu, cofounder of the Who Governs TW website. (photo by Jimmy Lin)

Treasuring one’s vote

Another distinguishing feature of democracy in Taiwan has been the high level of political par­ticipation. Though voter turnout for presidential elections has fallen from its peak of 82.69% in 2000, it has remained at roughly 70% over time. Chen Fang-yu argues that Taiwanese are enthusiastic about voting because they believe their individual ballots can bring change, as democracy has become a treasured value shared by all.

In the eyes of foreign journalists and election observers, the most special thing about Taiwan’s elections is the way that votes are called out publicly one by one at polling stations. This high-transparency tradition, though rooted in efforts to prevent fraud, has become a civic ritual embodying fairness, open­ness, and public trust.

However, the digital age has brought new challenges. The rise of social media has lowered the bar to public participation in politics but has also accelerated emotional manipulation, extreme speech, and the spreading of disinformation. Taiwan has been repeatedly ranked by V-Dem as being the country most exposed to false information disseminated by foreign governments. This reflects the stark reality that foreign actors are continuing to attempt to interfere in Taiwan’s democracy through disinformation.

Despite being in a highly challenging environ­ment, Taiwan still proves to the international com­munity that it “belongs to the world.” Chen Fang-yu says that over the last 30 years, Taiwan has been able to leverage its democratic system, economic power, and cultural value to accrue international visibility and influence, while its freedom and resilience have become key reference points through which the world knows and understands it.

As the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the globe, Taiwan donated medical-grade face masks and emergency supplies to countries worldwide. (MOFA file photo)

This photo shows enthusiastic participants at the Taiwan LGBT+ Pride parade. Taiwan has led the way among Asian countries in legalizing same-sex marriage, thereby showcasing our society’s freedom, democracy, diversity, and tolerance. (photo by Jimmy Lin)

Activists from the Sunflower Student Movement occupying the Legislative Yuan in 2014. (photo by Kent Chuang)

Milestones in Taiwan’s democratic development

International evaluations of Taiwan’s democracy

Taiwan has long been in the “advanced class” when it comes to international evaluations of democratic indicators including democratic governance, political freedom, and media freedom. It has been named one of Asia’s most mature democracies by a number of international institutions. The EIU’s Democracy Index 2020 called Taiwan “a beacon of democracy in Asia.”compiled by Joanna Wang

The inaugural celebration for the 16th-term president and vice president of the ROC (Taiwan) was held in front of the Presidential Office Building. (courtesy of the Office of the President)

Economic Intelligence Unit: Democracy Index 2025
Taiwan has a total score of 8.78 out of ten, ranking 15th in the world. It continues to be classified in the index’s highest category, “full democracy.” data source: EIU

Freedom House: Freedom in the World 2026

Taiwan received 93 out of 100 points (38/40 for political rights, 55/60 for civil liberties). It continued to rank second in Asia, indicating it has a strong democracy with a high level of maturity.image source: Freedom House website

Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) 

Taiwan has for many consecutive years been ranked by V-Dem as the country most heavily exposed to dissemination of false information by foreign governments. In 2025, Taiwan scored just 0.1 on this indicator, with 0 indicating the most frequent exposure.image source: V-Dem website