Taiwan Main Island covers 35,812.1 km² (13,827 sq mi) of land and had a population of 23 million in 2025, about 642 people per km² (1,663 per sq mi). In more familiar terms, it is about 1.42 times the size of Maryland.
Calculated from the population and area above; their reference dates may differ.
On a familiar scale
≈ 1.42 × Maryland (reference rung)
The closest rung on the US reference ladder (Census Bureau land area); see the sources below.
Land per resident
1,558 m² of land per resident
The inverse of population density, from the same area and population figures.
The outline is fitted to this frame, not a map for measuring distances. Outlying islands may make the main landmass appear smaller.
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Taiwan Main Island is “how many times” what?
The multiples on this site default to Taiwan. Pick a place you know and the area, population and density are recalculated against it; your choice is remembered in this browser and carries to other pages.
The main island alone, excluding every offshore island. Area is the Ministry of the Interior's island-proper land (35,767.6263 km²) plus its reclaimed tidal land (44.4337 km²); the ministry publishes the two components but no combined main-island total. Population is derived from the same household-registration table used for Taiwan as a whole, subtracting Penghu, Kinmen and Lienchiang counties, the Pratas and Spratly Islands, and the Green Island, Orchid Island, Liuqiu and Qijin townships. No official body publishes a main-island population.
Average administrative density does not describe population distribution in every neighborhood. Compare population definitions and reference dates alongside the numbers.
Place guide
How should this Taiwan Main Island profile be read?
This page uses Taiwan Main Island as a single landmass, not an administrative total that adds outlying counties. Neither of the two figures shown is published as one number by any official body, so both are assembled here.
How the two figures were assembled
The area of 35,812.06 km² is a sum: the Ministry of the Interior’s island-proper land of 35,767.6263 km² plus 44.4337 km² of reclaimed tidal land. The ministry publishes both components but no combined main-island total.
The population of 23,087,329 as of 2024-12-31 is derived from the ROC registered total of 23,400,220 by subtracting Penghu 107,901, Kinmen 143,601 and Lienchiang 13,950, then the townships of Green Island 4,385, Orchid Island 5,277, Liuqiu 12,190 and Qijin 25,587. No official body publishes a main-island population.
What main island means here
The term is ambiguous in Chinese. The Ministry of the Interior uses it for the main island plus 21 attached islets, which gives 35,887.1325 km², the figure that appears on the Executive Yuan’s national-profile page. Everyday usage means the island alone, and this page follows everyday usage so that the number matches the rendered outline.
The ROC administrative total already on this site is 36,197.3371 km², which additionally includes Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, the Pratas and the Spratlys. Land area is measured at the high-water line and reclaimed land grows over time, which is why undated figures for this island often disagree with each other.
Questions people ask
About Taiwan Main Island’s area and population
How big is Taiwan Main Island?
Taiwan Main Island covers 35,812.1 km², or 13,827 sq mi (reference date 2017-12-31). In US terms: ≈ 1.42 × Maryland.
What is the population of Taiwan Main Island?
23 million — 22,992,953 as of 2025-12-31. The scope of that count is set out under “Scope and definitions” on this page.
What is the population density of Taiwan Main Island?
About 642 people per km² (1,663 per sq mi), derived from the area and population above, whose reference dates may differ. An administrative average does not describe how crowded any particular neighbourhood is.
What do these Taiwan Main Island figures include?
The main island alone, excluding every offshore island. Area is the Ministry of the Interior's island-proper land (35,767.6263 km²) plus its reclaimed tidal land (44.4337 km²); the ministry publishes the two components but no combined main-island total. Population is derived from the same household-registration table used for Taiwan as a whole, subtracting Penghu, Kinmen and Lienchiang counties, the Pratas and Spratly Islands, and the Green Island, Orchid Island, Liuqiu and Qijin townships. No official body publishes a main-island population.