Kaohsiung City households see record disposable income but savings decline

Households in Kaohsiung City achieved a record high average disposable income last year, surpassing NT$1.2 million for the first time. This marks a significant increase of over 5% from the previous year, outpacing the average growth rate across Taiwan.

However, this rise in income was offset by a notable increase in household spending. Average consumption expenditures climbed from NT$878,000 to NT$955,000. Consequently, the average household savings in Kaohsiung fell to NT$250,000, down from NT$265,000 the year before. This phenomenon highlights a trend of "income increase, savings decrease."

Analysis reveals that increased spending was directed towards various categories, including food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing services, utilities, and transportation. Expenses also rose for leisure, cultural activities, education, and dining out, collectively absorbing the gains from the higher disposable income.

While Kaohsiung's disposable income reached a new high, it ranked fifth among the six major Taiwanese cities. Taipei led with NT$1.55 million, followed by Taoyuan with NT$1.28 million. Kaohsiung's NT$1.206 million was higher only than Tainan's NT$1.04 million. Hsinchu City reported the highest disposable income in Taiwan at NT$1.604 million.