Taoyuan City has a population of approximately 2.3 million people. Over the past decade, it has experienced the highest population growth rate among all of Taiwan's special municipalities. This growth is driven by its proximity to Taipei, relatively affordable housing, and strong employment opportunities in the industrial sector.
Taoyuan has a notably young demographic compared to the rest of Taiwan and boasts the highest birth rate among the special municipalities. The city is celebrated for its rich ethnic and cultural diversity: * **Hakka:** Taoyuan has the largest Hakka population in Taiwan, particularly concentrated in southern districts like Zhongli, Pingzhen, and Yangmei. * **Hoklo (Taiwanese):** A large demographic in the northern districts. * **Mainland Chinese (Waishengren):** A significant population of post-1949 migrants and their descendants, historically centered in military dependent villages (juancun). * **Indigenous Peoples:** Home to over 70,000 indigenous people, primarily the Atayal tribe in the mountainous areas, making it the city with the second-largest indigenous population in Taiwan. * **New Immigrants & Migrant Workers:** Taoyuan hosts a very large community of Southeast Asian migrant workers (from Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand) supporting the manufacturing sector, as well as many foreign spouses.