Taiwanese household net worth climbed to a record peak in 2024, boosted by a surge in technology stocks and a robust property market, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) reported on April 29, as cited by the nation's English language daily Taipei Times.

Total family net assets in the country reached TWD183.7 trillion ($5.82 trillion) at the end of 2024, rising 7.35% year-on-year. Broad national wealth also expanded, with gross national wealth increasing 3.2% to TWD330.11 trillion ($10.45 trillion) and net national wealth up 2.7% to TWD258.97 trillion ($8.2 trillion), according to the statistics office.

Taiwan's role as the global hub for artificial intelligence (AI) chips is now directly inflating domestic private capital. While the equity boom is creating massive paper wealth, the concurrent spike in mortgage debt suggests a growing divide between rich and poor - those riding the AI wave and those struggling on a daily basis with high housing costs.

Domestic GDP was also up - 5.27% during the year, supporting the wealth accumulation. The benchmark TAIEX index soared 28% driven by international demand for high-performance computing. This rally in turn pushed securities holdings to a five-year high of TWD37.28 trillion, in the process representing a 21.76% y/y jump.

Real estate remains a major pillar of the household balance sheet. Housing assets were valued at TWD55.03 trillion ($1.74 trillion), making up roughly 30% of total net worth, the report added. DGBAS attributed much of the market momentum to government support programmes, including low interest rates and extended grace periods for first-time property buyers.

However, liabilities also grew at the fastest pace in five years. Household debt surged 11.88% to TWD24.73 trillion ($783bn) with mortgage loans accounting for nearly the entire increase, totalling TWD23.91 trillion ($757bn) as property financing demand remained high.