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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》GDP growth forecast hits 7.71％
2026/02/14 03:00
A technician works at an Amazon Web Services data center in New Carlisle, Indiana, on Oct. 2 last year. Photo: Amazon Web Services via AP
MORE CASH:With many employers raising wages and a high-flying stock market pushing up disposable income, private consumption is expected to grow 2.51%
Staff writer, with CNA
The government has raised its forecast for GDP growth this year to 7.71 percent on the back of robust global demand for artificial intelligence （AI） applications and the removal of tariff uncertainties, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics （DGBAS） said yesterday.
The DGBAS upgraded its GDP growth forecast sharply from the previous estimate of 3.54 percent in November last year by 4.17 percentage points.
DGBAS Minister Chen Shu-tzu （陳淑姿） said despite a relatively high comparison base last year, when the economy grew at a pace of 8.63 percent, the highest in 15 years, GDP would continue to grow significantly this year.
With the local economy remaining stable, the performance would still be extremely high this year, Chen said.
DGBAS Department of Statistics head Tsai Yu-tai （蔡鈺泰） said strong global demand for AI devices has continued to boost the local export-oriented economy, while a trade deal with the US has removed uncertainties faced by Taiwanese semiconductor and related technology firms.
The DGBAS has forecast exports of merchandise and services this year would grow 12.68 percent year-on-year, an upgrade of 7.84 percentage points from the earlier estimate.
Imports are expected to grow 9.06 percent, up 4.74 percentage points from the previous estimate.
Semiconductor firms appear to have expanded production and upgraded their technologies to meet solid global demand for AI by making large investments in Taiwan, Tsai said.
Private investment is expected to grow 4.24 percent year-on-year, up 2.51 percentage points from the previous estimate, while fixed capital formation is expected to grow 4.08 percent, up 1.91 percentage points.
With many employers raising wages for their employees and a high-flying stock market pushing up household disposable income, private consumption is expected to grow 2.51 percent year-on-year, up 0.08 percentage points from the previous estimate, the DGBAS said.
The consumer price index is expected to grow 1.68 percent, up 0.07 percentage points from the previous estimate, but still below the central bank’s 2 percent alert level, it said.
If global cloud services providers such as Meta Platforms Inc and Goolge’s parent company Alphabet Inc carry out their capital expenditure budgets as planned, it is possible the DGBAS could raise its forecast for GDP growth even further, Tsai said.
The DGBAS has forecast that GDP would top US$1 trillion this year, with GDP per capita expected to hit US$44,181.
op imported car suppliers in Taiwan, the data showed.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
