Economic growth and social indicators: The case of Taiwan

The paper analyzes selected social indicators to determine whether people in Taiwan have become better or worse off during the process of economic growth. The authors find that residents in Taiwan experienced better education, more political freedom, better health care, better nutrition, more welfare programs and benefits, greater home ownership, improved environment, more income inequality, more crimes, more traffic congestion, and more divorces. Therefore, economic growth brought mixed outcomes in social development. The impacts of the recent change in the regime on economic growth, federal budget, domestic and overseas investment spending, employment, the financial market, corruption and bribery, and social justice may deserve further study.