The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics says Taiwan's
economy expanded 13.7 percent in the first half of 2026, marking its
strongest first-half growth in 50 years.

A DGBAS official said the growth was driven by the AI boom, robust investment
and stronger consumer spending.

Second-quarter GDP growth came in at 12.9 percent on year, the fastest pace
in 39 years.

That's more than 2 percentage points above the DGBAS forecast issued in May.

The stats agency said this was because private investment and consumer
spending exceeded expectations.

It said private consumption rose an estimated 5.9 percent in the second
quarter, the fastest pace in 11 quarters, supported by record stock market
gains, a recovery in auto sales and strong travel demand.

Exports continued to benefit from strong global demand for AI-related
electronics and ICT products, with merchandise exports in US-dollar terms
rising 44 percent on year in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, the Taiwan dollar ended the month on an upswing vs. the greenback.
The US dollar ended yesterday around 32.3, down from an opening level around
32.4. Over the course of July, it rose from 31.9, or by 1.3%.


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