More Taiwanese are living alone or in pairs, a shift that points to fewer workers and more elderly dependents down the road — bad news for the island's long-term growth.

• One- and two-person homes passed half of all Taiwanese households for the first time last year.
• Two-person homes are now the most common setup, and solo living hit a record high.
• People living alone outnumbered four-person families for the first time ever.
• The cause is plain: fewer marriages, fewer babies, and a rapidly aging population.
• Four- and five-person families dominated in the 1990s and have been shrinking ever since.

Outlook: Smaller homes mean rising demand for compact housing and elder care, and more pressure on Taiwan's tax base as the workforce shrinks.