Household Real Income Rises Merely 0.4%, Weakening Consumer Spending Power

Despite a strong semiconductor market, actual household income nationwide increased by only 0.4% compared to the same period last year. According to the '2026 First Quarter Household Trends Survey Results' released by the National Data Agency, household real income in the first quarter of 2026 grew by a mere 0.4%, marking the lowest growth rate since the second quarter of last year (0.0%). While the average monthly household income rose by 2.4%, the real income growth rate, after accounting for inflation, stood at 0.4%.

This trend indicates a weakening of the overall economy's consumption capacity, with disposable income shrinking for most low-income households. This contributed to a deficit recorded in 27.4% of households. While consumption expenditure increased by 5.3%, household surplus decreased by 3.1% as non-consumption expenditures such as interest expenses and social insurance also rose.

The income growth for the top 20% of earners was particularly pronounced, influenced by performance bonuses distributed by large companies due to the semiconductor boom. The ratio of equivalized disposable income across the five quintiles stood at 6.59.