Saving, Growth, and Aging in Taiwan

This paper examines issues of household saving, growth. and aging in Taiwan. The Taiwanese patterns of high income growth, declines in fertility, and increases in life expectancy all have implications for life-cycle saving. We use data from fifteen consecutive household income and expenditure surveys. from 1976 to 1990, to examine whether observed profiles of consumption and saving are consistent with life-cycle theory. The patterns of consumption and saving across households of different ages and cohorts appear to be broadly consistent with a life-cycle model. However. the data also indicate that household consumption tracks income closely. and this evidence casts doubt on simple life-cycle theory.