Over 250,000 seniors still paying off mortgages as Taiwan ages

Over 250,000 seniors still paying off mortgages as Taiwan ages

2026-04-07

Buying a home is no longer just a challenge for the younger generation. Even seniors are still paying off their mortgages. Of all people aged over 60 in Taiwan, over 250,000 still have mortgages. That means that one out of every 8.9 mortgage holders is over 60. At an age when they should be retiring and enjoying life, more and more people are struggling to pay off their homes. And on top of that, strict thresholds set by banks for senior applicants are creating more challenges for this demographic.

In 2020, real-estate agent Chen Tai-yuan bought a studio apartment in Taipei’s Zhongshan District. He’s been making payments now for over five years, and still owes NT$7.21 million. Even with monthly payments of NT$32,000 for both the principal and interest, he will be 67 years old by the time he pays it off.

Chen Tai-yuan
Real-estate agent
There’s a sense of urgency. We have to earn money early in order to save up enough for the remaining 25 years of mortgage payments.

According to the latest data from the Joint Credit Information Center, as of December, about 11.22% of the 2.24 million mortgage holders in Taiwan—or one in every 8.91 mortgage holders—is a senior. But would you be willing to spend your golden years paying off a mortgage?

Senior
I don’t want to. It’s impossible. There’s no work. No one wants to hire someone my age. How’re we supposed to pay?

Mr. Hsu
Senior
I’m 72 now. I paid off my mortgage at 68. I felt like I could relax after that, but it was really hard at the time. I was unhappy for 20, 30 years. It was horrible, thinking about the mortgage day in and day out. Some people even work three jobs.

As Taiwan becomes super-aged with a declining birthrate, there will only be more seniors like Mr. Hsu who are still paying off mortgages.

Chen Tai-yuan
Real-estate agent
If you’re already 60, your loan term might not even reach 20 years. They might even force you to inform your children about the loan. Banks worry that the risk of a senior developing dementia could lead to legal disputes.

Many banks have set a rule stipulating that borrower’s age plus the loan term cannot exceed 80 years. Senior loans come with a low loan-to-value ratio and the highest interest rates. Income and the purpose of the loan are also highly scrutinized. Finding a balance between declining health and a steep mortgage has become a grim reality that many must face.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#seniors #seniorcitizen #mortgage #homeownership #superagedsociety #birthrate #loan #seniorloan #realestate #retirement #financialhardship

活到老背到老 60歲以上”花甲房貸族"突破25萬人

2026-04-07

買房不僅是年輕人的難題，現在連長輩也得”活到老、背到老"，根據統計，全台60歲以上的"花甲房貸族"已經突破25萬人，等於每8.9名房貸族，就有1人超過花甲之年，本該退休享福的年紀，卻有越來越多人還在為房貸奔波，銀行針對高齡申貸，設下的嚴格門檻，也讓高齡房貸族，面臨更多挑戰。

2020年，靠自己在台北中山區，買下屬於自己小套房的房仲陳泰源，還款5年多，現在還剩721萬本金，即便每月房貸，本利攤還近三萬二，全部還完，也要67歲了。

[[房仲陳泰源]]
“我們會有憂患意識，一定是先提早賺錢，把未來剩餘25年的房貸能夠先存到，就先把它存進去。"

根據聯徵中心最新統計，自去年12月開始，全台60歲以上、花甲房貸族，就超過25萬人，在全國224萬房貸族中，就佔了約11.22%，相當於，每8.91個房貸族，就有1人是花甲房貸族，但你願意背著房貸，過老年生活嗎?

[[銀髮族]]
“我不...我沒有願意，就沒有辦法，沒有工作啊，年紀這麼大了，沒有人要請我們啊，這樣怎麼繳？"

[[銀髮族許先生]]
“我現在72歲了，68歲才還完，還完了就覺得比較舒服一點，可是那段時間真是要命。不開心了二、三十年，我覺得很可憐啊，整天想這個房貸的事情啊，有些人還掙了三份的工作。"

隨著台灣邁入高齡、少子化，像許先生一樣的高齡房貸族，只怕越來越多。

[[房仲陳泰源]]
“你如果年紀已經60歲了，那你貸款的年限說真的可能連20年都不到，甚至還會強迫你必須，要告知子女說你要貸款，因為現在銀行也會擔心說，高齡族萬一年紀大了萬一有失智的風險，結果會產生糾紛。"

銀行設下”80條款"，也就是年齡加上還款年限不得超過80年，高齡借款，承數低、利率又最高，收入、用途還會被全面檢視，如何在體力衰退與沉重房貸間，取得平衡，成為不得不面對的沉重現實。

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President Lai Ching-te pays tribute to democracy activist Cheng Nan-jung at Chin Pao San Cemetary, on the 37th year since he died by self-immolation.

The solemn occasion is accompanied by sweet violin music. On this day 37 years ago, democracy activist Cheng Nan-jung’s death shocked society. President Lai Ching-te says he still thinks about the incident, with reverence for Cheng, so many years on.

Lai Ching-te
President
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Lai Ching-te
President
Taiwan’s greatest challenge is China’s suppression. Under these circumstances, we’re very aware that although peace is important, our vision for peace must include idealism, and cannot contain delusions.

The KMT recently launched a video campaign for party chair Cheng Li-wun’s visit to China, with the message “only peace will allow us to chill,” which was met with disdain by the ruling DPP.

Lai Ching-te
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Peace must be upheld through strength. It’s the same as fighting for democracy. It’s impossible to achieve peace at a dictator’s mercy. Instead, it takes determination. Peace can only be achieved through strength. Only then will we gain real peace. What’s more, peace isn’t only an absence of war. That cannot be called peace so simply. In addition to an absence of war, peace must also uphold national sovereignty. Taiwan is not a part of the People’s Republic of China.

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