台灣地區的人口隨著生育率及死亡率的雙重下降而呈現快速老化，其中生育率的降低影響尤為顯著。民國50年時，台灣平均每位婦女生育5.58個小孩，到了民國70年卻只生育1.67個小孩，去年（民國90年）生育率更創歷年新低，只有1.4。死亡率的下降可由平均壽命的延長看出，民國75年時男性為70.97歲，女性為75.88歲；到了民國90年，男性延長到72.75歲，女性延長到78.49歲。由於生育率的變化幅度高於死亡率，對人口結構的影響較大，因此本文分成兩個部份，主要在研究台灣地區15至49歲婦女生育率的變化趨勢，再將研究結果用於台灣地區未來人口總數及其結構的預測。
　　本研究第一部分是生育率的研究，引進Gamma函數、Gompertz函數、Lee-Carter法三種模型及單一年齡組個別估計法，以民國40年至84年（西元1951年至1995年）的資料為基礎，民國85年至89年（西元1996年至2000年）資料為檢測樣本，比較模型的優劣，尋求較適合台灣地區生育率的模型，再以最合適的模型預測民國91年至140年（西元2002年至2051年）的生育率。第二部分是人口推估，採用人口變動要素合成方法（Cohort Component Projection Method）推估台灣地區未來50年的人口總數及其結構，其中生育率採用上述最適合台灣地區的模型、死亡率則引進國外知名的Lee-Carter法及SOA法（Society of Actuaries），探討人口結構，並與人力規劃處的結果比較之。

　　Both the fertility rate and mortality rate have been experiencing dramatic decreases in recent years. As a result, the population aging has become one of the major concerns in Taiwan area, and the proportion of the elderly (age 65 and over) increases promptly from 2.6% in 1965 to 8.8% in 2001. The decrease of fertility rate is especially significant. For example, the total fertility rate was 5.58 in 1961, and then decreases dramatically to 1.67 in 1981 (1.4 in 2001), a reduction of almost 70% within 20 years.
　　The goal of this paper is to study the population aging in Taiwan area, in particular, the fertility pattern. The first part of this paper is to explore the fertility models and decide which model is the most suitable based on age-fertility fertility rates in Taiwan. The models considered are Gamma function, Gompertz function, Lee-Carter method and individual group estimation. We use the data from 1951 to 1995 as pilot data and 1996 to 2000 as test data to judge which model fit well. The second part of this study is to project the Taiwan population for the next 50 years, i.e. 2002-2051. The projection method used is Cohort Component Projection method, assuming the population in Taiwan area is closed. We also compare our projection result to that by Council for Economic Planning and Development, the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China.

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