Capital Markets & Governance

Taiwan’s Stock Market Reaches the Global Top Nine, Roughly Matching Germany

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Robin’s commentary using figures from November 2024

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Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above

English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2025-11-14. Translated 2026-10-30 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Reading guide

Robin shares statistics identified as being from November 2024. After the Taiwan Stock Exchange’s market capitalization exceeded 90 trillion, its listed companies’ combined value had reached eighth or ninth globally, roughly equal to Germany’s stock market. The comparison gives Germany’s GDP as about US$4.31 trillion, with 85 million people and US$52,000 per person, and Taiwan’s GDP as about US$930 billion, with 23 million people and US$41,000 per person. Germany’s GDP was 4.6 times Taiwan’s, but their stock-market values were already comparable, even excluding Taiwan’s Taipei Exchange. Returning to an Economist article, Robin argues that Taiwan benefited from the preceding five years’ AI boom: outside the United States, its increase in stock-market capitalization was second only to that of Nasdaq, the market at the origin of the AI boom. In that sense, he considers it reasonable to call Taiwan the greatest beneficiary outside the United States, while noting that the gains were concentrated in its core competitive strengths.

Key points

  • Taiwan’s listed-company market value ranked eighth or ninth globally, roughly equal to Germany’s.
  • Germany’s GDP was 4.6 times Taiwan’s, while their stock-market values were comparable.
  • The post describes market-cap growth as second only to Nasdaq’s.
  • Growth was concentrated in Taiwan’s core competitive strengths.
Columns and beams in an open building are connected by central rods and balanced weights, suggesting structure and checks in governance.
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Full text — English translation

The statistics in this post are from November 2024. After the Taiwan Stock Exchange’s latest market capitalization exceeded 90 trillion, its listed companies’ combined market value had reached eighth or ninth globally, roughly equal to Germany’s stock market. Germany’s GDP: approximately US$4.31 trillion (85 million people / US$52,000 per capita). Taiwan’s GDP: approximately US$930 billion (23 million people / US$41,000 per capita). Germany’s GDP is 4.6 times Taiwan’s, but their stock-market values are already comparable, excluding Taiwan’s Taipei Exchange. Returning to that Economist article: Taiwan has benefited from the AI boom over the past five years. Outside the United States, Taiwan’s increase in stock-market capitalization is second only to the growth of Nasdaq, the market at the origin of the AI boom. It is not really wrong to say that Taiwan has benefited the most outside the United States. Those gains are simply concentrated in the foundations of Taiwan’s core competitive strengths.

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

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