Sporting Goods Market in Taiwan

Country Market: Statistical Discussion

Taiwan comprises 86 islands. The island of Taiwan is 60% mountainous with only one-quarter of the island arable, of which most lies along the west coast. The population at the end of 1995 was estimated at more than 21 million. It is the second most densely populated nation after Bangladesh (Tyson, 1996).

Life expectancy at birth in 1990 was 71 years for men and 77 years for women. The birth rate has fallen steadily to 16 per 1,000 in 1993 from 35 per 1,000 in the 1960s. The death rate fell steadily in the 1950s and 1960s and more slowly afterward. At the end of 1992, 25.8% of the population was under 15 years of age and 6.8% was over the age of 65, so that 32.6% of the population was of a dependant age. The ratio of dependents to people of working age at the end on 1992 was 48.3%, what had steadily fallen from 94% in 1962 (Taiwan Statistical Data Book, 1994).

GNP per capita is estimated $12,439 in 1995 (Tyson, 1996). In 1991 the distribution of total personal income in Taiwan was divided into 5 separate quintiles. 38% of households were in the highest quintile, 22% in the next highest quintile, 17.5% in the next highest, 13.25% in the second lowest, and 7.76% in the lowest quintile (Taiwan Statistical Data Book, 1994).

The climate in Taiwan has been described as sub-tropical. Hottest months are in July with the coldest month in February. The driest month is November and the month

. . .
ed for high ranking officials, military officers, foreign embassy people and the very wealthy. In the 1970s those in the upper-income bracket began to play golf. The game is considered as much a tool of diplomacy and negotiation for government and marketing leaders as a form of recreation. Since the 1980s, as living standards rise, health and fitness are more and more the trend. This fitness trend is attracting more and more middle income people to the sport of golf (Wei, 1995). It is estimated that there are 550,000 golf enthusiasts in Taiwan, 15 percent of whom are women. This group constitutes about 0.5 percent of the population. It is also estimated that new inductees to the game are likely to increase by 10 percent per year. As the number of female players is increasing steadily, local distributors and retail outfits are responding to their needs by stocking new lines of ladies' equipment and apparel (Wei, 1995). In 1995 domestic production of golfing equipment is expected to increase from USD 510.4 million to USD 517 million. Domestic manufacturers primarily cater to markets in Japan and the U.S. For years exports have accounted for a lion's share of local production. 100 Taiwan firms are engaged in manufacturing
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Approximate Word count = 2141
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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