An Analysis of the Alteration Nationals’ Satisfaction with their Living in Taiwan-Fuchien Area in the Past Five Years

April 24, 2001

The past five years saw rapid changes and evolution of the politics, economy and society of our country as well as important events that occurred in Taiwan, such as the 921 Chichi earthquake that struck the whole Taiwan in 1999, the 1022 earthquake that attacked Chiayi in 1999, the tenth presidential election that Democratic Progressive Party won in 2000. For this reason, Taiwanese nationals demand and expect increasingly that the government will function well. To gain insight into nationals’ satisfaction in Taiwan-Fuchien Area with, and expectations of, a changing living environment in recent years, the results of the Survey on the Nationals’ Living Condition conducted in the past five years by the Ministry of the Interior were specially excerpted and compiled, for the reference of the Ministry of the Interior, related governmental units and the general public.

I. Satisfaction with Individual Matters about One’s Living

1. In the past five years, our nationals’ satisfaction with their living increased by 7.5 percentage points. It rose to 73% in 2000, and it is increasing steadily now.

In 2000, up to 73% of our nationals were satisfied with their own living, indicating a 7.5 percentage points increase in their satisfaction as compared to theirs in 1996 (65.5%). The figures show that most of our nationals are satisfied with their own living and their number is increasing steadily.

2. In the past five years, our nationals were most satisfied with their marital life and parent-child relationship (up to 90%).

As regards the intrinsic factors of family life, surveys conducted in the past five years show that our nationals were most satisfied with their marital life and parent-child relationship, reflected in the satisfaction ratings of 91.5% and 90.6% respectively in 2000. The satisfaction ratings also indicate 3.1 percentage points and 1.6 percentage point increments in our nationals’ satisfaction in 2000 as compared to theirs in 1996. The high satisfaction ratings are encouraging evidence to support the fact that the majority of our nationals are happy couples, parents and children living harmoniously, despite the seemingly ubiquitous domestic violence and soaring divorce rate.

In 2000, about 65% of our nationals were satisfied with their social contact, of which the satisfaction rating almost remained unchanged in the past five years. However, our nationals were increasingly satisfied with their leisure life, with satisfaction rating increased from 59.1% in 1996 to 61.5% in 2000, indicating a 2.4 percentage points increase in our nationals’ satisfaction with their leisure life from 1996 to 2000. The satisfaction rating of finances shows that our nationals made improvements in their finances, the satisfaction rating was 52.6% in 1996, and it rose to 60.3% in 2000, indicating an increase of 7.7 percentage points, a heartening phenomenon.

3. Although the satisfaction rating of maintaining social order rate was merely 22.3% in 2000, it indicates a 12.6 percentage points increase, as compared to a related satisfaction rating in 1997.

As regards extrinsic factors, our national were more and more satisfied with medical care and health facilities, of which the satisfaction rating were 62.4% in 2000, indicating a 6.5 percentage points increase, as compared to that in 1996. It shows that our nationals accept and appreciate the government’s efforts to perfect the medical care and health facilities.

Although the satisfaction ratings of maintaining social order rate and public safety remain low, that is, 22.3% and 23.7%, respectively, in 2000, they indicate a 12.6 percentage points increase and a 7.2 percentage points increase, as compared to those in 1997. It shows that our nationals think there is still need for improvement with respect to government’s effort to achieve social security.

II. Satisfaction with One’s Surroundings

1. Our nationals’ satisfaction with their surroundings increased year by year, it rose to 69.3%, indicating a 38 percentage points increase in the past five years.

Satisfaction rating of our nationals’ surroundings was 69.3% in 2000, as opposed to 31% in 1996, indicating a 38.3 percentage points increase. It indicates that our nationals’ finances are getting healthier, and their purchasing power is stronger, thus they are able to select a suitable living environment. It also shows that the escalating satisfaction rating is attributable to the government’s efforts to improve living environment and beautify the surroundings of our community.

2. Noise (a dissatisfaction rating of 30%) was the most important cause of dissatisfaction with one’s surroundings in 2000. There was a 10.9 percentage points increase in our nationals’ dissatisfaction with noise in the past five years – the greatest of its kind.

In the past two years, noise has replaced poor garbage disposal and air pollution as the most important cause of our nationals’ dissatisfaction with their surroundings. The dissatisfaction rating of noise was 30.1% in 2000, though it was 19.2% in 1996. Thus there was a 10.9 percentage points increase in our nationals’ dissatisfaction with noise from 1996 to 2000. It is worthy of attention that most of our nationals can tolerate noise no more, as our nationals have developed a taste for a clean, better living environment. Since noise is mostly man-made, eradication of noise is not likely to be achieved solely through enforcement of law. In this regard, propaganda to setup the public virtue certainly plays an important role.

Poor garbage disposal (23.9%) and air pollution (18.7%) ranked the second and the third, respectively, in 2000, as far as our nationals’ were dissatisfaction with their surroundings was concerned. It shows that our nationals were still critical of poor garbage disposal and air pollution. Hence, it is important to plan our policies properly and implement them fully, for the sake of effective administration.

In 2000, dissatisfaction ratings of inconvenient transportation, poor social order and parking problems were similar, that is, 16%. Nevertheless, the 16% ratings were lower than those in 1996, especially for the parking problems, of which the decrease 15.4 percentage points in dissatisfaction ratings from 1996 (30.7%) to 2000 (15.3%) was the greatest.

III. The Social Welfare in Which the Government Is Expected to Make Greater Efforts

1. Our nationals believe that the government should give priority to elderly welfare (with a favor rating of 45%) when making greater efforts in social welfare.

In the past five years, our nationals believe that the government should give priority to elderly welfare when making greater efforts in social welfare. The favor rating of elderly welfare was 44.9% in 2000, and it was 43.2% in 1996, indicating a slight increase of 1.7 percentage points. Our country became an aging society in 1993. The issues of the elderly involve almost everybody. Hence, as for the expenditure on social welfare services in the budgets of the Ministry of the Interior in the latter half of the year 1999 and in the year 2000, the expenditure on elderly welfare services ranked the second, following the expenditure on the welfare services for the physically and mentally disabled citizens. It shows that elderly welfare services have become one of the most important goals of the administration of the government in the future.

2. Social assistance ranked the second in social welfare (always with a favor rating of, approximately, 24% in the past five years)

Our nationals believe that the government should attach importance to social assistance when making greater efforts in social welfare. The favor rating of social assistance was 23.5% in 2000, and it was 24.5% in 1996, indicating that social assistance always ranked the second in this regard. In our country, social assistance is provided according to the principle of “take the initiative in caring, respect one’s need and assist with one’s independence”. The public welfare resources of the government and the private sectors are combined and integrated, so as to take care of the poor, invalids, orphans, the elderly who are lonely and childless, and the people who are in urgent financial difficulties, with a view to ensure sustainable living of our nationals.

3. An increasing number of our nationals believe that the government should attach importance to child welfare (with a favor rating of 19%) and the welfare of the physically and mentally disabled citizens (with a favor rating of 19%) when making greater efforts in social welfare.

Our nationals also have great demand for child welfare and the welfare of the physically and mentally disabled citizens. In 2000, the favor ratings of both of them were similar, that is, 19%. As compared to its favor rating in 1996 (15.9%), the 19% favor rating of child welfare in 2000 indicates a 2.8 percentage points increase. To facilitate happy, healthy development of children, the government established the Children Bureau in the Ministry on the Day of International Children’s Human Rights in November 1999. The Children Bureau is in charge of child welfare services across the country.

The favor rating of women welfare dropped slightly, by 2.9 percentage points, from 11.4% in 1996 to 8.5% in 2000. The reason is that, the government took a positive approach to the protection of women’s rights and interests as well as the enhancement of women’s status, for example, the Executive Yuan established the Commission for Promotion of Women’s Rights and Interests in 1997, this Ministry established the Domestic Violence Prevention Committee in April 1999, and established the Foundation of Promotion and Development of Women’s Rights and Interests in March 1999.

4. The favor ratings of National Health Insurance, Medical Care, Public Housing Unit and Community Welfare Service Network dropped substantially, because concrete effects of related measures have already appeared. The favor ratings of National Health Insurance and Medical Care were 17.2% and 16.4%, respectively, in 2000, but dropped by 11.3% and 17.4 % in 1996, showing that the effects of the implementation of National Health Insurance were emerging.

The favor rating of Public Housing Unit decreased, by 9.4%, from 15.5% in 1996 to 6.1% in 2000, indicating that the demand for the Public Housing Unit diminished significantly, as the number of our nationals who own their house increased year by year, and the prices of real estate built by private constructors dropped drastically.

The favor rating of Community Welfare Service Network decreased, by 11.7 percentage points, from 15.8% in 1996 to 4.1% in 2000, because Community Welfare Service Network have been widely created.