How does Taiwan mark Coming-of-Age Rites?
Everyday topic
Taiwan lowered the age of majority in an amendment promulgated on 13 January 2021 and in force from 1 January 2023: Article 12 of the Civil Code now reads that a person reaches majority at eighteen, down from twenty. The same amendment set the engagement age at seventeen and the marriage age at eighteen for everyone, ending the difference between men and women. From eighteen, signing a contract, renting a flat or opening a phone account no longer needs a legal representative's consent — adulthood here is a specific bundle of legal capacity, not a ceremony. Other age thresholds remain after majority: the driving licence, the vote and military service each carry their own age and do not open together.
What is this topic?
Legal adulthood and a coming-of-age ceremony are not the same line. Taiwan, mainland China, and India place civil adulthood at 18; Japan lowered it to 18 in 2022, although many local adult ceremonies still focus on 20. Indonesia gives an identity card and voting rights at 17 but ends the child-protection definition at 18, Brazil has an 18-year line with routes to earlier full capacity, and the United States assigns voting, drinking, contracting, and other rights to different ages. This guide separates law, ritual, family recognition, and personal choice.
Sources and dates
Dates follow local time zones, calendars, and official notices. Check the source when a date is estimated or locally variable.