Demographics of Hong Kong

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Hong Kong, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world with an overall density of some 6,300 people per square kilometre. The term "densely populated, green city" is used to describe the majority of the people living in apartments in high-rise buildings, and most land reserved for open spaces, country parks, and woodland.

According to statistics released in 2006, Hong Kong has the world’s lowest birth rate—0.9 per woman of child-bearing age, far below the replacement rate of 2.1. With just 966 babies being born to every 1000 fertile women, it is estimated that 26.8% of the population will be aged 65 or more in 2033, up from 12.1% in 2005.

Terminology

Han Chinese residents generally refer to themselves as Hèung Góng Yàhn (traditional Chinese: 香港人; Cantonese Yale: Hèung Góng Yàhn; literally "Hong Kong people"), which are often referred to as Hong Kong Chinese (traditional Chinese: 香港華人) outside Hong Kong. Non-Han-Chinese individuals born in the Hong Kong are technically classified as "Hong Kong people", though they may choose to be identified by their original heritage instead, depends on personal preference. But there is also a name to group all the people from Hong Kong, it is known as "Hong Kongers" (or sometimes Hongkongers). Recently, the word 'Hongkongese' is also found and is getting more popular to describe the unique local culture of Hong Kong or to refer to Hongkongers.^[1][2]

Demographic statistics

Population

Census data

People of Hong Kong

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Age structure: (End of 2006 est.) ^[11]

 0-14 years: 13.5% (male 482,500; female 452,100)

15-24 years: 13.1% (male 445,400; female 459,300)

25-34 years: 15.3% (male 462,000; female 592,000)

35-44 years: 18.1% (male 547,000; female 698,400)

45-54 years: 17.5% (male 594,200; female 613,400)

55-64 years: 10.0% (male 353,500; female 337,400)

65 and over: 12.5% (male 339,500; female 464,800)

Average age: 41.7 (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.53% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 7.37 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population: 0.914 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Average marriage age:

male: 30

female: 27

Marriage: (2006 est.)

Never Married 32% (1,920,522)

Now married 57.8% (3,423,995)

Divorced 3.2% (189,563)

Separated 0.6% (34,722)

Infant mortality rate: 5.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 82.88 years

male: 81.85 years

female: 84.41 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.00 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 92.2%

male: 96%

female: 88.2% (1996 est.)

By ethnicity

An anti-discrimination poster in Admiralty MTR station.

The collective name of people from Hong Kong are called Hongkongese. Chinese make up 95% of the population with the other groups floating at around 5%^[12]. The national census does not break down people of European descent into separate categories, nor are Chinese ethnic subgroups separated in the statistics.

Group category

Stanley Market, one of the more diverse destinations

The current list is in alphabetical order after category.

By Ethnicity

• Chinese
  • Cantonese
  • Hakka
  • Shanghainese
  • Teochew
• Other Asian
  • Filipinos
  • Indonesians
  • Japanese
  • Koreans
  • South Asians
  • Thais
  • Vietnamese

• Caucasian (by Majority)
  • Americans
  • Britons
  • Canadians

By Migration

• Indigenous inhabitants
• New immigrants
• Returnees
• Expatriates

Religion

The Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau, Hong Kong, the tallest outdoor buddha statue in the world.

Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, a right enshrined and protected through its constitutional document, the Basic Law. The majority of Hong Kong's population (90%) practise a mix of local religions,^[13] Buddhism (mainly Chinese Mahayana) alongside with Taoism.^{[14][15][16][17][18]} Buddhists and Taoists share a common background of Confucian theory, Chinese folk religion (worship of folk deities and figures of Chinese mythology) and ancestor worship.

A sizable Christian community of around 560,000 local adherents (320 thousand Protestant Christians, 240 thousand Roman Catholics)^[19] to 660,000 exists (if including over 100 thousand Filipino Catholics)^[20], forming about 8% to 9% of the total population; it is roughly equally divided between Catholics and Protestants. Apart from the major religions, there are also a significant number of followers of other religions, including an estimated 90,000 Muslims; 22,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints^[21]; 4,000 Jews; 4,789 Jehovah's Witnesses^[22] and a number of Hindus, Sikhs and Bahá'ís^[19]. There is also a small group of Jains in Hong Kong and their temple is situated in an apartment^{[citation needed]}. Apart from offering religious instructions, many major religious bodies have established schools and provided social welfare facilities.

Hong Kong Immaculate Conception Cathedral at 16 Caine Road, Central.

Hong Kong's religious beliefs are tied to the region's early role as a fishing community. Tin Hau, the protector of seafarers, has been honoured with several temples throughout Hong Kong for at least 300 years. Hong Kong residents, especially elder generations, visit Taoist or Buddhist temples to appease the deities and, usually, to request compassion, good health or good fortune. Gifts of food, and in particular fruit, are presented, and incense and paper offerings are burnt in respect.

With the transfer of Hong Kong to the PRC, there were significant concerns over religious freedom in Hong Kong. So far, this has proved mostly unfounded. Despite the banning of the Falun Gong movement by Beijing in 1999, adherents are still free to practice in Hong Kong. Similarly, the Catholic Church freely appoints its own bishops in Hong Kong, unlike on mainland China where the only approved 'Catholic' institution is the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association where bishops and priests are appointed by Beijing (though there is also an unofficial and illegal part of the Catholic Church that maintains contact with the Vatican). A significant issue in the normalisation of ties between the PRC and the Vatican is Beijing's insistence that the Vatican drops its diplomatic ties with the ROC.

See also

• Right of abode in Hong Kong
• Hongkonger or Hongkongese
• Hong Kong British, Hongkonger citizens in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• Hong Kong Population History
• HK Facts
• TopNews.in - Baby boom pushes Hong Kong population above 7 million
• Census and Statistics Department - Latest Official HK Population Statistics