Demographics of Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
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 apartment
s in high-rise buildings
, and most land reserved for open spaces
, country park
s, and woodland
.
Hong Kong has one of the world’s lowest birth rates—0.9 per woman of child-bearing age, far below the replacement rate of 2.1. With just 1,032 babies born in 2009 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.
In English, the term "Hong Kongers" (or sometimes Hongkongers) and "Hongkongese" are becoming more popular to describe the people of and unique local culture of Hong Kong. The term 'Hong Konger' or 'Hongkonger' is used to refer to the Hong Kong people, while 'Hong Kong' (or 'Hongkongese') is an adjective for people or things related to Hong Kong.
Age structure: (End of 2006 est.)
Average age: 41.7 (2008 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.53% (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Average marriage age:
Marriage: (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 1.04 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Literacy:
Chinese make up 95% of the population with the other groups floating at around 5%. The national census does not break down people of European descent into separate categories, nor are Chinese ethnic subgroups separated in the statistics. However, the majority of Hong Kongers of Chinese descent trace their ancestry to various parts of Southern China: the Guangzhou
area, followed by Sze Yap (a region of four counties neighboring Guangzhou), Chaoshan
(a region of North Guangdong home to Teochew speakers), Fujian
and Shanghai
. Some Hong Kongers also originate from Hakka
-speaking villages in the New Territories
. Most Teochew-speaking migrants immigrated to Hong Kong from the late 1940s to the early 1970s, while migrants from Fujian
province (previously Min Nan
speakers, and increasingly more Min Zhong
and Min Bei
speakers) have constituted a large-growing number of migrants since 1978.
The current list is in alphabetical order after category.
By Ethnicity
By Migration
The majority of residents of Hong Kong would claim no religious affiliation, professing a form of agnosticism or atheism. According to the U.S Department of State only 43 percent of the population practices some form of religion. Some figures put it higher, according to a Gallup poll, 64% of Hong Kong do not believe in any religion, and possibly 80% of Hong Kong claim no religion. According to another gallup poll, Hong Kong is the seventh least religious country in the world, with only 22% of the population considering religion an important part of their daily lives. In Hong Kong teaching evolution won out in curriculum dispute about whether to teach other explanations, and that creationism and intelligent design will form no part of the senior secondary biology curriculum
Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, a right enshrined and protected through its constitutional document, the Basic Law. A local religious scholar in contact with major denominations estimates there are approximately 1.5 million Buddhists and Taoists. 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 (320,000 Protestants, 240,000 Roman Catholics) to 660,000 exists (if including over 100,000 Filipino Catholics), forming about 8% to 9% of the total population; it is roughly equally divided between Catholic
s and Protestants. Apart from the major religions, there are also a significant number of followers of other religions, including an estimated 90,000 Muslim
s; 22,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; 4,000 Jews; 4,789 Jehovah's Witnesses
and a number of Hindu
s, Sikh
s and Bahá'í
s. There is also a small group of Jains
in Hong Kong and their temple is situated in an apartment. Apart from offering religious instructions, many major religious bodies have established schools and provided social welfare facilities.
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
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 apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s in high-rise buildings
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
, and most land reserved for open spaces
Urban open space
In land use planning, urban open space is open space areas for “parks”, “green spaces”, and other open areas. The landscape of urban open spaces can range from playing fields to highly maintained environments to relatively natural landscapes. They are commonly open to public access, however, urban...
, country park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
s, and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
.
Hong Kong has one of the world’s lowest birth rates—0.9 per woman of child-bearing age, far below the replacement rate of 2.1. With just 1,032 babies born in 2009 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
People from Hong Kong generally refer to themselves, in Cantonese, as Hèung Góng Yàhn ; however the term is not restricted to those of Chinese descent. Due to Hong Kong's nearly 150-year colonial history that saw the stationing of English, Indians and Russians among other ethnic groups as civil servants or traders. Thus a distinct and legitimate non-Cantonese culture with specifics to Hong Kong grew. Mixing of cultural groups did not occur much beyond governance and business due to two main reasons:- Between Chinese and other ethnicities: the Cantonese language posed a significant barrier for newcomers. Far too often non-Chinese were stationed in Hong Kong for fixed periods of time (2-, 4-, 8-year terms) and thus motivation to learn the language was reduced. Furthermore pre-1970s Hong Kong saw official governance favouring English or British culture for the most part. For example, English was the only official language and educational institutes of quality were also English speaking. Therefore a continuation of English culture by recent English immigrants was simple and official policy; the need to integrate with the Chinese populations was thus limited. Furthermore Chinese population were largely unable to learn English due to the lack of proper educational facilities in pre-1970 Hong Kong. Racial tensions arose as a result of perceived imbalances, leading to the 1966Hong Kong 1966 riotsThe Hong Kong 1966 Riots was a series of disturbances that took place over three nights on the streets of Kowloon, Hong Kong in the spring of 1966...
and 1967 riots. - Between non-Chinese ethnicities: most non-Chinese ethnic groups came to Hong Kong as traders, civil servants or soldiers in which one's race played a significant role in the determination of class. For example, the 1928 HK Police handbook clearly assigns power, responsibility and rank based on ethnicity (White, Indian and Chinese).
In English, the term "Hong Kongers" (or sometimes Hongkongers) and "Hongkongese" are becoming more popular to describe the people of and unique local culture of Hong Kong. The term 'Hong Konger' or 'Hongkonger' is used to refer to the Hong Kong people, while 'Hong Kong' (or 'Hongkongese') is an adjective for people or things related to Hong Kong.
Census data
| Year | Count | Source |
| 1841 | 5000-7,500 | census 1841 |
| 1848 | 24,000 | |
| 1851 | 33,000 | |
| 1855 | 72,000 | |
| 1862 | 120,000 | |
| 1881 | 160,402 | Britannica 1911 |
| 1891 | 221,441 | Britannica 1911 |
| 1901 | 283,978 | Britannica 1911 |
| 1906 | 326,961 | |
| 1916 | 530,000 | |
| 1921 | 625,166 | |
| 1925 | 725,000 | |
| 1931 | 849,800 | census 1931 |
| 1941 | 1,600,000 | |
| 1945 | 500,000 | |
| 1945 | 600,000 | |
| 1945 | 750,000 | |
| 1950 | 2,200,000 | |
| 1950 | 2,360,000 | |
| 1960 | 3,000,000 | |
| 1970 | 3,995,400 | |
| 1980 | 5,145,100 | |
| 1985 | 5,524,600 | |
| 1995 | 6,270,000 | |
| 2000 | 6,711,500 | |
| 2005 | 6,837,800 | |
| 2009 | 7,003,700 |
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Age structure: (End of 2006 est.)
- 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: 1.04 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Literacy:
- definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
- total population: 92.2%
- male: 96%
- female: 88.2% (1996 est.)
By ethnicity
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
area, followed by Sze Yap (a region of four counties neighboring Guangzhou), Chaoshan
Chaoshan
Cháoshàn refers to the linguistic and cultural region in the east of Guangdong, a southeastern province of China. This region is the origin of the Min Nan dialect Teochew. The area is known as Teochew for most people overseas, although it also consists of the cities of Shantou and Jieyang...
(a region of North Guangdong home to Teochew speakers), Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. Some Hong Kongers also originate from Hakka
Hakka
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
-speaking villages in the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
. Most Teochew-speaking migrants immigrated to Hong Kong from the late 1940s to the early 1970s, while migrants from Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province (previously Min Nan
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
speakers, and increasingly more Min Zhong
Min Zhong
The Central Min language, or Min Zhong is a member of the Min subcategory of Chinese languages. It is spoken around Yong'an, Sanming and Sha located in the central mountain areas of Fujian. The total population of approximately 3,500,000 native speakers, is the fourth most common variety of the...
and Min Bei
Min Bei
The Min-Bei language, or Northern Min is a collection of dialects of Min spoken in Nanping Prefecture of northwestern Fujian which, apart from Shao-Jiang Min, are mutually intelligible....
speakers) have constituted a large-growing number of migrants since 1978.
| Ethnicity | 2001 Number | % of Total | 2006 Number | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 6,364,439 | 94.9% | 6,522,148 | 95.0% |
| Filipino | 142,556 | 2.1% | 112,453 | 1.6% |
| Indonesian | 50,494 | 0.8% | 87,840 | 1.3% |
| Westerners | 46,585 | 0.7% | 36,384 | 0.5% |
| Indian | 18,543 | 0.3% | 20,444 | 0.3% |
| Nepalese | 12,564 | 0.2% | 15,950 | 0.2% |
| Japanese | 14,180 | 0.2% | 13,189 | 0.2% |
| Thai | 14,342 | 0.2% | 11,900 | 0.2% |
| Pakistani | 11,017 | 0.2% | 11,111 | 0.2% |
| Other Asian | 12,835 | 0.2% | 12,663 | 0.2% |
| Others | 20,835 | 0.3% | 20,264 | 0.3% |
| Total | 6,708,389 | 100.0% | 6,864,346 | 100.0% |
Group category
By Ethnicity
- Chinese
- Cantonese
- Hakka
- ShanghaineseShanghainese people in Hong Kong-Migration history:The flood of emigration from Shanghai to Hong Kong began in 1937 with the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and grew as the Chinese Civil War resumed in 1936...
- Teochew
- Other Asian
- FilipinosFilipinos in Hong KongThere are around 140,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, a lot of whom work as foreign domestic helpers. Filipino maids are known by the locals as fei yung , fei being the first character in the Cantonese phonetic translation of Philippines and yung means maid...
- IndonesiansIndonesians in Hong KongIndonesians in Hong Kong, numbering 102,100, form the second-largest ethnic minority group in the territory, behind Filipinos. Immigration from Indonesia to Hong Kong began as early as the 1960s, when Indonesian Chinese seeking to escape discrimination and anti-Chinese pogroms relocated to Hong...
- JapaneseJapanese people in Hong KongJapanese people in Hong Kong are composed primarily of expatriate businesspeople and their families, although there are also a sizable number of single women. Their numbers are smaller when compared to the sizable presence of Americans, British and Canadian expatriates. , 21,518 Japanese citizens...
- KoreansKoreans in Hong KongKoreans in Hong Kong formed a population of 4,812 individuals as of 2006, making them one of Hong Kong's smaller minority groups.-Migration history:...
- South AsiansSouth Asians in Hong KongHong Kong has a long-established South Asian population. As of the 2006 by-census, there were at least 44,744 persons of South Asian descent in Hong Kong. Many trace their roots in Hong Kong as far back as when most of the Indian subcontinent was still under British colonial rule, and as a legacy...
- ThaisThais in Hong KongThais in Hong Kong form a sizable minority. In 2003, there were an estimated 13,000 Thai people in Hong Kong, largely women. The 2006 Hong Kong by-census report showed 11,900 Thais living in Hong Kong, making up around 3.5% of the total non-Chinese population of 342,198, and about 0.17% of the...
- VietnameseVietnamese people in Hong KongMany of the Vietnamese people in Hong Kong immigrated as a result of the war and persecution in Vietnam since the mid-1970s. There is however also small but growing community of diaspora vietnamese being sent to Hong Kong forming an expatriate community, from countries far afield like Australia,...
- PakistaniSouth Asians in Hong KongHong Kong has a long-established South Asian population. As of the 2006 by-census, there were at least 44,744 persons of South Asian descent in Hong Kong. Many trace their roots in Hong Kong as far back as when most of the Indian subcontinent was still under British colonial rule, and as a legacy...
- Filipinos
- Europeans (by Majority)
- AmericansAmericans in Hong KongThere were estimated to be 60,000 Americans in Hong Kong . They consist of both native-born Americans of various ethnic backgrounds, including Chinese Americans, as well as former Hong Kong emigrants to the United States who returned after gaining American citizenship. Most Americans in Hong Kong...
- British
- CanadiansCanadians in Hong KongLike their American counterparts, a significant number of people with Canadian citizenship live and work in Hong Kong. Many are former Hong Kong residents that left prior to the 1997 handover and later returned when they had a Canadian passport and had some of the fears allayed. Some are...
- Americans
By Migration
- Indigenous inhabitantIndigenous inhabitantIndigenous inhabitants refers to the residents in the New Territories of Hong Kong, whose ancestors were inhabitants there before the commencement of British rule in 1898 and have special rights to preserve their customs...
s - New immigrantsNew immigrants in Hong KongNew Immigrants in Hong Kong is a euphemism generally refers to migrants from mainland China . Despite its literal meaning, the term is rarely ever used to describe newly arrived immigrants other than the aforementioned one...
- ReturneesHong Kong returneeA Hong Kong returnee is a resident of Hong Kong who emigrated to another country, lived for an extended period of time in his or her adopted home, and then subsequently moved back to Hong Kong.-Population:...
- Expatriates
Religion
Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, a right enshrined and protected through its constitutional document, the Basic Law. A local religious scholar in contact with major denominations estimates there are approximately 1.5 million Buddhists and Taoists. Buddhists and Taoists share a common background of Confucian theory
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
, Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion or Shenism , which is a term of considerable debate, are labels used to describe the collection of ethnic religious traditions which have been a main belief system in China and among Han Chinese ethnic groups for most of the civilization's history until today...
(worship of folk deities and figures of Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
) and ancestor worship.
A sizable Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
community of around 560,000 local adherents (320,000 Protestants, 240,000 Roman Catholics) to 660,000 exists (if including over 100,000 Filipino Catholics), forming about 8% to 9% of the total population; it is roughly equally divided between Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
s and Protestants. Apart from the major religions, there are also a significant number of followers of other religions, including an estimated 90,000 Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
s; 22,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; 4,000 Jews; 4,789 Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
and a number of Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
s, Sikh
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
s and Bahá'í
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
s. There is also a small group of Jains
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
in Hong Kong and their temple is situated in an apartment. Apart from offering religious instructions, many major religious bodies have established schools and provided social welfare facilities.
See also
- Right of abode in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong peopleHong Kong peopleHong Kong people refer to people who originate from Hong Kong. The term has no legal definition in Hong Kong. Rather, terms such as Hong Kong permanent resident and Hong Kong resident are used...
- Hong Kong people in the United Kingdom
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