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| Demographics ofMacau | |
|---|---|
Population pyramid of Macau in 2020 | |
| Population | 644,426 (2024 est.)[1] |
| Growth rate | 0.67% (2024 est.)[2] |
| Birth rate | 8.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)[3] |
| Death rate | 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)[4] |
| Life expectancy | 85.3 years |
| • male | 82.5 years |
| • female | 88.3 years (2024 est.)[5] |
| Fertility rate | 1.24 children born/woman (2024 est.)[6] |
| Infant mortality rate | 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)[7] |
| Net migration rate | 3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)[8] |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 14.4% (male 47,346/female 45,216) |
| 15–64 years | 69.9% (male 210,059/female 240,577) |
| 65 and over | 15.7% (male 47,583/female 53,645) (2024 est.)[9] |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)[10] |
| At birth | 1.05 male(s)/female |
| Under 15 | 1.05 male(s)/female |
| 65 and over | 0.89 male(s)/female |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Major ethnic | Cantonese people |
| Language | |
| Official | Cantonese 81%, Mandarin 4.7%, other Chinese dialects 5.4%, English 3.6%, Tagalog 2.9%, Portuguese 0.6%, other 1.8% (2021 est.)[11] |
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Demographic features of thepopulation ofMacau includepopulation density,ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Macau's population is 95% Chinese ethnicity, primarilyCantonese and someHakka, both from the nearbyGuangdong Province. The majority of the remainder are ofPortuguese or mixed Chinese-Portuguese ancestry. SomeJapanese, including descendants of Japanese Catholics who were expelled by theshogunate, also live in Macau.
The official languages arePortuguese andChinese. Most residents (85.7%) speakCantonese; on the other hand,Mandarin is spoken by 3.2% at home, and about 40% are able to communicate instandard Mandarin.English and Portuguese are spoken as a first language by 1.5% and 0.6% respectively, while English is widely taught as a second language. The other popular topolect isHokkien, spoken by a small percentage of the population. ThecreoleMacanese language (Patuá orMacaista Chapado) is almost extinct.
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020):[13]
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 326 700 | 358 700 | 685 400 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 16 700 | 15 300 | 32 000 | 4.67 |
| 5–9 | 18 000 | 16 200 | 34 200 | 4.99 |
| 10–14 | 12 900 | 11 500 | 24 400 | 3.56 |
| 15–19 | 12 700 | 12 300 | 25 000 | 3.65 |
| 20–24 | 22 100 | 22 100 | 44 200 | 6.45 |
| 25–29 | 25 800 | 24 800 | 50 600 | 7.38 |
| 30–34 | 35 900 | 39 000 | 74 900 | 10.93 |
| 35–39 | 30 900 | 35 100 | 66 000 | 9.63 |
| 40–44 | 23 500 | 27 300 | 50 800 | 7.41 |
| 45–49 | 22 300 | 28 800 | 51 100 | 7.46 |
| 50–54 | 19 600 | 28 200 | 47 800 | 6.97 |
| 55–59 | 23 800 | 30 300 | 54 100 | 7.89 |
| 60–64 | 22 800 | 23 900 | 46 700 | 6.81 |
| 65–69 | 16 500 | 17 200 | 33 700 | 4.92 |
| 70–74 | 11 500 | 11 100 | 22 600 | 3.30 |
| 75–79 | 5 500 | 5 300 | 10 800 | 1.58 |
| 80–84 | 3 300 | 4 300 | 7 600 | 1.11 |
| 85+ | 2 900 | 6 000 | 8 900 | 1.30 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 47 600 | 43 000 | 90 600 | 13.22 |
| 15–64 | 239 400 | 271 800 | 511 200 | 74.58 |
| 65+ | 39 700 | 43 900 | 83 600 | 12.20 |
The following are data on vital statistics.[14][15]
| Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | TFR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 248,600 | 2,676 | 1,516 | 1,160 | 11.6 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 2.167 |
| 1971 | 246,200 | 2,637 | 1,543 | 1,094 | 10.9 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 1.979 |
| 1972 | 243,900 | 2,750 | 1,539 | 1,211 | 10.3 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 1.818 |
| 1973 | 241,700 | 2,686 | 1,410 | 1,276 | 10.0 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 1.679 |
| 1974 | 239,400 | 2,781 | 1,579 | 1,202 | 9.7 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 1.562 |
| 1975 | 237,000 | 2,583 | 1,398 | 1,185 | 9.7 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 1.478 |
| 1976 | 234,200 | 2,369 | 1,517 | 852 | 10.2 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 1.437 |
| 1977 | 231,700 | 2,532 | 1,424 | 1,108 | 11.0 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 1.445 |
| 1978 | 233,100 | 2,407 | 1,360 | 1,047 | 12.4 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 1.499 |
| 1979 | 237,300 | 3,019 | 1,504 | 1,515 | 14.1 | 5.6 | 8.5 | 1.591 |
| 1980 | 242,000 | 3,784 | 1,555 | 2,229 | 16.0 | 5.6 | 10.4 | 1.709 |
| 1981 | 247,600 | 4,207 | 1,465 | 2,742 | 18.0 | 5.6 | 12.4 | 1.835 |
| 1982 | 261,700 | 5,262 | 1,488 | 3,774 | 19.8 | 5.6 | 14.2 | 1.953 |
| 1983 | 276,900 | 6,168 | 1,514 | 4,654 | 21.3 | 5.6 | 15.8 | 2.046 |
| 1984 | 288,800 | 6,666 | 1,488 | 5,178 | 22.4 | 5.5 | 16.9 | 2.104 |
| 1985 | 290,600 | 7,560 | 1,466 | 6,094 | 22.9 | 5.3 | 17.6 | 2.121 |
| 1986 | 301,500 | 7,477 | 1,324 | 6,153 | 22.9 | 5.2 | 17.7 | 2.094 |
| 1987 | 312,200 | 7,565 | 1,321 | 6,244 | 22.4 | 5.0 | 17.3 | 2.031 |
| 1988 | 319,800 | 7,913 | 1,437 | 6,476 | 21.5 | 4.9 | 16.6 | 1.944 |
| 1989 | 330,400 | 7,568 | 1,516 | 6,052 | 20.3 | 4.7 | 15.6 | 1.838 |
| 1990 | 339,500 | 6,872 | 1,482 | 5,390 | 19.0 | 4.5 | 14.5 | 1.722 |
| 1991 | 363,800 | 6,832 | 1,335 | 5,497 | 17.6 | 4.4 | 13.2 | 1.605 |
| 1992 | 378,000 | 6,676 | 1,432 | 5,244 | 16.2 | 4.3 | 12.0 | 1.494 |
| 1993 | 390,000 | 6,267 | 1,531 | 4,736 | 14.9 | 4.2 | 10.8 | 1.394 |
| 1994 | 403,600 | 6,115 | 1,330 | 4,785 | 13.8 | 4.1 | 9.7 | 1.308 |
| 1995 | 415,000 | 5,876 | 1,351 | 4,525 | 12.8 | 4.0 | 8.8 | 1.236 |
| 1996 | 415,200 | 5,468 | 1,413 | 4,055 | 12.0 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 1.174 |
| 1997 | 419,400 | 5,031 | 1,293 | 3,738 | 11.1 | 3.9 | 7.2 | 1.116 |
| 1998 | 425,200 | 4,434 | 1,356 | 3,078 | 10.3 | 3.9 | 6.4 | 1.059 |
| 1999 | 429,600 | 4,148 | 1,374 | 2,774 | 9.6 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 1.002 |
| 2000 | 431,500 | 3,849 | 1,338 | 2,511 | 8.8 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 0.95 |
| 2001 | 436,300 | 3,241 | 1,327 | 1,914 | 8.2 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 0.818 |
| 2002 | 440,500 | 3,162 | 1,415 | 1,747 | 7.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 0.813 |
| 2003 | 446,700 | 3,212 | 1,474 | 1,738 | 7.5 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 0.837 |
| 2004 | 462,600 | 3,308 | 1,533 | 1,775 | 7.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 0.855 |
| 2005 | 484,300 | 3,671 | 1,615 | 2,056 | 7.5 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 0.912 |
| 2006 | 509,900 | 4,058 | 1,566 | 2,492 | 7.8 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0.954 |
| 2007 | 531,800 | 4,537 | 1,545 | 2,992 | 8.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 1.008 |
| 2008 | 543,100 | 4,717 | 1,756 | 2,961 | 8.7 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 0.979 |
| 2009 | 533,300 | 4,764 | 1,644 | 3,120 | 9.3 | 3.7 | 5.6 | 1.004 |
| 2010 | 540,600 | 5,114 | 1,774 | 3,340 | 9.9 | 3.7 | 6.2 | 1.070 |
| 2011 | 557,400 | 5,852 | 1,845 | 4,007 | 10.4 | 3.7 | 6.8 | 1.150 |
| 2012 | 582,000 | 7,315 | 1,841 | 5,474 | 10.9 | 3.7 | 7.3 | 1.357 |
| 2013 | 607,500 | 6,571 | 1,920 | 4,651 | 11.4 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 1.150 |
| 2014 | 636,200 | 7,360 | 1,939 | 5,421 | 11.7 | 3.7 | 8.0 | 1.224 |
| 2015 | 646,800 | 7,055 | 2,002 | 5,053 | 12.0 | 3.8 | 8.2 | 1.142 |
| 2016 | 644,900 | 7,146 | 2,238 | 4,908 | 12.1 | 3.8 | 8.3 | 1.138 |
| 2017 | 653,100 | 6,529 | 2,120 | 4,409 | 10.0 | 3.2 | 6.8 | 1.021 |
| 2018 | 667,400 | 5,925 | 2,069 | 3,856 | 9.0 | 3.1 | 5.9 | 0.915 |
| 2019 | 679,600 | 5,979 | 2,282 | 3,697 | 8.9 | 3.4 | 5.5 | 0.899 |
| 2020 | 683,100 | 5,545 | 2,230 | 3,315 | 8.1 | 3.3 | 4.8 | 0.841 |
| 2021 | 683,200 | 5,026 | 2,320 | 2,706 | 7.4 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 0.756 |
| 2022 | 672,800 | 4,344 | 3,004 | 1,340 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 0.680 |
| 2023 | 683,700 | 3,712 | 2,981 | 731 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 0.586 |
| 2024 | 688,300 | 3,607 | 2,477 | 1,130 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 0.582 |
| Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| January – September 2024 | 2,619 | 1,850 | +769 |
| January – September 2025 | 2,130 | 1,825 | +305 |
| Difference |
Macau is the territory with the world's second highest life expectancy behindHong Kong.[17]
| Period | Life expectancy in Years | Period | Life expectancy in Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 61.0 | 1985–1990 | 76.6 |
| 1955–1960 | 63.6 | 1990–1995 | 78.1 |
| 1960–1965 | 66.0 | 1995–2000 | 79.8 |
| 1965–1970 | 68.1 | 2000–2005 | 81.0 |
| 1970–1975 | 70.7 | 2005–2010 | 82.1 |
| 1975–1980 | 73.1 | 2010–2015 | 83.3 |
| 1980–1985 | 74.8 |
Source:UN World Population Prospects[18]
The following are information on ethnicity and nationalities of residents based on data from the Statistics and Census Service.[19][20]
| Ethnic group | 1991 census | 2001 census | 2011 census | 2021 census | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Chinese | 338,191 | 95.1 | 416,353 | 95.7 | 510,383 | 92.4 | 609,863 | 89.4 |
| Chinese & Portuguese | 4,477 | 1.3 | 4,254 | 1.0 | 4,019 | 0.7 | 6,668 | 1.0 |
| Portuguese | 4,221 | 1.2 | 2,810 | 0.6 | 3,485 | 0.6 | 5,162 | 0.8 |
| Chinese & non-Portuguese | 1,771 | 0.4 | 1,601 | 0.3 | 1,498 | 0.2 | ||
| Others | 7,804 | 2.2 | 10,047 | 2.3 | 33,015 | 6.0 | 57,688 | 8.5 |
| Portuguese & others | 709 | 0.2 | 602 | 0.1 | 1,191 | 0.2 | ||
| Total | 355,693 | 435,235 | 552,503 | 682,070 | ||||
| Place of birth | 1981 census[21] | 1991 census | 2001 census | 2011 census | 2021 census | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Macau | 96,117 | 39.8 | 142,697 | 40.1 | 191,139 | 43.9 | 226,127 | 40.9 | 281,381 | 41.3 |
| Mainland China | 118,177 | 48.9 | 179,028 | 50.3 | 206,384 | 47.4 | 255,186 | 46.2 | 298,887 | 43.8 |
| Hong Kong | 13,118 | 5.4 | 12,192 | 3.4 | 14,436 | 3.3 | 19,355 | 3.5 | 22,199 | 3.3 |
| Portugal | 1,037 | 0.4 | 3,625 | 1.0 | 1,616 | 0.4 | 1,835 | 0.3 | 2,213 | 0.3 |
| Philippines | 1,965 | 0.6 | 5,311 | 1.2 | 14,544 | 2.6 | 32,900 | 4.8 | ||
| Others | 13,280 | 5.5 | 16,186 | 4.6 | 16,349 | 3.8 | 35,456 | 6.4 | 44,490 | 6.5 |
| Total | 241,729 | 355,693 | 435,235 | 552,503 | 682,070 | |||||
Immigration is an essential component of the population. Results of the 2011 Population Census indicated that 326,376 (59.1% of the total population) were born outside Macau, an increase of 3.0 percentage points over the last ten years. Analysed by place of birth, 255,186 (46.2%) were born in Mainland China, down by 1.2 percentage points from 2001. 226,127 (40.9%) were born in Macau, 19,355 (3.5%) in Hong Kong and 1,835 (0.3%) in Portugal. There were more persons born in other countries or territories as the number of non-resident workers increased. Among them, 14,544 were born in the Philippines, 7,199 in Vietnam and 6,269 in Indonesia, altogether taking up 5.1% of the total population. 1,942 were born in Europe other than Portugal, 2,252 in Americas, 959 in Africa and 672 in Oceania. Analysed by age group, 85.2% of the youth population (aged 0–14) were born in Macau, and 62.9% of those aged 35 and above were born in Mainland China.[citation needed]
As of 2011[update] 35,578 people in Macau were originally from Fujian province in Mainland China, making up about 25% of the Mainland China-born people. The number of Fujianese in Macau increased after the 1999 handover.[22]
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Analysed by nationality, 509,788 (92.3% of the total population) were of Chinese nationality, down by 2.9 percentage points from the 2001 Census; meanwhile, only 0.9% was of Portuguese nationality, a decrease of 1.1 percentage points. These figures can be misleading, because more than a 100,000 people in Macau are holders of a Portuguese passport, making them in effect Portuguese citizens. Over the last ten years, diversity of the various components of the population is enhanced as economic development has drawn people to invest, work or study in Macau; consequently, 37,695 (6.8%) were of other nationalities, up by 4.0 percentage points, with 2.7% being Filipinos.Macau is a Chinese community and those of Chinese ethnicity totaled 510,383, an increase of 94,030 over the past ten years; however, its proportion to the total population decreased by 3.3 percentage points to 92.4%. Those of wholly or partly Portuguese ethnicity totaled 8,106, up slightly by 333 compared with 2001; its proportion to the total decreased by 0.3 percentage point to 1.5%.[citation needed]
| Religion | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese folk religion | 30% | |||
| Buddhism,Taoism | 10% | |||
| Christianity | 5% | |||
| No affiliation | 50% | |||
| Others | 10% | |||
30%Chinese folk religion, 10%Buddhism orTaoism, 5%Christianity, 50% not declaring religious affiliation, 10% others (2009).[23] Another survey conducted between 2005, 2007 and 2009 has found that 30% of the population follows folk faiths, 10% are adherents of Buddhism or Taoism, 5% are Christians, and the remaining part do not declare religious adherence.[24]

Portuguese andChinese are official languages. The Chinese standard (Cantonese orMandarin) is not specified in the law.[citation needed]
| Language | 1991 census | 2001 census | 2011 census | 2021 census | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Cantonese | 289,297 | 85.8 | 372,697 | 87.9 | 449,274 | 83.3 | 537,981 | 81.0 |
| Portuguese | 6,132 | 1.8 | 2,813 | 0.7 | 4,022 | 0.7 | 3,949 | 0.6 |
| Mandarin | 4,016 | 1.2 | 6,660 | 1.6 | 27,129 | 5.0 | 31,405 | 4.7 |
| English | 1,777 | 0.5 | 2,792 | 0.7 | 12,155 | 2.3 | 23,635 | 3.6 |
| Other Chinese Dialects | 32,217 | 9.6 | 32,125 | 7.6 | 30,590 | 5.7 | 36,032 | 5.4 |
| Tagalog | 3,450 | 0.8 | 9,415 | 1.7 | 19,154 | 2.9 | ||
| Others | 3,838 | 1.1 | 3,666 | 0.9 | 6,546 | 1.2 | 11,626 | 1.8 |
| Total | 337,277 | 424,203 | 539,131 | 663,782 | ||||
| Language | 2001 census | 2011 census | 2021 census | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Cantonese | 94.4 | 485,061 | 90.0 | 572,402 | 86.2 |
| Portuguese | 3.0 | 13,148 | 2.4 | 15,137 | 2.3 |
| Mandarin | 26.7 | 223,180 | 41.4 | 298,807 | 45.0 |
| English | 13.5 | 113,803 | 21.1 | 150,359 | 22.7 |
| Other Chinese Dialects | 17.7 | 84,669 | 15.7 | 95,864 | 14.4 |
| Tagalog | 13,821 | 2.6 | 20,879 | 3.1 | |
| Others | 4.3 | 25,161 | 4.7 | 25,053 | 3.8 |
| Total | 424,203 | 539,131 | 663,782 | ||