Demographics ofHong Kong | |
---|---|
![]() Population pyramid of Hong Kong in 2020 | |
Population | 7,503,100 (2024 est.) |
Growth rate | 0.4% (2024 est.) |
Birth rate | 4.43 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Death rate | 8.47 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Life expectancy | 83.61 years |
• male | 80.91 years |
• female | 86.46 years (2022 est.) |
Fertility rate | 0.75 children born/woman (2023 est.) |
Infant mortality rate | 2.55 deaths/1,000 live births |
Net migration rate | 1.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Age structure | |
0–14 years | 13.04% (male 495,977/female 454,723) |
15–64 years | 66.02% (male 2,164,667/female 2,646,774) |
65 and over | 20.94% (male 706,761/female 819,265) (2023 est.)[1] |
Sex ratio | |
Total | 0.86 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
At birth | 1.06 male(s)/female |
Under 15 | 1.09 male(s)/female |
65 and over | 0.71 male(s)/female |
Nationality | |
Nationality | Chinese |
Major ethnic | Cantonese people |
Language | |
Official | Cantonese (88.9%), English (4.3%), Mandarin (1.9%) |
Demographic features of the population ofHong Kong includepopulation density,ethnicity, education level, the health of the populace,religious affiliations, and other aspects.
Hong Kong is one of themost densely populated areas in the world, with an overall density of some 6,300 people per square kilometre.[2] At the same time, Hong Kong has one of the world's lowestbirth rates—0.68 per woman of child-bearing age as of 2022, far below the replacement rate of 2.1. It is estimated that 26.8% of the population will be aged 65 or more in 2033, up from 12.1% in 2005. Hong Kong recorded a crude birth rate of 8.2 per 1,000 people on average annually in 2005–2010.[3]
Ethnically, Hong Kong mainly consists of Chinese who constitute approximately 92% of the population.[4][5] Of these, manyoriginate from various regions inGuangdong. There are also a number of descendants of immigrants from elsewhere inSouthern China during and after theChinese Civil War.
People from Hong Kong generally refer to themselves, in Cantonese, asHèung Góng Yàhn (Chinese:香港人;Cantonese Yale:Hèung Góng Yàhn;lit. 'Hong Kong people'); however, the term is not restricted to those of Chinese descent, owing to Hong Kong's roughly 160-year colonial history that saw the civil servants and traders of British, Indian, Russian and other ethnic groups stationed in Hong Kong.
In English, the term 'Hongkongers' (or sometimes 'Hong Kongers') is also used to refer to Hong Kongese people, while the term 'Hongkongese' is sometimes used as an adjective to describe people or things related to Hong Kong.[6][7]
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1841 | 7,450 | — |
1851 | 32,983 | +16.04% |
1861 | 119,320 | +13.72% |
1871 | 120,124 | +0.07% |
1881 | 160,402 | +2.93% |
1891 | 221,441 | +3.28% |
1901 | 368,987 | +5.24% |
1911 | 456,739 | +2.16% |
1921 | 625,166 | +3.19% |
1931 | 840,473 | +3.00% |
1941 | 1,639,000 | +6.91% |
1945 | 600,000 | −22.22% |
1951 | 2,070,000 | +22.92% |
1961 | 3,128,648 | +4.22% |
1971 | 3,936,630 | +2.32% |
1981 | 5,183,400 | +2.79% |
1991 | 5,752,000 | +1.05% |
2001 | 6,714,300 | +1.56% |
2011 | 7,071,600 | +0.52% |
2021 | 7,413,070 | +0.47% |
Sources:Census and Statistics Department,[8][9][10][11]CICRED,[12]Office for National Statistics[13] |
The following census data is available for Hong Kong between the years 1841–2011. In 2011, Hong Kong had a population of just over 7 million, with a density of approximately 6,300 people per square kilometer. This makes Hong Kong the fourth mostdensely populated region in the world, afterMacau,Monaco, and Singapore.[2]
According to United Nations estimates from 1 July 2013, Hong Kong's population is distributed in the following age ranges, with the largest age group represented being 50–54 years:[14]
Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 3,330,700 | 3,856,800 | 7,187,500 | 100 |
0–4 | 134,500 | 125,700 | 260,200 | 3.62 |
5–9 | 128,000 | 120,200 | 248,200 | 3.45 |
10–14 | 149,100 | 139,600 | 288,700 | 4.02 |
15–19 | 208,000 | 196,300 | 404,300 | 5.63 |
20–24 | 226,400 | 230,700 | 457,100 | 6.36 |
25–29 | 221,800 | 295,800 | 517,600 | 7.20 |
30–34 | 231,900 | 343,200 | 575,100 | 8.00 |
35–39 | 229,500 | 331,000 | 560,500 | 7.80 |
40–44 | 239,800 | 338,700 | 578,500 | 8.05 |
45–49 | 271,000 | 337,900 | 608,900 | 8.47 |
50–54 | 313,500 | 341,100 | 654,600 | 9.11 |
55–59 | 281,300 | 287,900 | 569,200 | 7.92 |
60–64 | 220,000 | 223,100 | 443,100 | 6.16 |
65–69 | 148,800 | 146,400 | 295,200 | 4.11 |
70–74 | 109,600 | 103,700 | 213,300 | 2.97 |
75–79 | 100,600 | 109,900 | 210,500 | 2.93 |
80–84 | 69,500 | 88,400 | 157,900 | 2.20 |
85+ | 47,400 | 97,200 | 144,600 | 2.01 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
0–14 | 411,600 | 385,500 | 797,100 | 11.09 |
15–64 | 2,443,200 | 2,925,700 | 5,368,900 | 74.70 |
65+ | 475,900 | 545,600 | 1,021,500 | 14.21 |
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020):[15]
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 3 416 300 | 4 065 500 | 7 481 800 | 100 |
0–4 | 137 400 | 127 400 | 264 800 | 3.54 |
5–9 | 154 600 | 144 800 | 299 400 | 4.00 |
10–14 | 154 400 | 150 700 | 305 100 | 4.08 |
15–19 | 140 100 | 133 500 | 273 600 | 3.66 |
20–24 | 192 600 | 191 900 | 384 500 | 5.14 |
25–29 | 224 600 | 257 300 | 481 900 | 6.44 |
30–34 | 229 800 | 320 400 | 550 200 | 7.35 |
35–39 | 237 500 | 369 300 | 606 800 | 8.11 |
40–44 | 226 300 | 343 500 | 569 800 | 7.62 |
45–49 | 241 500 | 339 700 | 581 200 | 7.77 |
50–54 | 241 400 | 315 400 | 556 800 | 7.44 |
55–59 | 301 200 | 343 300 | 644 500 | 8.61 |
60–64 | 292 400 | 299 000 | 591 400 | 7.90 |
65–69 | 223 200 | 229 900 | 453 100 | 6.06 |
70–74 | 165 200 | 171 500 | 336 700 | 4.50 |
75–79 | 95 100 | 95 200 | 190 300 | 2.54 |
80–84 | 79 900 | 94 000 | 173 900 | 2.32 |
85+ | 79 100 | 138 700 | 217 800 | 2.91 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
0–14 | 446 400 | 422 900 | 869 300 | 11.62 |
15–64 | 2 327 400 | 2 913 300 | 5 240 700 | 70.05 |
65+ | 642 500 | 729 300 | 1 371 800 | 18.34 |
The Hong Kong government provides the following estimates for mid-2013:[16]
age | percentage | males | females |
---|---|---|---|
0–14 years | 11.0% | 408,000 | 382,600 |
15–24 years | 11.7% | 424,500 | 417,900 |
25–34 years | 15.2% | 454,900 | 639,700 |
35–44 years | 15.9% | 471,500 | 671,800 |
45–54 years | 17.7% | 587,900 | 681,700 |
55–64 years | 14.2% | 503,700 | 512,600 |
65 and over | 14.3% | 479,500 | 547,700 |
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The following table showsbirth rates andmortality rates in Hong Kong between 1950 and 2023.[17][18][19]
At the end of the 20th century, Hong Kong had one of the lowest birth rates in the world. However, the number of births doubled in the decade between 2001 and 2011, largely due to an increase in the number of children born in Hong Kong to women with residence in mainland China. In 2001 there were 7,810 births to Mainland women (16%) out of a total of 48,219 births. By 2009 it increased to 37,253 births to Mainland women (45%) out of a total of 82,095 births.[20]
Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1,000) | Crude death rate (per 1,000) | Natural change (per 1,000) | TFR | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | 1,974,000 | 60,600 | 18,465 | 42,135 | 30.7 | 9.4 | 21.3 | |
1951 | 2,044,000 | 68,500 | 20,580 | 47,920 | 34.0 | 10.2 | 23.8 | |
1952 | 2,141,000 | 71,976 | 19,459 | 52,517 | 33.9 | 9.2 | 24.7 | |
1953 | 2,253,000 | 75,544 | 18,300 | 57,244 | 33.7 | 8.2 | 25.5 | |
1954 | 2,371,000 | 83,317 | 19,283 | 64,034 | 35.2 | 8.2 | 27.1 | |
1955 | 2,490,000 | 90,511 | 19,080 | 71,431 | 36.3 | 7.7 | 28.7 | |
1956 | 2,607,000 | 96,746 | 19,295 | 77,451 | 37.0 | 7.4 | 29.6 | |
1957 | 2,721,000 | 97,834 | 19,365 | 78,469 | 35.8 | 7.1 | 28.7 | |
1958 | 2,834,000 | 106,624 | 20,554 | 86,070 | 37.4 | 7.2 | 30.2 | |
1959 | 2,951,000 | 104,579 | 20,250 | 84,329 | 35.2 | 6.8 | 28.4 | |
1960 | 3,075,000 | 110,667 | 19,146 | 91,521 | 36.1 | 6.2 | 29.9 | 5.014 |
1961 | 3,207,000 | 108,726 | 18,738 | 89,988 | 34.3 | 5.9 | 28.4 | 5.030 |
1962 | 3,344,000 | 119,166 | 20,933 | 98,233 | 36.1 | 6.3 | 29.7 | 4.980 |
1963 | 3,477,000 | 118,413 | 20,340 | 98,073 | 34.6 | 5.9 | 28.7 | 4.857 |
1964 | 3,596,000 | 111,436 | 18,657 | 92,779 | 31.8 | 5.3 | 26.5 | 4.665 |
1965 | 3,692,000 | 106,362 | 18,160 | 88,202 | 29.6 | 5.0 | 24.5 | 4.422 |
1966 | 3,763,000 | 96,436 | 19,261 | 77,175 | 26.6 | 5.3 | 21.3 | 4.152 |
1967 | 3,812,000 | 94,368 | 20,234 | 74,134 | 25.3 | 5.4 | 19.9 | 3.887 |
1968 | 3,850,000 | 83,641 | 19,444 | 64,197 | 22.0 | 5.1 | 16.9 | 3.649 |
1969 | 3,889,000 | 82,482 | 19,256 | 63,226 | 21.3 | 5.0 | 16.4 | 3.448 |
1970 | 3,942,000 | 79,132 | 19,996 | 59,136 | 20.0 | 5.1 | 14.9 | 3.284 |
1971 | 4,009,000 | 79,789 | 20,374 | 59,415 | 19.7 | 5.0 | 14.7 | 3.459 |
1972 | 4,088,000 | 80,344 | 21,397 | 58,947 | 19.5 | 5.2 | 14.3 | 3.315 |
1973 | 4,180,000 | 82,252 | 21,251 | 61,001 | 19.5 | 5.0 | 14.5 | 3.177 |
1974 | 4,283,000 | 83,589 | 21,879 | 61,710 | 19.3 | 5.1 | 14.3 | 2.967 |
1975 | 4,396,000 | 79,790 | 21,591 | 58,168 | 17.9 | 4.9 | 13.0 | 2.666 |
1976 | 4,519,000 | 78,511 | 22,628 | 55,883 | 17.4 | 5.1 | 12.3 | 2.480 |
1977 | 4,652,000 | 80,022 | 23,331 | 56,691 | 17.5 | 5.1 | 12.4 | 2.376 |
1978 | 4,788,000 | 80,957 | 23,816 | 57,141 | 17.3 | 5.1 | 12.2 | 2.272 |
1979 | 4,919,000 | 81,975 | 25,110 | 56,865 | 16.8 | 5.1 | 11.7 | 2.120 |
1980 | 5,039,000 | 85,290 | 24,995 | 60,295 | 17.0 | 4.9 | 12.1 | 2.047 |
1981 | 5,145,000 | 86,751 | 24,822 | 61,929 | 16.8 | 4.8 | 12.0 | 1.933 |
1982 | 5,239,000 | 86,120 | 25,384 | 60,736 | 16.4 | 4.8 | 11.5 | 1.860 |
1983 | 5,322,000 | 83,293 | 26,512 | 56,781 | 15.6 | 5.0 | 10.6 | 1.722 |
1984 | 5,394,000 | 77,297 | 25,510 | 51,787 | 14.4 | 4.7 | 9.7 | 1.559 |
1985 | 5,456,000 | 76,126 | 25,248 | 50,878 | 14.0 | 4.6 | 9.3 | 1.491 |
1986 | 5,508,000 | 71,620 | 25,902 | 45,718 | 13.0 | 4.7 | 8.3 | 1.367 |
1987 | 5,551,000 | 69,958 | 26,916 | 43,042 | 12.6 | 4.8 | 7.8 | 1.311 |
1988 | 5,592,000 | 75,412 | 27,659 | 47,753 | 13.4 | 4.9 | 8.5 | 1.400 |
1989 | 5,641,000 | 69,621 | 28,745 | 40,876 | 12.3 | 5.1 | 7.2 | 1.296 |
1990 | 5,704,000 | 67,731 | 29,136 | 38,595 | 12.0 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 1.272 |
1991 | 5,786,000 | 68,281 | 28,429 | 39,852 | 12.0 | 4.9 | 7.1 | 1.281 |
1992 | 5,884,000 | 70,949 | 30,550 | 40,399 | 12.3 | 5.2 | 7.1 | 1.347 |
1993 | 5,992,000 | 70,451 | 30,571 | 39,880 | 12.0 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 1.342 |
1994 | 6,101,000 | 71,646 | 29,905 | 41,741 | 11.9 | 4.9 | 7.0 | 1.355 |
1995 | 6,206,000 | 68,637 | 31,468 | 37,169 | 11.2 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 1.295 |
1996 | 6,304,000 | 63,291 | 32,176 | 31,115 | 9.9 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 1.191 |
1997 | 6,492,000 | 59,250 | 31,738 | 27,512 | 9.1 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 1.127 |
1998 | 6,550,000 | 52,977 | 32,847 | 20,130 | 8.1 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 1.016 |
1999 | 6,611,000 | 51,281 | 33,255 | 18,026 | 7.8 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 0.981 |
2000 | 6,675,000 | 54,134 | 33,758 | 20,376 | 8.1 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 1.032 |
2001 | 6,721,000 | 48,219 | 33,378 | 14,841 | 7.2 | 5.0 | 2.2 | 0.931 |
2002 | 6,728,000 | 48,209 | 34,267 | 13,942 | 7.1 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 0.941 |
2003 | 6,745,000 | 46,965 | 36,971 | 9,994 | 7.0 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 0.901 |
2004 | 6,781,000 | 49,796 | 36,918 | 12,878 | 7.3 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 0.922 |
2005 | 6,818,000 | 57,098 | 38,830 | 18,268 | 8.4 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 0.959 |
2006 | 6,871,000 | 65,626 | 37,457 | 28,169 | 9.6 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 0.984 |
2007 | 6,921,000 | 70,875 | 39,476 | 31,399 | 10.2 | 5.7 | 4.5 | 1.028 |
2008 | 6,951,000 | 78,822 | 41,796 | 37,026 | 11.3 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 1.064 |
2009 | 6,980,000 | 82,095 | 41,175 | 40,920 | 11.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 1.055 |
2010 | 7,024,000 | 88,584 | 42,194 | 46,390 | 12.6 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 1.127 |
2011 | 7,072,000 | 95,451 | 42,346 | 53,105 | 13.5 | 5.9 | 7.6 | 1.204 |
2012 | 7,155,000 | 91,558 | 43,917 | 47,641 | 12.8 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 1.285 |
2013 | 7,187,000 | 57,084 | 43,397 | 13,687 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 1.125 |
2014 | 7,242,000 | 62,305 | 45,087 | 17,218 | 8.6 | 6.2 | 2.4 | 1.235 |
2015 | 7,306,000 | 59,878 | 46,108 | 13,770 | 8.2 | 6.3 | 1.9 | 1.196 |
2016 | 7,337,000 | 60,856 | 46,905 | 13,951 | 8.3 | 6.4 | 1.9 | 1.205 |
2017 | 7,410,000 | 56,548 | 46,829 | 9,719 | 7.7 | 6.3 | 1.4 | 1.125 |
2018 | 7,451,000 | 53,716 | 47,400 | 6,316 | 7.2 | 6.3 | 0.9 | 1.080 |
2019 | 7,507,400 | 52,856 | 48,957 | 3,899 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 0.5 | 1.064 |
2020 | 7,481,800 | 43,031 | 50,666 | −7,635 | 5.8 | 6.8 | −1.0 | 0.883 |
2021 | 7,413,100 | 36,953 | 51,354 | −14,401 | 5.0 | 6.9 | −1.9 | 0.772 |
2022 | 7,346,100 | 32,512 | 62,100 | −29,488 | 4.4 | 8.4 | −4.0 | 0.701 |
2023 | 7,498,100 | 33,288 | 56,776 | −23,488 | 4.4 | 7.6 | −3.2 | 0.751 |
2024 | 7,534,200 | 36,767 | 52,366 | −15,599 | 4.9 | 6.8 | −1.9 |
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Cause of death | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Malignant neoplasms | 169.9 | 187.2 | 203.8 |
2. | Pneumonia | 45.1 | 87.8 | 132.6 |
3. | Diseases of heart | 70 | 89.6 | 89 |
4. | Cerebrovascular | 46.6 | 47.2 | 42.2 |
5. | External causes of morbidity and mortality | 27.5 | 22.2 | 26.7 |
6. | Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis | 15.7 | 21.8 | 24 |
7. | Dementia | 3.8 | 10.6 | 20.2 |
8. | Septicaemia | 6.3 | 10.8 | 16.8 |
9. | Chronic lower respiratory diseases | 31.5 | 27.8 | 14.3 |
10. | Diabetes mellitus | 10.1 | 6.5 | 7.4 |
All other causes | 69.7 | 85 | 118.1 | |
All causes | 496 | 596.6 | 695.2 |
Hong Kong is the territory with the world's highest life expectancy according to the United Nations.
Period | Life expectancy in years | Period | Life expectancy in years |
---|---|---|---|
1950–1955 | 63.1 | 1985–1990 | 77.0 |
1955–1960 | 65.9 | 1990–1995 | 78.1 |
1960–1965 | 68.8 | 1995–2000 | 80.0 |
1965–1970 | 70.9 | 2000–2005 | 81.4 |
1970–1975 | 72.5 | 2005–2010 | 82.4 |
1975–1980 | 73.7 | 2010–2015 | 83.4 |
1980–1985 | 75.6 |
Source:UN World Population Prospects[22]
According toThe World Factbook in 2006, the average marriage age in Hong Kong was 30 years for males and 27 years for females, and the population was subdivided into the following categories:
Married | 57.8% | 3,423,995 |
Never married | 32% | 1,920,522 |
Divorced | 3.2% | 189,563 |
Separated | 0.6% | 34,722 |
According to Hong Kong census data more than 90% of the population are Chinese. The largest minority are Filipino with over 200,000 in 2021, almost doubled since 2006. Other minorities include Indonesians, Indians, Nepalese and Whites.
Ethnic group | 2006 By-census | 2011 Census | 2016 By-census | 2021 Census | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Chinese | 6,522,148 | 95.0% | 6,620,393 | 93.6% | 6,752,202 | 92.0% | 6,793,502 | 91.6% |
Filipino | 112,453 | 1.6% | 133,018 | 1.9% | 184,081 | 2.5% | 201,291 | 2.7% |
Indonesian | 87,840 | 1.3% | 133,377 | 1.9% | 153,299 | 2.1% | 142,065 | 1.9% |
White | 36,384 | 0.5% | 55,236 | 0.8% | 58,209 | 0.8% | 61,582 | 0.8% |
Indian | 20,444 | 0.3% | 28,616 | 0.4% | 36,462 | 0.5% | 42,569 | 0.6% |
Nepalese | 15,950 | 0.2% | 16,518 | 0.2% | 25,472 | 0.3% | 29,701 | 0.4% |
Pakistani | 11,111 | 0.2% | 18,042 | 0.3% | 18,094 | 0.2% | 24,385 | 0.3% |
Thai | 11,900 | 0.2% | 11,213 | 0.2% | 10,215 | 0.1% | 12,972 | 0.2% |
Japanese | 13,189 | 0.2% | 12,580 | 0.2% | 9,976 | 0.1% | 10,291 | 0.1% |
Other Asian | 12,663 | 0.2% | 12,247 | 0.2% | 19,589 | 0.3% | 10,574 | 0.1% |
Others | 20,264 | 0.3% | 30,336 | 0.4% | 68,986 | 0.9% | 70,124 | 0.9% |
Total | 6,864,346 | 7,071,576 | 7,336,585 | 7,413,070 |
Ethnic groups in Hong Kong (2021)[23][24] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Ethnic groups (alone) | ||||
Chinese | 91.6% | |||
Filipino | 2.7% | |||
Indonesian | 1.9% | |||
South Asians | 1.4% | |||
Other | 3% |
Historically, the majorChinese groups in Hong Kong include theCantonese (includingPunti andToishanese),Hakka,Hoklo,[25] andTanka (mostly Cantonese speakers).[26] ThePunti, andTanka people in Hong Kong are largely descendants of the indigenous population, while theHakka andHoklo groups are composed of both indigenous groups and more recent migrants.
MostTeochew-speaking migrants immigrated to Hong Kong between the late 1940s and early 1970s, while migrants fromFujian (previouslySouthern Min speakers, and increasingly moreCentral Min andNorthern Min speakers) have constituted a growing number of migrants since 1978.[27] Many Yue-speaking people such as Taishanese and Cantonese also migrated after 1949.
According to the 2016 by-census, 92% of the Hong Kong population belongs to a Chinese ethnicity.[4] The Hong Kong census does not currently categorise Han Chinese subgroups nor does it differentiate other Chinese ethnicities, although in the past the census would collect information on language and dialect use.[28] However, the majority of Hongkongers of Chinese descent trace their ancestry to various parts of Southern China: theGuangzhou area, followed bySiyi (Toishanese people),Chaoshan (a region of Eastern Guangdong home toTeochew speakers),Fujian, andShanghai.[29] SomeCantonese people also originate fromHakka-speaking villages in theNew Territories.[30]
8% of the population of Hong Kong are categorised as "ethnic minorities", including a large number ofFilipinos andIndonesians, who together make up approximately 4.6% of the population.[31][32][33] However, the majority of the Filipinos and Indonesians population are short-termed foreign domestic helpers. After excluding foreign domestic helpers, the number of ethnic minorities was 263,593 in 2016, making up 3.6% of the whole Hong Kong population.[34]
Circa 2018 there were about 2,000 people of African origins with about 800–1,000 inYuen Long.[35]Chungking Mansions is another area of settlement and employment. Some Africans seeking to asylum travelled to Hong Kong as of June 2020.[36] According toLingnan University professor Lisa Leung Yuk-ming, African settlement began in the 1990s. The Hong Kong African Association (香港非洲人協會) is an ethnic association for those people.[37]
A Thai community began in Hong Kong when Thai women travelled with their husbands, ofChaozhou (Chiu Chow) origin, to Hong Kong in the 1970s. In 2016, Hong Kong had about 10,215 Thai residents, with around 33% residing inKowloon City.[38]
Due to its history as trading, business, and tourism hub, a large number of expatriates live inHong Kong, representing 8% of the population.[39] The following lists ethnic groups with significant presence in Hong Kong in alphabetical order by category:
As a former British colony, Hong Kong has 2 official languages:English, andChinese, although the specific variety of Chinese is not specified. The majority of the population usesCantonese as their usual spoken language. However, due to Hong Kong's role as an international trade and finance hub, there are also a wide variety of minority groups speaking dozens of languages present in the territory.
Language usually spoken at home (5+) | 1961[40] | 1971[41] | 1991[42] | 1996[43] | 2001[44] | 2006[45] | 2011[45] | 2016[45] | 2021[39] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Cantonese | 2,076,210 | 79.0 | 3,469,235 | 88.1 | 4,583,322 | 88.6 | 5,196,240 | 88.7 | 5,726,972 | 89.2 | 6,030,960 | 90.8 | 6,095,213 | 89.5 | 6,264,700 | 88.9 | 6,382,947 | 88.2 |
Mandarin | 26,021 | 1.0 | 405,147 | 10.2 | 57,577 | 1.1 | 65,892 | 1.1 | 55,410 | 0.9 | 60,859 | 0.9 | 94,399 | 1.4 | 131,406 | 1.9 | 165,541 | 2.3 |
Other Chinese languages | 348,544 | 13.3 | 364,694 | 7.1 | 340,222 | 5.8 | 352,562 | 5.5 | 289,027 | 4.4 | 273,745 | 4.0 | 221,247 | 3.1 | 204,571 | 2.8 | ||
English | 31,824 | 1.2 | 41,119 | 1.1 | 114,084 | 2.2 | 184,308 | 3.1 | 203,598 | 3.2 | 187,281 | 2.8 | 238,288 | 3.5 | 300,417 | 4.3 | 330,782 | 4.6 |
Other languages | 17,911 | 0.7 | 21,129 | 0.6 | 49,232 | 1.0 | 73,879 | 1.3 | 79,197 | 1.2 | 72,217 | 1.1 | 106,788 | 1.6 | 131,199 | 1.9 | 149,376 | 2.1 |
Total | 2,628,942 | 3,936,630 | 5,168,909 | 5,860,541 | 6,417,739 | 6,640,344 | 6,808,433 | 7,048,969 | 7,179,127 |
However, a very large proportion of the population in Hong Kong are able to communicate in multiple languages. The school system is separated into English-medium and Chinese-medium school, both of which teach English and Mandarin.
1991[44] | 1996[44] | 2001[44] | 2006[45] | 2011[45] | 2016[45] | 2021[39] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
Cantonese | 95.8% | 95.2% | 96.1% | 96.5% | 95.8% | 94.6% | 93.7% |
English | 31.6% | 38.1% | 43.0% | 44.7% | 46.1% | 53.2% | 58.7% |
Mandarin | 18.1% | 25.3% | 34.1% | 40.2% | 47.8% | 48.6% | 54.2% |
Hakka | 5.3% | 4.9% | 5.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 3.6% |
Hokkien | 3.6% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 3.1% |
Tagalog | 1.1% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 2.7% | 2.8% |
Chiu Chow | 5.4% | 5.0% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 2.8% |
Bahasa Indonesia | 0.7% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 2.5% |
Japanese | 1.0% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 2.1% |
Shanghainese | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.8% |
Over half of all people (56.1% as of 2010) are not religious.[47] Religious people in Hong Kong follow a diverse range of religions, among whichTaoist andBuddhist (specificallyChinese Buddhism) faiths are common for people of Chinese descent.
Confucian beliefs are popular in Hong Kong, but it is arguable whether Confucianism can be considered as a religion.[48] As such, Confucianism is excluded in some studies.[47]
The Christian beliefs ofProtestantism (with 500,000 members) andCatholicism (401,000 members) are also common, as well as non-organised Chinesefolk religions, whose followers may state that they are not religious.
Traditional religions including Chinese Buddhism were discouraged underBritish rule, which officially represented Christianity.[49] The handover of sovereignty from Britain to China has led to a resurgence of Buddhist and Chinese religions.[49]
Region | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2016 | 2021 |
Buddhists | > 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million |
Taoists | ≈ 1 million | ≈ 1 million | ≈ 1 million | ≈ 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million | > 1 million |
Protestant | 320,000 | 320,000 | 480,000 | 480,000 | 480,000 | ≈ 500,000 | 500,000 | 500,000 |
Catholics | 350,000 | 350,000 | 353,000 | 363,000 | 363,000 | 368,000 | 384,000 | 401,000 |
Muslims | 220,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 | 270,000 | 300,000 | 300,000 | 300,000 |
Hindu | 40,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
Sikhs | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 |
Demographics and culture of Hong Kong |
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Demographics |
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Other Hong Kong topics |
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