Influx of mainland Chinese and talent offset emigration wave in Hong Kong
- Midyear population stands at 7,531,800, down by 0.1 per cent from 12 months ago, latest census shows
An influx of immigrants from mainland China and talent alongside a slight increase in births have offset an emigration wave in Hong Kong, the latest official data shows.
The Census and Statistics Department announced on Thursday the midyear population stood at 7,531,800, down by 4,300 from 12 months ago, accounting for a decrease of 0.1 per cent.
The government attributed the drop to the unusual situation of “quite a number of” Hong Kong residents who were living abroad returning to the city after pandemic travel restrictions were lifted early last year, temporarily inflating the number used for comparison.
“This situation then restored to normalcy gradually in the later part of 2023, resulting in a slight decline in the population as at end-2023 and mid-2024 as compared to mid-2023,” it said.
But the population still grew compared with the figure at the end of 2023 and the latest number was the second-highest yet.
Authorities noted the success of various measures to attract talent and labour, which drew “sizeable inflow of persons from the mainland and other places around the world to Hong Kong in the first half of 2024”.
