19
Population
ㄤ
THE total estimated population at the end of 1976 was 4,477,600, with 2,290,300 males and 2,187,300 females. This estimate is based on the population by-census taken in July and August, adjusted by births, deaths and migration. Compared with the estimated population of 3,679,400 in 1966, there has been an increase of 22 per cent over the past 10 years.
=
The average annual rate of increase over the 10-year period was 2.0 per cent, with the rate fluctuating year by year owing to changes in migration flow. But the rate of natural increase dropped steadily over the period from 20 to 12.6 per thousand. This was the result of a decline in the birth rate from 25.3 per thousand in 1966 to 17.7 per thousand in 1976, while the death rate remained stable at about five per thousand.
The 1976 by-census figures show that the population of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula increased from 996,200 and 716,300 in 1971-when a full census was taken--to 1,034,780 and 745,170 respectively. A slightly larger increase was recorded for New Kowloon-from 1,478,600 in 1971 to 1,631,180. In the New Territories, however, the population increased from 665,700 in 1971 to 951,520, owing mainly to the development of Tsuen Wan new town, which showed an increase of 183,100 over the past five years.
During 1976 the government completed its first overall review of its policies which relate to the growth of Hong Kong's population. As a result, the government announced in November that existing controls over legal and illegal immigration are to be maintained. Efforts will also be continued by the Medical and Health Depart- ment and the Family Planning Association to provide yet more comprehensive family planning services. Although Hong Kong's birth rate fell from 25.3 to 17.7 per thousand of the population in the past 10 years, it is calculated that the number of women in the fertile age group between 20 and 35 will grow from 478,400 in 1976 to 738,700 by 1986. The government is to ally the expansion of family planning services with increased publicity and research. In particular, sex education-with an emphasis on the merits of small families-is to be adopted in all schools.
Hong Kong has a land area of only 1 049 square kilometres and it is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Its population is comparable to that of Norway (4 million in 1974), Guinea (4.3 million), Niger (4.5 million) or the Dom- inican Republic (4.6 million). The overall density of population per square kilometre at the end of 1976 was 4,268. But this figure includes a wide variety of densities by individual areas. According to the 1976 by-census, the density for the metropolitan areas (Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Kowloon and Tsuen Wan) was 25,400;