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POPULATION
population (those aged 15 to 64) available to support infants and those who are being educated or who have retired. The dependency ratio- the ratio of the young and the retired to those in the 15 to 64 age group – dropped from 784 per thousand in 1967 to 533 per thousand in 1977.
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More than 98 per cent of the population can be described as Chinese on the basis of language and place of origin. At the end of 1977, the number of non-Hong Kong Commonwealth citizens living in Hong Kong totalled 53,686. These comprised: British 24,564 (excluding members of the Armed Forces); Indian 8,233; Australian 5,701; Singaporean 3,143; Canadian 2,815; and other Commonwealth countries 9,230. The number of non-Commonwealth alien residents was 29,381. Of these, the largest groups were: American 6,248; Portuguese 3,681; Pakistani 3,890; Filipino 3,174; Japanese 1,184; Indonesian 1,552; German 1,176; Korean 750; French 702; and Dutch 542.
About 59 per cent of the population is of Hong Kong birth. Most of these people, and the greater part of the immigrant population, originated from Kwantung Province in China. The Cantonese group forms the largest community. The second largest group is Sze Yap, followed by the Chiu Chow group. The remaining Chinese popula- tion have their Heung Ha, or origins, in other parts of Kwangtung, Shanghai and the coastal provinces of China.
Marriages
All marriages in Hong Kong are governed by the Marriage Ordinance and the Marriage Reform Ordinance. Under the Marriage Ordinance, at least 15 days' notice of an intended marriage must be given to the Registrar of Marriages. The registrar has discretionary powers to reduce the period of notice in special circumstances or to grant a special licence dispensing with notice altogether. But this is rarely done and then only in the most exceptional circumstances.
Marriages may take place either at places of public worship licensed for the celebra- tion of marriages or at any of the 12 full-time marriage registries and four part-time sub-registries located in the main urban districts and rural centres. During the year, 37,881 marriages were performed in the registries and 2,502 at licensed places of worship. The total of 40,383 was 683 more than in 1976. All records are maintained at the principal marriage registry at the City Hall.
The Marriage Reform Ordinance provides that all marriages entered into in Hong Kong on or after October 7, 1971, shall imply the voluntary union, for life, of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others and may be contracted only in accord- ance with the Marriage Ordinance. It declares valid certain customary marriages and validates certain other marriages known as modern marriages provided, in each case, they were entered into before October 7, 1971. The ordinance also makes provision for post-registration of these customary and modern marriages, and for dissolution of such marriages by mutual consent. During the year, 80 customary and 27 modern marriages were post-registered, including 32 in the New Territories.
Births and Deaths
The registration of births and deaths is compulsory, and facilities for registration are provided throughout Hong Kong. The General Register Office in Central keeps all