Hong Kong: The Facts
Population: 6.3 million
Hong Kong Island
1.34 million
21.4%
Age structure
Kowloon
2.02 million
32.2%
New Territories
2.90 million
46.1%
Outlying Islands
0.06 million
0.3%
Median age: 34 Under 15: 18.5% Over 64: 10.1%
Sex ratio
Overall: 1 000 males per 1 000 females
Under 15: 1 075 Over 64: 816
Overall density
Nationalities
Languages
5 780 people per square kilometre.
Kwun Tong District has 53 610 people
per square kilometre.
Housing
3.1 million people live in public housing, which includes 660 200 flats. In 1996,
Hong Kong had 1.85 million domestic households, 44.5% occupied by the owner. 50.8% by tenants, and 4.6% either rent-free or employer-provided.
Predominantly of
Percentage
Chinese descent
95%
who can speak:
Largest foreign
Cantonese
95.2
passport-holder groups
English
38.1
(mid-1996):
Putonghua
25.3
Philippines
128 300
Chiu Chow
5
USA
32 600
Hakka
4.9
Canada
28 200
Fukian
3.9
UK
26 700
Sze Yap
1.4
Indonesia
25 900
Shanghainese
1.6
Thailand
25 500
Filipino
1.8
Birth rate
Death rate
11.2 per 1 000 popn
Japan
21 500
Japanese
1.2
5.1 per 1 000 popn
India
20 900
Life expectancy
Australia
20 500
Male 76
Female 81.5
Malaysia
14 200
Religion and custom
Buddhists and Taoists make up the vast majority. Christians 497 400; Muslims 50 000; Hindus 12 000; Jews 1 000.
Area: 1 095 square km
Highest point
Hong Kong Island
80 square km
Tai Mo Shan 957 metres
Kowloon
New Territories
Outlying Islands
47
square
km
794 square km 174 square km
Deepest point
Lo Chau Mun (Beaufort Channel)
Reclamation since 1851
60 square km
66 metres.
Country Parks
Hong Kong's 21 country parks and 14 designated special areas cover 41 351 ha—almost 40% of the land area. A further 58 sites of special scientific interest mark particular habitats. About 10.7 million visitors use the country parks each year. Three marine parks and one marine reserve are planned to cover about 2 160 ha of sea. Mai Po
Marshes Nature Reserve, a declared site under
the international Ramsar Convention for the
Conservation of Wetlands, covers 380 ha.
Tallest building
Central Plaza, Wan Chai, 374 metres
Weather
Average annual rainfall
2 124.3 mm
Wettest period Hourly daily monthly
109.9 mm (May 8, 1992) 534.1 mm (July 19, 1926)
1 241.1 mm (May 1889)