Chapter 20
Population and Immigration
Hong Kong, with its world-class tourism facilities, infrastructure and open business environment, continues to attract huge numbers of visitors and businessmen from around the world. In 2008, Hong Kong's Immigration Department handled close to 223 million entry and exit movements at land and sea boundary points and Hong Kong International Airport.
The provisional figure for the population of Hong Kong at the end of 2008 was 7 008 900, or 0.8 per cent up on the previous year. This was due to 37 400 more births than deaths and a net inflow of 18 700 residents. Over the period 2003-2008, the average annual growth rate of the population was 0.7 per cent.
The birth rate1 in 2008 was estimated at 11 per 1 000, higher than the 10 per 1 000 in 2007. This was attributable to an increase in the number of children born in Hong Kong to local and Mainland women during the year. There was little change in the death rate2 which was about five to six per 1 000.
The under-15 age group shrank from 15 per cent in mid-2003 to 13 per cent in mid-2008, while the 65 and over age group grew from 12 per cent in mid-2003 to 13 per cent in mid-2008. Correspondingly, the population's median age rose from 38.1 years to 40.3 years during the same period.
The overall dependency ratio of people aged under 15 and those aged 65 and over, to the working age group of people aged between 15 and 64, dropped from 375 per 1 000 in mid-2003 to 343 per 1 000 in mid-2008. This was attributable to a decline in the number of children under 15, which more than offset an increase in the number of old people aged 65 and over in the same period.
1
The birth rate refers to the number of known live births occurring in a calendar year per thousand mid-year population.
The death rate refers to the number of known deaths occurring in a calendar year per thousand mid-year population.
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