Chapter 18
Population and Immigration
Hong Kong's population stood at nearly 7.5 million in 2020. The territory processed around 24 million entries and departures, a year-on-year drop of 92 per cent.
Hong Kong's provisional population at the end of 2020 was 7,474,200, or a decrease of 0.6 per cent over the previous year, due to 6,700 more deaths than births and a net outflow of 39,800 residents. Over the period 2015-20, the average population annual growth rate was 0.4 per cent. The birth rate in 2020 was about six per 1,000, slightly lower than the seven per 1,000 in 2019. The death rate? remained unchanged at seven per 1,000.
Between mid-2015 and mid-2020, the under-15 age group grew slightly from 11 per cent to 12 per cent, while the 65 and over age group grew from 15 per cent to 18 per cent. The population's median age rose from 43 years to 45 years. The overall dependency ratio3 increased from 363 per 1,000 to 428 per 1,000.
Immigration Department
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is a separate travel area with autonomy over its immigration policy. In accordance with the Basic Law, the HKSAR Government exercises immigration control on entry into, stay in and departure from the HKSAR by people from foreign states and regions. The Basic Law also contains provisions regulating the entry of people from the Mainland.
Besides exercising immigration control, the Immigration Department issues HKSAR identity cards, passports and other travel documents; handles nationality and residency matters; and registers births, deaths and marriages. It strives to enhance its services using advanced
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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.
The overall dependency ratio is the ratio of the number of persons aged under 15 and 65 and over, to the number of persons aged between 15 and 64.
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