124
The most striking feature to be observed in regard to the age distribution in Hong Kong is illustrated in the curiously irregular shape of the curve in Diagram C. In an ordinary settled community the curve would commence with a maximum for the youngest age group 0-5 and decrease more or less steadily with advancing age, but in this case there is a sharp drop to the second age group and then two rapid rises and two almost equal peaks before the ordinary descent commences.
It will be seen that in 1921 the curve was very similar.
Children, when born in the Colony, are frequently sent to be brought up in the family home in China by the grand parents while the parents remain to earn their living in Hong Kong, and this seems to be the only explanation of this large drop at the beginning of the 6-10 group. After 10 years of age the children begin to return and they are reinforced by greater numbers of new immigrants, especially males where the rise (Diagram D) is much steeper and earlier than in the case of females (Diagram E). The maximum population as regards males is then attained in the group 16-20; is maintained in the group 21--25; and then the gradual descent begins. In the case of females, the ascent is much more gradual and the maximum is not attained until the group 21--25 when the brides obtained in China are brought to the Colony.
Figures are given on Tables 17 and 18 of the number of children of school age, which has been taken as from 5 to 13 years of age. These show that of school age in the whole Colony there are 119,000 children of Chinese race: 88,481 in Hong Kong and Kowloon, 17,940 in the New Territories, and 12,587 afloat in small craft in the waters of the Colony. Of these children 60,328 are males and 58,680 are females.
There are also 2,563 children, of the same ages, of the Non-Chinese races: 804 of British races, 152 of other European races, 249 Eurasians, 630 Local Portuguese, 313 Indians, 274 Japanese and 141 of Other Races. Of these children 1,237 are of the male sex and 1,326 female.
That for the
The tables of "natural" age groups are of considerable interest. New Territories might be taken as typical of a village community in China. parison with it shows, as the diagrams do also, that the population in the urban areas is abnormal owing to the extensive immigration towards the end of adolescence and at the beginning of early adult life.
The figures for the non-Chinese races are also of some interest. Those for the Local Portuguese, as an indigenous community, compare very nearly with those of the New Territories, but the others are markedly abnormal. The British and other European races, the Indians, and Japanese are all races which come to the Colony in early adult life, individuals marry, and children come but few of them remain to make their home in the Colony. The children go to their home country for school and in the majority of cases remain at home; the parents retire to the home country before reaching old age.
(3) Conjugal Condition.
Of the 849,751 persons enumerated in the Colony on March, 7, 1931, 400,508 were returned as single, 408,272 as married, 38,896 as widowed, and 50 as divorced. There were 2,025 street sleepers who were not questioned on this point.
Omitting the Defence Forces and Mercantile Marine, there were among the single of all ages 632 females to 1,000 males: 728 wives to 1,000 husbands; the number of widows was 34,753 as compared with only 4,094 widowers; and the divorced, which were almost entirely among the non-Chinese races, numbered only 20 males and 15 females.
Tables 22 and 23 give figures relating to the conjugal condition of all persons of Chinese race and of the non-Chinese races. They are also to be seen on the Age Tables given in Appendix B.