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# FLUCTUATION IN POPULATION.
The population of the Colony is liable to much variation dependant on political conditions in South China and the state of trade in Hong Kong.
Following the strike towards the end of June, 1925 large numbers of Chinese left the Colony.
Later many returned but that a large number did not return seems obvious from figures furnished by the Harbour Master and the Manager of the Kowloon-Canton Railway.
During the year 1925 the exchange of people between Hong Kong and neighbouring Chinese territory by river steamships and railway shows a balance of 74,635 in favour of emigrants.
The actual figures so furnished are shown in the following table.
Immigrants Emigrants By railway 117,959 175,080 By steamships 891,980 909,491 TOTAL 1,009,939 1,084,574In the year 1924 the difference was 10,813 in favour of immigrants by these routes.
## BIRTHS.
The births registered during the year 1925 numbered 3,654.
The distribution of these births according to race and sex is shown in the following table.
Chinese Non-Chinese Total Males Females Males Females Males Females 1924 2,544 1,282 168 149 2,712 1,431 1925 2,136 1,145 180 193 2,316 1,338 Total 3,826 373 4,143 3,654This gives a general civil birth rate of 4.64 per 1,000 as compared with 5.8 in 1924.