To balance this large influx of refugees, many thousands left the Colony in the autumn of 1939 at the threat of extension of military operations involving the Colony itself. The fall in the value of the Chinese dollar and the rise in the cost of living also had the effect of causing many émigrés to leave the Colony for the interior of China.
The table given below indicates the distribution of the population in the various parts of the Colony as estimated at June, 1939, but does not include the refugee element who arrived in the Colony subsequent to the 7th July, 1937, the date of the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese hostilities:-
Table I.
Hong Kong Kowloon New Territories Maritime Totals Non-Chinese 9,896 11,835 508 1,372 Chinese 450,294 366,332 110,019 100,000 1,026,645 Totals 460,190 378,167 110,527 101,372 1,050,256Registration of births and deaths is compulsory and the necessary data are obtained through twenty-nine registration offices. Stimulus was given to birth registration during the year when permission was accorded to post-register a large number of births which had occurred in the New Territories and when a large number of families desired to leave the Colony fearing that Hong Kong might be involved more closely in the conflict.
Births.
Registered births showed an increase from 35,893 (558 non-Chinese) in 1938 to 46,675 (566 non-Chinese) in 1939. Still-births numbered 1,402 in 1939, as compared with 1,075 in 1938. For purposes of comparison with the corresponding figures for the previous year, it is desirable to include a table giving the crude uncorrected birth-rates based upon two methods of calculation. Firstly (A), the rate is calculated on a population estimated by extrapolation methods from the previous census—as in the table given above. Secondly (B), the rate is calculated by adding to (A) a figure of 200,000 to represent the surplus of immigrants over emigrants during the period 1st of July, 1937, to 30th of June, 1938, and a further figure of 500,000 for the corresponding surplus for the year 1st of July, 1938, to the 30th of June, 1939.
Table II.
1938 Method A Method B Population Births Rate Population Births Rate Whole Population 1,028,619 35,893 34.9 1,228,619 35,893 29.2 Chinese 1,005,523 35,335 35.1 1,205,523 35,335 29.3 Non-Chinese 23,096 558 24.2 23,096 558 24.2 1939 Method A Method B Population Births Rate Population Births Rate Whole Population 1,050,256 46,675 44.4 1,750,256 46,675 26.7 Chinese 1,026,645 46,109 44.9 1,726,645 46,109 26.7 Non-Chinese 23,611 566 24.0 23,611 566 24.0