FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1980
POPULATION TOPS FIVE MILLION
*****
HONG KONG'S ESTIMATED POPULATION AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1979 WAS 5 017 000, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 296 800 PEOPLE OR 6.3 PER CENT OVER THE ESTIMATE IN 1978.
THE LARGEST CONSTITUENT IN THE GROWTH RATE WAS NET IMMIGRATION, WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 189 300 OR 4 PER CENT.
THE NATURAL INCREASE IN POPULATION WAS ONLY 57 800 OR 1.2 PER CENT. THE FIGURE INCLUDES 1 218 HONG KONG BORN BABIES OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
THE BALANCE OF ARRIVALS OVER DEPARTURES OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 49 700 OR 1.1 PER CENT.
THE GAIN IN THE BALANCE OF IMMIGRATION WAS DUE SOLELY TO IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.
THE NUMBER OF LEGAL CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WHO ARRIVED IN 1979 WAS 70 466, COMPARED WITH 71 490 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ENTERING HONG KONG SUCCESSFULLY WAS 113 000, WHICH WAS THREE TIMES THE CORRESPONDING FIGURE FOR 1978.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SAID THE TOTAL POPULATION FIGURE WAS OBTAINED BY UPDATING THE ESTIMATE FOR MID-1979.
+DURING THE YEAR, THERE HAS BEEN A GROWING TENDENCY AMONG ILLEGAL CHINESE IMMIGRANTS TO REPORT EARLIER TO THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS OFFICE AND THIS HAS RESULTED IN A MORE ACCURATE ESTIMATE OF NEW ARRIVALS WHO EVADED ARREST, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+ IN FACT, ABOUT 90 PER CENT OF THE ESTIMATED NUMBER FOR 1979 WAS BASED ON APPLICATIONS FOR ID CARDS, HE ADDED.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BIRTHS LAST YEAR WAS 83 019, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 2.8 PER CENT OVER 1978'S ESTIMATE. TAS
IS WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE GRADUAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE CHILDBEAR ING AGES 15-49.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS, AT 25 268, WAS HIGHER BY 5.7 PER CENT. THE INCREASE WAS ASSOCIATED MAINLY WITH THE GROWING NUMBER OF OLD PEOPLE IN THE POPULATION.
/2