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Appendix C.
REPORT OF THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS.
1. Population.
Hong Kong is a free port and this and its geographical position renders it impossible to exercise effective control over emigration and immigration. It is difficult, in consequence, to give an accurate estimate of the population of the Colony. The mid-year population in 1939, based on the result of the censuses of 1921 and 1931, amounted to 1,050,256. During 1939, approximately 90,000 more persons entered the Colony by steam-ships than left by the same route. This figure does not take into account all those arriving by junk or sampan. In addition, it does not include those who crossed over from Chinese territory on foot. It is probable that the population of Hong Kong increased by about 650,000 during 1938 and 1939, the greater proportion of this increase being in respect of refugees from areas involved in the Japanese "Incident."
2. Hostilities between Chinese and Japanese forces close to the Kwangtung border towards the end of February, 1939, and again later in the year in this area, in the Chung Shan district between Canton and Macao, in the Island of Hainan and on the mainland of Western Kwangtung resulted in an influx of refugees amounting to many tens of thousands.
3. 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 emigrés to leave the Colony for the interior of China.
4. 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:
Hong Kong Kowloon New Territories Maritime Totals Non-Chinese 9,896 11,835 508 1,372 23,611 Chinese 450,294 366,332 110,019 100,000 1,026,645 Totals... 460,190 378,167 110,527 101,372 1,050,2565. Registration 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.
2. Births and birth-rates.
6. Registered births showed an increase from 35,893 (558 non-Chinese) in 1938 to 46,675 (566 non-Chinese) in 1939.
Includes 691 births registered after the expiration of one year or more from date of birth.
M 153
Appendix C.
REPORT OF THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS.
1. Population.
Hong Kong is a free port and this and its geographical position renders it impossible to exercise effective control over emigration and immigration. It is difficult, in consequence, to give an accurate estimate of the population of the Colony. The mid-year population in 1939, based on the result of the censuses of 1921 and 1931, amounted to 1,050,256. During 1939, approximately 90,000 more persons entered the Colony by steam-ships than left by the same route. This figure does not take into account all those arriving by junk or sampan. In addition, it does not include those who crossed over from Chinese territory on foot. It is probable that the population of Hong Kong increased by about 650,000 during 1938 and 1939, the greater proportion of this increase being in respect of refugees from areas involved in the Japanese "Incident.*
J
2. Hostilities between Chinese and Japanese forces close to the Kwangtung border towards the end of February, 1939, and again later in the year in this area, in the Chung Shan district between Canton and Macao, in the Island of Hainan and on the mainland of Western Kwangtung resulted in an influx of refugees amounting to many tens of thousands.)
3. 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 emigrés to leave the Colony for the interior of China..
4. 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
Chinese
9,896
450,294
11,835
366,332
508
110,019
1,372
100,000
23,611
1,026,645
Totals...
460,190
378,167
110,527
101,372
1,050,256
5. Registration 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.
2. Births and birth-rates.
6. Registered births showed an increase from 35,893 (558 non-Chinese) in 1938 to 46,675* (566 non-Chinese) in 1939.
Includes 691 births registered after the expiration of one year or more from date of birth.
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