Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 621

POPULATION.

523

The population of the Colony at the Census taken in January, 1897. was 248.880, while at the Census taken in January, 1901, it was (exclusive of the New Territories) 283,975. This represents an increase of 35,095 within a period of four years and affords a remarkable proof of the rapid pro- gress of the Colony.

The increase is, of course, very largely Chinese and is to be found mainly in Kowloon, where the population has risen from 26,442 to 42,976, and in the City of Victoria, where it has risen from 160.273 to 175,056.

The increase in the non-Chinese Civil population during the four years amounted to 951. The following is the estimated population to the middle of 1901–

Non-Chinese Civil Population,

City of Victoria including Peak and Stonecutters, Villages of Hongkong,

Chinese Population,

Kowloon,

Army, Navy..

Floating Population,.

Total Chinese Population,

Total Population of the Colony,

9,560

..178,810

13,680

45.666

42,408

.280,564

5,462

5,074

.300,660

The total strength of Troops in Garrison on June 30th, 1901, was 87 British Officers and 2,035 British Warrant Officers, N.C.O.'s and men, with 51 Indian Officers and 2,603 Indian Warrant Officers, N.C.O.'s and men. There were also 169 British women and children, 202 Indian women and children and 315 camp followers, making a total of 5,462. At the Census taken in January, 1901, there were 5,501 Officers and men and 2.139 camp followers resident in the Colony, making a total of 7,640.

The total strength of the British Fleet on the China Station on June 30th, 1901, was 11,598, as compared with 7,110 in the previous year and 7,738 in 1899. At the Census taken in January, 1901, the actual number of Officers and men of His Majesty's Navy present in the Colony was 5,597, and the estimated average number resident here (ashore and afloat) throughout the year 1901 is put at 5,074.

The Chinese boat population of the Colony (including 1,180 Chinese on the merchant ships in the Harbour) numbered 41,280 at the Census taken in January, 1901. and has been estimated at 42,408 to the middle of the year 1901.

The following is the number of registered boats belonging to the Port:-

Fishing and Trading Junks,

Cargo-boats, Lighters, Sampans, etc., ...

Total,......

5,118

7,281

...12,399

The number of boats licensed in 1900 was 12,367, and in 1899 it was 10,885.

These figures do not include 1,393 fishing junks licensed for Cheung Chau, 1,018 for Tai 0, 1,357 for Tai Po and 166 for Deep Bay, as these villages on the New Territory do not come within the jurisdiction of the Sanitary Board nor are they included in the estimates of population.

The population of the Colony is classified primarily into Chinese and non-Chinese, the former being greatly in the majority. The non-Chinese comprise a white population of 11,923 of whom 4,558 are civilians and the remainder belong either to the Army or the Navy. The coloured races (non-Chinese) number 5,002 and include East Indians, Malays, Filipinos. Eurasians and a few Africans and Japanese, while the Asiatic Portuguese alone number 1,983.

the

The Civil population is essentially a male adult one as no less than 72.9 per cent. of the Chinese population and 62.5 per cent. of the non-Chinese Civil population are males while more than half the Civil population (50.2 per cent. of the Chinese and 56.4 per cent. of the non-Chinese) are between ages of 20 and 45. The proportion of the population in Great Britain between these ages is only 33.8 per cent. The proportion of males at the Census taken in 1897 was among the Chinese 70.9 per cent., and among the non-Chinese 58.6 per cent, and the reduction in the proportion of women both among Chinese and non-Chinese is, I consider, the direct result of the greatly enhanced cost of living of late years, and the increasing difficulty in obtaining suitable accommodation for families.