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2. Duration of Life.-After 40 there is a very marked decrease and a still greater fall between 50 and 55. In comparison with the settled Chinese population of the Northern district of the New Territories such decrease seem to be normal, though in the urban districts till very recent years many Chinese, as soon as they had amassed a com- petency according to their station, returned to their native villages. This is only so in a minor degree at present, for although wages are higher, the cost of living has ris greatly, as well as the standard of living, and a considerably longer period of work is vessary before a man can retire to the country. The number of persons of 50 and above has in- creased 65 13 per cent as compared with 1911, against a total increase in the population. of 51 per cent, a figure which also affords a clear proof of the greatly increased stability of the population.

3. Sexes.-Up to the age of five the numbers of males and females are practially equal; from six to twelve females exceed the males; this is due partly to the custom of sending boys at the age of seven back to the country or Canton to receive their Chinese education, partly to the import of muitsai nearly all of whom come from outside the Col my. From the age of fourteen upwards males largely exceed females, since at this age boys come to the Colony for higher education or to be apprenticed in various trades or to find work.

4. Married State.---Marriage before 18 is comparatively uncommon and during the last 10 years there has been an increasing tendency for the marriage age to rise. By 25 most of the females are married, the unmarried residue being probably mostly prostitutes or ex-prostitutes, while in the case of the males it is not until the age of 35 that the majority are married.

In 1911 there were 69 males to 31 females, in the present Census 63 males to 37 females, but only 33 married females to 67 married miles, the figures for 1911 bing 28 to 72; the difference is due to the large number of widows, which show an in rease over 1911 of 159 per cent, while the widowers only show an increase of 19 per cont. The continued residence of widows in the Colony after the death of their husban Is shows a very remarkable change in the customs of the population in ten years. Formerly on the death of the husband the widow returned to the country; now she evidently remains in Hongkong where she can if necessary find work in the various industries which beginning to spring up.

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Concubines show a very large increase from 1,230 in 1911 to 2,974. There were in addition 79 concubines whose status was irregular. This great increase in concubinageis due to the wealthier classes bringing their families to the Colony; in several families five or more were found, but the wealthy who possess a large number generally accommodate them in more than one house, therefore no large establishments were noticed. This great increase in concubinage of 136 per cent is remarkable in view of the vastly im prov. d status of women as a whole in the Colony and the increase in the feeling against the custom among the enlightened classes. But at least among the new comers the custom seems as popular as ever, and large numbers of youthful concubines were found. The number of married women including concubines has increased by 76 per cent.

5. Nationality--Out of 45,924 persons born in the British Empire only 15,645 claimed British nationality, which can be interpreted that only so many may be consi- dered permanently domiciled in the Colony. Out of 1,647 born in Macau only 251 claimed Portuguese nationality.

6. Birthplace.----As in 1911 the bulk of the population are immigrants from the Delta districts of the neighbouring province of Kwongtung. There is an increase in the natives of other provinces from 3,729 to 6,037. The number born in Hongkong is 43,275 against about 23,000 in 1911 and 1,523 in 1837; however the figures for these two years are not quite reliable for the purposes of comparison. The number born in the New Territories is 2,241. This is apparently a reduction on 1911 figures which were about 3,000, after making certain deductions; the reduction in the males would be accounted for by their return to their birthplaces for the Tsing Ming festival. The people of the Northern District of the New Territories seem to have very little inclination to migrate to the city to earn their livelihood.

7. Education. The proportion of males able to read and write is 65 35 against 74:43 in 1911, females 11:55 against 1791 in 1911, a distinct retrograde movement, which well demonstrates the difficulty of dealing with a constantly shifting population like that of Hongkong from the educational stand point.