ENG-1970 — Page 286

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Population

THE total estimated population of the Colony at the end of 1970 was 4,127,800. About 981 per cent could be described as Chinese on the basis of language and place of origin.

The population, from about 600,000 at the end of the Japanese occupation, grew rapidly and at the 1961 census was 3,133,131, in- cluding 3,843 transients. The 1966 census showed the total popula- tion to be 3,716,400, including 3,787 transients. During 1970 the population increased by 93,100 to reach the estimated total of 4,127,800. This increase is made up of 59,136 excess of births over deaths, plus an inward balance of migration estimated at 24,935.

Density: Hong Kong with a total land area of only 400 square miles is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and its population is about the same as that of Norway or Niger (both 3.9 million in 1969) or Zambia (4.2 million in 1969). The population density per square kilometre for the whole Colony is almost 3,800 which is higher than that of Singapore (3,400 in 1968) and East Berlin (almost 2,700 in 1968), although not as high as that of Gibral- tar (slightly over 4,000 in 1968) or West Berlin (almost 4,500 in 1968). The 1966 census revealed that Sheung Wan with over 165,000 persons per square kilometre was then the most densely populated district in the Colony. This is about 10 times greater than Tokyo city proper (15,754/sq km in 1969) or Osaka city proper (15,158/sq km in 1969).

Urban Population: At the time of the 1966 census, 31,405 persons excluding transients, claimed to originate from Commonwealth countries outside Hong Kong. Of these, 26,065 resided in the urban area. According to information provided by the Aliens' Registration Office for non-Chinese alien residents (excluding visitors staying for periods of less than three months and children under 16 years old) the figure at the end of 1970 was 17,726. The largest groups were: American 5,767, Portuguese 2,532, Japanese 1,186, Filipino 1,179, Indonesian 1,122, German 926, French 590.