ENG-1976 — Page 284

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POPULATION

population have their Heung Ha or origins in other places of Kwangtung, Shanghai, and the coastal provinces of China.

Marriages

All marriages in Hong Kong are governed by the Marriage Ordinance and the Marriage Reform Ordinance. Under the Marriage Ordinance, notice of an intended marriage must be given to the Registrar of Marriages at least 15 clear days in advance. The registrar has discretion to reduce the period of notice in special circumstances, and there is power to grant a special licence dispensing with notice altogether, but this is done rarely and then only in the most exceptional circumstances.

Marriages may take place either at places of public worship licensed for the celebration of marriages or at any of the 12 full-time marriage registries and 12 part- time sub-registries located in the main urban districts and rural centres. During the year 36,772 marriages were performed in the registries and 2,928 at licensed places of worship. The total of 39,700 was 3,508 more than in 1975. All records are main- tained at the principal marriage registry at the City Hall.

The Marriage Reform Ordinance provides that all marriages entered into in Hong Kong on or after October 7, 1971, shall imply the voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others and may be contracted only in accordance with the Marriage Ordinance. It declares valid certain customary marriages and validates certain other marriages known as modern marriages, provided in each case they were entered into before October 7, 1971. The ordinance also makes provision for post-registration of these customary and modern marriages and for dissolution of such marriages by mutual consent. During the year, 124 customary and 39 modern marriages were post-registered, including 53 in the New Territories.

Births and Deaths

The registration of births and deaths is compulsory, and facilities for registration are provided throughout Hong Kong. The General Register Office in Central keeps all records of births and deaths, and there are sub-registries in all main urban and rural districts. In the outlying areas and islands, births are registered at various rural committee offices by visiting district registrars and deaths are registered at local police stations.

The statutory period during which a birth should be registered is 42 days from the date of birth. For this there is no registration fee. For registration between the end of the 42-day period and the expiration of one year from the date of birth a fee of $5 is charged. During the year 76,342 live births and 23,195 deaths were registered, compared with 78,200 and 21,191 respectively in 1975. These figures, when adjusted for under-registration, give a natural increase in population for 1976 of about 55,794. Illegitimate births registered during the year totalled 6,650 compared with 6,543 in 1975.

A birth which has not been registered within one year may be post-registered with the consent of the Registrar of Births and Deaths and on payment of a $30 fee.