ENG-1978 — Page 304

POPULATION

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the proportion of the working age population (those aged 15 to 64) has increased from 56.8 per cent to 66.2 per cent over the same period. This shows that there is a greater potentially-productive population available to support infants and those who are being educated or who have retired. The dependency ratio- the ratio of the young and the aged to those in the 15 to 64 age group - dropped from 761 per thousand in 1968 to 511 per thousand in 1978.

People in Hong Kong live longer nowadays. Between 1968 and 1978, the expecta- tion of life at birth increased by about 4.6 per cent for both males and females. The expectation at birth of a longer life for females as compared with males remained effectively unchanged over the 10-year period. The life expectancy of males and females born in 1978 was 69.86 years and 76.58 years respectively.

More than 98 per cent of the population can be described as Chinese on the basis of language and place of origin. At the end of 1978, the number of non-Hong Kong Commonwealth citizens residing in Hong Kong totalled 39,459. These comprised: British 14,192 (excluding members of the Armed Forces); Indian 7,790; Australian 4,794; Singaporean 2,748; Canadian 1,998; and other Commonwealth countries 7,937. The number of non-Commonwealth alien residents was 28,935. Of these, the largest groups were: American 6,229; Portuguese 3,703; Pakistani 3,809; Filipino 3,065; Japanese 1,250; Indonesian 1,561; German 1,112; Korean 663; French 668; and Dutch 541.

About 59 per cent of the population is of Hong Kong birth. Most of these people, and the greater part of the immigrant population, originated from Kwangtung Pro- vince in China. The Cantonese group forms the biggest community while the second biggest group is Sze Yap, followed by the Chiu Chow group. The remaining Chinese 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 Marri- age Reform Ordinance. Under the Marriage Ordinance, at least 15 days' notice of an intended marriage must be given to the Registrar of Marriages. The Registrar has discretionary powers to reduce the period of notice in special circumstances or to grant a special licence dispensing with notice altogether. But this is done only in the most exceptional circumstances.

Marriages may take place either at places of public worship licensed for the cele- bration of marriages or at any of the 12 full-time marriage registries and four part- time sub-registries located in the main urban districts and rural centres. During the year, 37,688 marriages were performed in the registries and 2,712 at licensed places of worship. The total of 40,400 was 17 more than in 1977. All records are maintained 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 mar- riages 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