ENG-2001 — Page 508

CHAPTER 22

Population and Immigration

432

THE Population Census conducted in March 2001 provides a benchmark for revising the population figures compiled since the 1996 Population By-census. Population and population-related figures from 1996 to 2000 have been revised accordingly.

At end-2001, the provisional population was estimated at 6 759 500, up 0.7 per cent over a year earlier. This was due to 15 900 more births than deaths and a net inflow of 32 100 residents. The average annual growth rate of the population over the period 1996-2001 was 0.9 per cent.

The birth rate in 2001 was estimated at seven per 1 000, compared with 10 per 1 000 in 1996. The death rate held stable at about five per 1 000. Consequently, the rate of natural increase dropped from five to two per 1 000 over the same period.

Ageing of the population continued. The median age of the population rose from 34 in 1996 to 37 in 2001. While the proportion of people aged under 15 fell from 19 per cent in 1996 to 16 per cent in 2001, the proportion of people aged 65 and over rose from 10 per cent to 11 per cent. The ratio of people in these two particular age groups to the working age population (aged 15-64), i.e. the age dependency ratio, dropped from 406 per 1 000 in 1996 to 382 per 1 000 in 2001.

Hong Kong is one of the world's most densely populated places, with its land population density estimated at 6250 per square kilometre in mid-2001. More statistics are given in the Appendices.

Immigration Department

After reunification, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) continues to be a separate travel area with autonomy over its immigration policy. The Basic Law has provided for the HKSAR Government to apply immigration controls on entry into, stay in and departure from the HKSAR by persons from foreign states and regions. Entry into the HKSAR of persons from other parts of China is regulated in accordance with the previous practice.

Apart from controlling the movement of people into and out of the HKSAR, the Immigration Department provides a wide range of services to local residents including the issue of HKSAR passports and other travel documents, visas and identity cards, the handling of nationality matters and the registration of births, deaths and marriages. Considerable effort goes into detecting and prosecuting immigration law offenders and removing illegal immigrants.

The policies aim on the one hand to keep at an acceptable level population growth brought about by immigration and, on the other hand, to facilitate the admission of