ENG-2003 — Page 13

Hong Kong: The Facts

Population: 6.803 million (as at mid-2003)

Hong Kong Island

1.26 million

18.6%

Kowloon

2.02 million

29.7%

New Territories

3.52 million

51.7%

Marine

+

0.1%

Age structure

Median age: 38.0 Under 15: 15.7% 65 and over: 11.7%

Sex ratio

Overall: 939 males per 1 000 females

Under 15: 1 065

65 and over: 863

Overall density

6 300 people per square kilometre. The most densely populated District Council district is Kwun Tong with a density of 50 820 persons per square kilometre.

Housing

At the end of 2003, about 2.3 million people lived in public rental housing estates (managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society). The number of flats was 689 450.

In 2003, Hong Kong had 2.17 million domestic households: 53.1% occupied by the owners, 42.4% by tenants, and 4.5% by persons living in either rent-free accommodation or accommodation provided by employers.

Area: 1 103 square km

6.8# per 1 000 popn

Expectation of life at birth Male 78.6#

Nationalities Predominantly of Chinese descent Total foreign passport-holders (end-2003): Largest groups

Crude birth rate

Crude death rate 5.4# per 1 000 popn

Female 84.3#

Canada

29 260

Thailand

28 820

95%

India

21 760

UK

19 900

Australia

19 600

523 880

Nepal

17 650

Malaysia

14 180

Philippines

132 770

Pakistan

13 750

Indonesia

95 460

Japan

13 390

Hong Kong Island & adjacent islands Kowloon

81 sq. km

USA

31 130

Sub-total

437 670

47 sq. km

New Territories-mainland

747 sq. km

Religion and Custom

New Territories-islands

228 sq. km

(Lantau 146.5 sq. km; others 81.5 sq. km)

Reclamation since 1887

67 sq. km

Buddhists and Taoists make up the vast majority. Others (estimates): Christians 536 000; Muslims 70 000; Hindus 15 000; Sikhs 8 000: Jews I 500.

Weather

Average annual rainfall

2 214.3 mm

Wettest period

Hourly

daily

monthly

Driest

109.9 mm (May 8, 1992) 534.1 mm (July 19, 1926)

1 241.1 mm (May 1889)

10% humidity (January 16, 1959)

Employment

Total employment#: 3.23 million in 2003

Major Employment Sectors in 2003 #

Wholesale, retail and

import/export trades,

restaurants and hotels

Community, social and personal services

Financing, insurance, real estate and business services

Transport, storage and communications

Construction

Manufacturing

Unemployment rate

Average wages

(All selected industries)

1 011 500

31% of total employment

887 600

28% of total employment

490 500

15% of total employment

361 600

11% of total employment

277 600

9% of total employment

173 400

5% of total employment

7.9% in 2003 $10,692 per month

Notes: figures presented on this page refer to those released up to

end-March 2004

# provisional figures

+ less than 0.005 million

Highest temperature

36.1°C (August 19, 1900 and August 18. 1990)

Lowest temperature

0.0°C (January 18, 1893)

Highest wind speed (gust)

259 km/h at HK Observatory. 284 km/h at Tate's Cairn (Typhoon Wanda. September 1, 1962)

The Economy

Economic growth

Year-on-year rate of change in GDP

(at constant (2000) market prices) 3.3% in 2003

Inflation affecting consumers

Year-on-year rate of change in Composite CPI: -2.6% in 2003

Transport

Roads

The 1934 km of roads (as at end-2003) carry

524 253 licensed vehicles, or about 271 vehicles per kilometre

Bridges

Longest: Tsing Ma suspension bridge (main span

1 377 metres) and the cable-stayed Ting Kau Bridge

(two main spans totalling 923 metres)

Air movements

2003-187 508 flights; 26.75 million passengers; 2.64 million tonnes of freight

Shipping movements

2003-35 790 ocean vessel arrivals: 35 120 departures:

port cargo throughput 207.6 million tonnes

Container throughput

2003-20.45 million TEUS