ENG-2004 — Page 11

Hong Kong: The Facts

Population: 6.8826 million (as at mid-2004)

Hong Kong Island

Kowloon

New Territories

1.26 million

18.3%

Age structure

2.04 million

29.7%

Median age: 38.6

Under 15: 15.1%

65 and over: 11.9%

3.58 million

52.0%

Sex ratio

Marine

+

0.1%

Overall: 929 males per 1 000 females

Under 15: 1 066

65 and over: 865

Overall density

6 380 people per square kilometre. The most densely populated District Council district is Kwun Tong with a density of 50 910 persons per square kilometre.

Housing

At the end of 2004, about 2.14 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 707 600.

In 2004, Hong Kong had 2.22 million domestic households: 53.7% occupied by the owners, 41.9% by tenants, and 4.4% by persons living in either rent-free accommodation or accommodation provided by employers.

Area: 1 104 square km

7.2 per 1 000 popn

Expectation of life at birth Male 78.6 years#

Nationalities Predominantly of Chinese descent Total foreign passport-holders (end-2004): Largest groups Philippines

Crude birth rate

Crude death rate 5.3# per 1 000 popn

Female 84.6 years#

Thailand

28 550

Canada

26 650

95%

India

21 880

Australia

18 670

Nepal

17 960

524 200

129 760

UK Malaysia Sub-total

17 780

14 280

411 140

105 710 29.900

Indonesia

Hong Kong Island & adjacent islands Kowloon

81 sq. km

USA

47 sq. km

New Territories mainland

748 sq. km

New Territories-islands

228 sq. km

(Lantau 146.5 sq. km; others 81.6 sq. km)

-Reclamation since 1887

67 sq. km

Weather

Religion and Custom

Buddhists and Taoists make up the vast majority. Others (estimates): Christians 660 000; Muslims 70 000; Hindus 15 000; Sikhs 8 000; Jews 1 500.

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#: 3.29 million in 2004

Major Employment Sectors in 2004#

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)

1 042 200

32% of total employment

899 700

27% of total employment

501 700

15% of total employment 374 600

11% of total employment

279 200

8% of total employment

168 100

5% of total employment

6.8% in 2004 $10,470 per month

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

end-March 2005

# 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): 8.1% in 2004

Inflation affecting consumers

Year-on-year rate of change in Composite CPI: -0.4% in 2004

Transport

Roads

The 1 944 km of roads (as at end-2004) carry 532 872 licensed vehicles, or about 274 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

2004-237 308 flights; 36.29 million passengers; 3.09 million tonnes of freight

Shipping movements

2004-35 900 ocean vessel arrivals; 35 470 departures;

port cargo throughput 220.9 million tonnes

Container throughput

2004-21.98 million TEUS