ENG-2012 — Page 416

Chapter 20

Population and Immigration

Hong Kong's population grew further in 2012, to almost 7.2 million, while there were some 268 million inbound and outbound movements, an increase of 15 million on the previous year.

The provisional figure for the population of Hong Kong at the end of 2012 was 7,173,900, or 0.9 per cent up on the previous year. This was mainly due to 48,500 more births than deaths. Over the period 2007-2012, the average annual growth rate of the population was 0.7 per cent. The birth rate' in 2012 was estimated at 13 per 1,000, similar to that in 2011. The death rate2 remained unchanged at about six per 1,000.

The under-15 age group shrank from 13 per cent in mid-2007 to 11 per cent in mid-2012, while the 65 and over age group grew from 13 per cent in mid-2007 to 14 per cent in mid-2012. During the same period, the population's median age rose from 40 years to 42 years. The overall dependency ratio3 dropped from 349 per 1,000 in mid-2007 to 335 per 1,000 in mid-2012.

Immigration Department

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is a separate travel area with autonomy over its immigration policy. In accordance with the Basic Law, the HKSAR Government exercises immigration controls over entry into, stay in and departure from the HKSAR by people from foreign states and regions. The Basic Law also contains provisions regulating the entry of people from the Mainland.

Besides controlling immigration, the Immigration Department provides a wide range of services to local residents, including issuing HKSAR identity cards, passports and other travel documents;

1 The birth rate refers to the number of known live births occurring in a calendar year per thousand mid-year population.

3

The death rate refers to the number of known deaths occurring in a calendar year per thousand mid-year population.

The overall dependency ratio is the ratio of the number of persons aged under 15 and 65 and over, to the number of persons aged between 15 and 64.

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