ENG-2018 — Page 353

Chapter 18

Population and Immigration

Hong Kong's population stood at nearly 7.5 million in 2018. The territory processed over 310 million entries and departures, up 5.1 per cent from the previous year.

The provisional figure for the population of Hong Kong at the end of 2018 was 7,482,500, or 0.9 per cent up on the previous year. This was due to 6,700 more births than deaths and a net inflow of 62,700 residents. Over the period 2013-18, the average annual growth rate of the population was 0.7 per cent. The birth rate' in 2018 was about seven per 1,000, slightly lower than the eight per 1,000 in 2017. The death rate2 remained unchanged at about six per 1,000.

Between mid-2013 and mid-2018, the under-15 age group grew slightly from 11 per cent to 12 per cent, while the 65 and over age group grew from 14 per cent to 17 per cent. The population's median age rose from 43 years to 44 years. The overall dependency ratio3 increased from 339 per 1,000 to 400 per 1,000.

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 control on 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 exercising immigration control, the Immigration Department issues HKSAR identity cards, passports and other travel documents; handles nationality and residency matters; and registers births, deaths and marriages. The department enhances its services using advanced

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

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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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