Society

HK population to hit 8.9 million in 30 years

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-29 21:34
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HONG KONG - Hong Kong's population will swell to 8.89 million in 30 years, according to the latest projections by the city's Census and Statistics Department released Thursday.

The most prominent features of HK's demographic landscape by then will be the aging population and a declining male-to-female ratio, the department said in a release.

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Commissioner for Census and Statistics Fung Hing-wang said the Hong Kong resident population will rise at an average annual rate of 0.8 percent, from 7 million in mid-2009 to 8.89 million in mid-2039.

Fung said the annual growth rate will remain stable at 0.8 percent to 1 percent for the next 20 years. But with an increased number of deaths among aging of the population, the figure is expected to slacken to 0.5 percent towards the end of the projection period.

"The population is expected to remain on an aging trend. The proportion of the population aged 65 and over is projected to rise markedly, from 13 percent in 2009 to 28 percent in 2039," Fung said.

Meanwhile, the number of men per 1,000 women in the population will fall noticeably, from 889 in 2009 to 744 in 2039.

The sex ratio for the age group 25 to 44 will be much affected by the presence of foreign domestic helpers comprising mostly young women. Also relevant is the continued entry of one-way permit holders in the coming years, many being Hong Kong men's wives living on the Chinese mainland.