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Lo Hoi-ying

Hong Kong’s population has stabilised and remains “virtually unchanged” for the first time in a decade, following an influx of talent in recent years after waves of emigration.
The Census and Statistics Department said on Thursday that Hong Kong’s midyear population stood at 7,527,500, a slight increase of 3,400 from 12 months ago, or a rise of about 0.005 per cent.
“The population remained virtually unchanged, as compared with that at mid-2024,” the government said, attributing it to ongoing measures to attract talent and import workers.
“Over the past few years, many people have moved to Hong Kong from mainland China and other places around the world.”
The inflow had offset the impact of the natural population decrease to stabilise the overall number, the department said. The latest population marked an increase of more than 180,000 compared with mid-2022, it added.
It is the first time since 2015 that the population has not changed by at least 0.2 per cent.

In the 12 months to June, Hong Kong recorded a net inflow of 18,200 residents. The figure included an inflow of 32,000 one-way permit holders from the mainland and an outflow of 13,800 others.
One-way permits allow mainland residents to settle in Hong Kong to reunite with their families. But should they receive the permit – of which 150 are available each day – they must surrender their mainland household registration.
The number of people arriving in the city through one-way permits dipped after reaching 44,000 last year, the highest in five years.
More than 177,000 residents left Hong Kong between mid-2020 and mid-2022 during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the city experienced a strong inflow of over 212,000 from mid-2022 to mid-2023, triggered by a new talent scheme and the resumption of normal travel.


The net outflow figure peaked at 69,200 from mid-2020 to mid-2021 when Britain launched a bespoke immigration pathway in response to Beijing’s imposition of the national security law in 2020.
By mid-2025, the net outflow of residents had dropped to 13,800.
According to the latest figures, the city also recorded 50,000 deaths and 35,200 births, resulting in a natural decrease of 14,800.
In 2022, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s administration launched a series of measures aimed at attracting talent to counter the emigration wave.
The policies included the Top Talent Pass Scheme launched in December 2022, which is open to candidates who earned more than HK$2.5 million (US$318,500) over the preceding 12 months and graduates of the world’s top 100 universities.
According to labour chief Chris Sun Yuk-han, the city’s various talent admission schemes had received about 510,000 applications as of the end of July, with around 340,000 approved. More than 220,000 people have arrived in Hong Kong under the programmes.
With the local population ageing, the number of people aged 20 to 34 stood at about 1.197 million, down by about 344,000 from a decade ago.
Around one-third of residents are 60 or older, with those aged between 60 and 64 making up the largest proportion of the population at 8.4 per cent.
The number of babies born in Hong Kong reached 36,700 last year, an 11 per cent jump from 2023, but it was still the third-lowest since data was first made available in 1961.
To encourage childbearing, the government has distributed more than HK$970 million in baby bonuses since 2023.
Eligible couples receive a one-off cash allowance of HK$20,000 under the Newborn Baby Bonus Scheme, with Sun saying that authorities would consider extending it to cover newborns of parents arriving under talent programmes.




Stuart Gietel-Basten, a professor of public policy and social science at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said the stable population figure showed that the city was still an attractive place for migrants around the world.
“This also shows that our population change in the future, for it to stay sustainable or increase, is heavily reliant on immigration,” he said.
Gietel-Basten noted that Hong Kong’s population was projected to decline quite dramatically and age significantly, but immigration policies had their limitations.
“It’s hard to see how the fertility rate is going to change.”
He pointed to “structural issues” such as housing, employment, care and gender roles which were unlikely to change in the next two decades.
“The government should worry less about the total number of people, but look at the demographic paradigm for the next 30 to 40 years and make the most of the situation,” Gietel-Basten said.
This could be done by ensuring every resident had the opportunity to contribute to the economy and develop their full potential, and by adapting to an ageing population by investing in the silver economy and technology to increase productivity, he said.


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Hong Kong’s ‘virtually unchanged’ population stabilises for first time in decade

Hong Kong’s midyear population stands at 7,527,500, up by 3,400 from a year ago. Photo: Nora Tam

The government has credited ongoing measures in talent attraction and labour importation with stabilising the city’s population. Photo: Jelly Tse

Should Hong Kong’s baby bonus scheme include talent to boost birth rate?

The one-off cash allowance of HK$20,000 has been distributed to 48,984 applicants as of the end of June. Photo: Nora Tam

Extending the bonus scheme may encourage more couples to have children, an economist says. Photo: Edmond So

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A race for toddlers is held at the 8th Children’s Book Fair & Super Parents & Kids Expo at Asia World Expo. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong’s welfare minister has said more than HK$900 million in baby bonuses have been given out to encourage childbearing since 2023. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong’s ‘virtually unchanged’ population stabilises for first time in decade

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}City’s midyear population stands at 7,527,500, up by 3,400 from a year ago

City’s midyear population stands at 7,527,500, up by 3,400 from a year ago