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According to the statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department, the provisional estimate of the Hong Kong Population was 7 008 300 at mid-2009, representing an increase of 30 600 or 0.4% over mid-2008.
Obtained by subtracting the number of deaths of 39 900 from the number of births of 81 200, the natural increase of the population from mid-2008 to mid-2009 amounted to 41 300. The population growth was however partly offset by a negative net movement (i.e. inflow less outflow) of 10 700 residents over the same period. As a result, the overall population increased by 30 600 (provisional).
Births and inflow of One-way Permit holders (OWPHs) were important constituents of the overall population increase. The number of births, which comprised births born to Hong Kong residents and non-Hong Kong residents,during mid-2008 to mid-2009 was 81 200 and its ratio to the overall population increase was 266%. As for the inflow of OWPHs in the same period, the ratio of the number, at 41 400, to the overall population increase was 136%.
Deaths during the period offset part of the increase. The ratio of the number of deaths, at 39 900, to the overall population increase was 131%. Besides, excluding the arrival of OWPHs mentioned above, there was a net outflow of 52 100 persons, bearing a ratio of 171% to the overall population increase.
The Hong Kong Population is measured on the definition of Resident Population, which comprises Usual Residents and Mobile Residents. Among the total population at mid-2009, 6 797 300 (provisional) were Usual Residents and 211 000 (provisional) were Mobile Residents.
ˇ§Usual Residentsˇ¨ include two categories of people: (1) Hong Kong Permanent Residents who have stayed in Hong Kong for at least three months during the six months before or for at least three months during the six months after the reference time-point, regardless of whether they are in Hong Kong or not at the reference time-point; and (2) Hong Kong Non-permanent Residents who are in Hong Kong at the reference time-point.
ˇ§Mobile Residentsˇ¨ are Hong Kong Permanent Residents who have stayed in Hong Kong for at least one month but less than three months during the six months before or for at least one month but less than three months during the six months after the reference time-point, regardless of whether they are in Hong Kong or not at the reference time-point.
The revised figure for the year-end population for 2008 was 6 988 900. The number of Usual Residents was revised to 6 775 300 and the number of Mobile Residents to 213 600. The population growth rate from end-2007 to end-2008 was also revised to 0.5%.
The population figures for recent years are shown in the attached table.
It should be noted that the population figure does not include visitors. The number of visitors present in Hong Kong as at mid-2009 was 339 900.
Under the current practice, the latest population figure is released on a provisional basis in each round. The revised figure will be released six months later. In other words, while the provisional population figure for mid-2009 is released today, the corresponding revised figure will be released in February 2010.
Ends/Thursday, August 13, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:31
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