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According to the statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department today (February 19), the provisional estimate of the Hong Kong Population was 7 173 900 at end-2012, representing an increase of 61 500 or 0.9% from 7 112 400 in end-2011 (Table 1).
Obtained by subtracting the number of deaths of 43 100 from the number of births of 91 600, the natural increase of the population from end-2011 to end-2012 amounted to 48 500. Over the same period, there was a net movement (i.e. inflow less outflow) of 13 000 Hong Kong residents.
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, from end-2011 to end-2012 was 91 600 and its ratio to the overall population increase was 149%. As for the inflow of OWPHs in the same period, the ratio of the number, at 54 600, to the overall population increase was 89%.
Deaths during the period offset part of the increase. The ratio of the number of deaths, at 43 100, to the overall population increase was 70%. Besides, if OWPHs were excluded, there was a net outflow of 41 600 persons, bearing a ratio of 67% 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 end-2012, 6 954 600 (provisional) were Usual Residents and 219 300 (provisional) were Mobile Residents.
"Usual Residents" 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.
"Mobile Residents" 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 mid-year population for 2012 was 7 154 600. The number of Usual Residents was revised to 6 938 800 and the number of Mobile Residents to 215 800. The population growth rate from mid-2011 to mid-2012 was also revised to 1.2%.
The population figures for recent years are shown in Table 2.
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 end-2012 is released today, the corresponding revised figure will be released in August 2013.
Ends/Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:30
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