According to the statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department today (August 18), the provisional estimate of the Hong Kong population was 7 518 300 at mid-2026, representing an increase of 19 400 or 0.3% from 7 498 900 at mid-2025.
 
     A net inflow of 39 800 Hong Kong residents (i.e. inflow more than outflow) was recorded during the period from mid-2025 to mid-2026. Over the same period, a natural decrease (i.e. deaths surpassing births) of 20 400 was recorded, with 29 700 births and 50 100 deaths.

     Among the total population at mid-2026, 7 252 800 were Usual Residents and 265 500 were Mobile Residents. The revised figure for the year-end population for 2025 was 7 508 700. The number of Usual Residents was revised to 7 242 100 and the number of Mobile Residents to 266 600. The rate of change in population from end-2024 to end-2025 was also revised to +0.1%.

     Table 1 presents estimated total population as at mid-2026, while Table 2 presents population figures from mid-2015 to mid-2026.

Commentary
    
      A government spokesperson said that various measures for talent attraction and labour importation continued to bring people from places around the world to Hong Kong, offsetting the impact of natural population decrease and resulting in an increase in population in mid-2026 as compared with mid-2025.
      
Further information
     
      "Usual Residents" refer to 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.

     For those Hong Kong Permanent Residents who are not "Usual Residents", they are classified as "Mobile Residents" if they 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.

     Under the current practice, the latest population estimate is released on a provisional basis in each round. The revised estimate will be released six months later. In other words, while the provisional population estimate for mid-2026 is released today, the corresponding revised estimate will be released in February 2027.

Ends/Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Issued at HKT 16:30

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