Special Administrative Region of China
Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, governed under its Basic Law with its own legal system, currency and immigration controls. The Central People's Government is responsible for defense and foreign affairs.
National Identity
- Official name
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
- Official name (in Chinese, Traditional Chinese script)
- 中華人民共和國香港特別行政區
- Official name (in Chinese, Romanized)
- Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Xiānggǎng Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū
- Name etymology
probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"
Sources:- The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China - The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ↗ - basiclaw.gov.hk - Basic Law - The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of Cina
- The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- National emblem
- National flag
- National anthem
- Yìyǒngjūn Jìnxíngqǔ (义勇军进行曲)The national anthem of China.0:44
- Title (in Chinese)
- 义勇军进行曲
- Title (in Chinese, Romanized)
- Yìyǒngjūn Jìnxíngqǔ
- Title (in English, translated)
- The March of the Volunteers
- Unofficial title (in Chinese)
- 中國 國歌
- Unofficial title (in Chinese, Romanized)
- Zhōngguó guógē
- Unofficial title (in English, translated)
- Chinese National Song
- Lyrics
起来！不愿做奴隶的人们！ 把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城！ 中华民族到了最危险的时候， 每个人被迫着发出最后的吼声。 起来！起来！起来！ 我们万众一心， 冒着敌人的炮火，前进！ 冒着敌人的炮火，前进！ 前进！前进！进！
Source: - Citizens
- "Chinese" or "Hong Kongers"
- Official name:The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China - The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ↗ - basiclaw.gov.hk - Basic Law - The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of Cina
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
- Total area
- 1,108 km²
- Land area
- 1,073 km²
- Water area
- 35 km²
- Land borders
- 33 km(1 country)
- China
- 33 km
Source:- The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- Coastline
- 733 km
- Terrain
Hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north - Highest point
- 958 mTai Mo Shan
- Lowest point
- 0 mSouth China Sea
- Climate
Subtropical monsoon cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall - Avg. temperature
- 23.2 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 21.2 to 25.3 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 1,764 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 18.2 15.8 13.3 32 February 19.1 17 14.8 46 March 21.5 19.5 17.6 78 April 24.9 22.9 21.2 128 May 28 26.1 24.5 229 June 29.7 28 26.5 323 July 30.6 28.6 27 258 August 30.5 28.4 26.7 319 September 29.8 27.6 25.8 209 October 27.5 25.2 23.2 69 November 24 21.5 19.2 39 December 19.8 17.3 14.6 33 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
Demographics
- Population change2026
- −0.24% per year−17,474 people/yearWorld Rank191stof 237
- Birth rate
- 5.2 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 8.0 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −1.7 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 47.9 yearsWorld Rank8thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years10.0%15-64 years65.3%65 years +24.7%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 24.7%
- Share aged under 18
- 12.4%
- Total dependency ratio
- 53
- Youth dependency ratio
- 15
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 38
- Sex ratio
- 0.82 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 2.5% 3.2% 70-79 5.3% 5.8% 60-69 7.5% 8.7% 50-59 6.4% 9.1% 40-49 6.2% 9.7% 30-39 6.1% 7.7% 20-29 4.0% 4.0% 10-19 4.0% 3.9% 0-9 3.1% 2.9% - 2026
- 1.35 below the replacement level for China, Hong Kong SAR ()0.75 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank236thof 237
- 0.36 daughters per woman0.64 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- −2.9 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 2.9 more deaths than births a year
- 2026
- −1.7 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 100.0% live in cities7,378,602 urban residents
- Largest urban areas2026
- Tamar (Hong Kong), Tuen Mun, Sha Tin, FanlingRankUrban AreaPopulation (2026 estimate)1Tamar (Hong Kong)4,731,4192Tuen Mun1,049,1023Sha Tin671,9274Fanling303,0125Tai Po275,3436Tung Chung68,243
Unlike official city figures, UN urban areas cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.
- Population distribution
- Population fairly evenly distributed.
- Ethnic groups2021
- Chinese91.6%Filipino2.7%Indonesian1.9%Other3.7%
- Religions2016
- Buddhist or Taoist27.9%Protestant6.7%Roman Catholic5.3%Muslim4.2%Hindu1.4%Sikh0.2%Other or none54.3%
Many people practice Confucianism, whatever their religion or lack of one.
Source:- The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- Languages
- Chinese (中文, Traditional Chinese script), English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization, Largest cities:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicShared with China: the President of the People's Republic of China is head of state.An inalienable part of the People's Republic of China and a local administrative region directly under the Central People's Government, exercising a high degree of autonomy authorised by the National People's Congress (Arts. 1, 2, 12).
- System of government
- Executive appointed by the parent stateThe Chief Executive heads both the Region and its Government, is selected locally and appointed by the Central People's Government, and answers to both; the Government reports to the Legislative Council but faces no confidence vote (Arts. 43, 45, 60, 64).
- Official websites
- National holidays
- 18 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- TueFeb 17Chinese New Year
- WedFeb 18The second day of Chinese New Year
- ThuFeb 19The third day of Chinese New Year
- SunApr 5Tomb-Sweeping Day
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- TueApr 7Tomb-Sweeping Day (observed)
- FriMay 1Labor Day
- SunMay 24The Buddha's Birthday
- MonMay 25The Buddha's Birthday (observed)
- FriJun 19Dragon Boat Festival
- WedJul 1Hong Kong S.A.R. Establishment Day
- SatSep 26The Day following Mid-Autumn Festival
- ThuOct 1National Day
- SunOct 18Double Ninth Festival
- MonOct 19Double Ninth Festival (observed)
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26The first weekday after Christmas Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- HKTHong Kong Standard TimeUTC+8
- Currency
- Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +852
- Internet TLD
- .hk
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- HK, HKG
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 25,704,485 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 142
- Aircraft departures
- 143,874 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 8,638.4 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- B-H
Sources:- The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- Cathay PacificPartly state-owned
- Passenger rail
- MTR Corporation
- 2025
- 76 / 100World Rank12thof 182Confidence interval
Corruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 77 74 80 2013 75 71 79 2014 74 69 79 2015 75 71 79 2016 77 73 82 2017 77 73 81 2018 76 72 80 2019 76 70.8 81.2 2020 77 74.1 79.9 2021 76 73 79 2022 76 73.4 78.6 2023 75 71.4 78.6 2024 74 69.7 78.3 2025 76 72 80 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government:The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, Chinese and English texts ↗ - Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- High income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +3.8% per yearWorld Rank69thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $60,322 (21st in the world)
Source:- 2024
- Services91.5% of GDPIndustry6.2% of GDPAgriculture0% of GDPManufacturing0.9%part of industry
- Households
- +66.2%
- Government
- +12.6%
- Investment
- +18.3%
- Exports
- +199.8%
- Imports
- −196.9%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 1.9%up 0.5 percentage points0.5pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 3.8 million (51% of population)World Rank96thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 56.8% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 3.0%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 9.5% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $60.9 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 4.4% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 13.8% of GDP, $63 billion surplus
Source: - Debt
- Central government debt202317.4% of GDPHousehold debt202488% of GDPCompany debt2024240% of GDPInterest on debt20240.2% of GDP
- Trade2024
- Goods$631.1 billion85.3%
- Services$108.6 billion14.7%
- Total exports
- $739.7 billion
- Change from 2023
- up 9.8 percent on the previous year9.8%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- 2024
- +1.11World Rank19thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +3.2% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Game meat (fresh or chilled or frozen), Edible offal of pigs (fresh or chilled or frozen), Onions and shallots (green), and 7 more
- 1Game meat (fresh or chilled or frozen)228.3×
- 2Edible offal of pigs (fresh or chilled or frozen)57×
- 3Onions and shallots (green)49×
- 4Meat of pig with the bone (fresh or chilled)47×
- 5Spinach24×
- 6Fat of pigs19.8×
- 7Meat of chickens (fresh or chilled)10.6×
- 8Lettuce and chicory8.6×
- 9Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled)4.8×
- 10Cucumbers and gherkins1.3×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Gold reserves2023
- 2.1 tonnesWorth $138.2 million, <0.1% of total official reserves by value
- Industries
- trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade, Gold reserves:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
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- Average gross salary2016latest available
- HK$15,000 per month$1,932 (USD), $2,324 (PPP)
- Men
- HK$18,000 per month($2,319)
- Women
- HK$12,000 per month($1,546)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- HK$6,928 per month, gross$888 (USD), $1,186 (PPP)
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.955Very highWorld Rank8thof 193Hong KongWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Hong Kong World 1990 0.755 0.608 1991 0.764 0.611 1992 0.773 0.614 1993 0.784 0.617 1994 0.793 0.620 1995 0.800 0.625 1996 0.808 0.631 1997 0.817 0.636 1998 0.823 0.641 1999 0.830 0.646 2000 0.839 0.651 2001 0.847 0.657 2002 0.854 0.662 2003 0.861 0.669 2004 0.866 0.675 2005 0.872 0.681 2006 0.879 0.688 2007 0.891 0.694 2008 0.907 0.698 2009 0.909 0.701 2010 0.912 0.707 2011 0.918 0.713 2012 0.923 0.717 2013 0.928 0.721 2014 0.932 0.726 2015 0.937 0.731 2016 0.940 0.735 2017 0.946 0.739 2018 0.952 0.741 2019 0.952 0.745 2020 0.950 0.742 2021 0.961 0.742 2022 0.950 0.752 2023 0.955 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 12.4 years
- Expected for a child today
- 16.9 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Education expenditure2024
- 3.8% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 15.7%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 95.8% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 96.7%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 27.1 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 3,305,182
- Fixed broadband
- 40.3 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2021
- 72% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 88%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 98%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 93%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 253 people
- Refugees from China, Hong Kong SAR abroad
- 428
Source:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- 2024
- Official tourism site21.9 million arrivals(series break)down 8% against 20198% below 2019World Rank13thof 139
- Per resident
- 3 arrivals per resident
- 22.6 million arrivals(series break)
- $22.5 billion
- Spending per arrival
- $1,023
- 0.4% tourism direct GDP(2022)
- $28.5 billion
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2024A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Homicide rate2023
- Very low by global standards0.4 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank109thof 115
- Crime rates
- 7 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 0.4 28 2023 Serious assault 50.5 3,755 2023 Sexual violence 24.5 1,781 2013 Kidnapping 0.0 0 2023 Burglary 11.9 886 2022 Theft 244.5 18,256 2022 Vehicle theft 10.2 761 2022 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2023
- 123 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 9,151
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 85.9 years
- Infant mortality2026
- 1.4 per 1,000 live births
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending2023
- 0.7% of household spendingWorld Rank94thof 105
- World median
- 3.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending:The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 34.6 Mt per yearup 1.5 percent on the previous year1.5% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 4.5 t per personWorld Rank64thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.09%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 4.92 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.54 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 0.23 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 40.3 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Environmental issues
- air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
- urban waste pollution
- industrial pollution
- International agreements
- 0 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 4 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement not a party UN Framework Convention on Climate Change not a party Kyoto Protocol not a party Ozone layer Montreal Protocol not a party Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) not a party Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity not a party CITES not a party Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety not a party Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands not a party World Heritage Convention not a party UN Convention to Combat Desertification not a party Chemicals and waste Basel Convention not a party Rotterdam Convention (PIC) not a party Stockholm Convention (POPs) not a party Minamata Convention on Mercury not a party Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea not a party High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Hong Kong - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 136.5 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.16%
- Supply
- No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Imports only, 11 TWh imported, nothing exported in 202437 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 37 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 45 TWh per year
- Imports
- 11 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration