Hong Kong birth rate shows small rise for first time in 6 years and population also increases, 2023 figures show

A total of 54,400 deaths were recorded last year, down 12 per cent on 2022, but still well above the number of births.

“The population registered an increase for the second consecutive year since normality resumed in Hong Kong,” a government spokesman said.

“Many Hong Kong residents who stayed abroad during the epidemic have returned to Hong Kong throughout 2023.

“In the second half of 2023, there was still considerable inflow of Hong Kong permanent residents.

“Attributable also to the admission of mainland Chinese and overseas people through various schemes into Hong Kong, the year-end population for 2023 was higher than that for the preceding year.”

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The Census and Statistics Department added there was an inflow of 40,800 one-way permit holders and a net inflow of 10,800 Hong Kong residents last year.

The number of one-way permit holders last year was up 1,700 on the 39,100 recorded for pre-pandemic 2019.

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The category covers permanent residents who have stayed in Hong Kong for at least three of the six months before the census or for at least three of the six months afterwards, irrespective of whether they were in the city during the count.

There was also an increase of 10.2 per cent in the “mobile residents” category - non-permanent residents who are in Kong Kong between “one to three months out of six months” over the census period.

The category can include people who spend most of the week in mainland China, but who stay in Hong Kong on a regular basis at weekends, Hong Kong students who study abroad, but return on holiday, and people who live abroad, but are frequent visitors to the city for business, work or family reasons.