HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s population inched up 0.1% in 2024 to more than 7.53 million, its third consecutive year of expansion, as the Asian financial hub saw an increase in the number of newborns and a rise in the number of people moving to the city.
The increase comes as the Chinese special administrative region is trying to bolster its economy and revive its international appeal after three years of stringent COVID rules which ended in 2023.
The rise was mainly attributable to a net inflow of 21,000 people, the government said in a statement. There was an 11% jump in the number of newborns to 36,700.
“Continuing to benefit from various measures on talent attraction and labour importation, many people moved to Hong Kong from the mainland (China) and other places around the world throughout 2024,” the government said.
Anti-government protests in 2019, followed by Beijing’s swift imposition of a sweeping national security law in 2020 have also taken a toll on its reputation.
Hong Kong’s population rise comes after China’s population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024.
(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Kim Coghill)
