2020 Edition

Background

The UK seized Hong Kong in 1841, and China formally ceded it the following year at the end of the First Opium War. The Kowloon Peninsula was added in 1860 at the end of the Second Opium War, and the UK obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Pursuant to a UK-China agreement in 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China as of 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic and strict political system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years. After the handover, Hong Kong continued to enjoy success as an international financial center. However, growing Chinese political influence and dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong Government in the 2010s became central issues and led to considerable civil unrest, including large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019 after the HKSAR attempted to revise a local ordinance to allow extraditions to mainland China. In response to the protests, the governments of the HKSAR and China reduced the city's autonomy and placed new restrictions on the rights of Hong Kong residents, moves that were widely criticized as contravening obligations under the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Democratic lawmakers and political figures were arrested in a widespread crackdown, while others fled abroad. At the same time, dozens of civil society groups and several independent media outlets were closed or disbanded. In 2021, Beijing imposed a more restrictive electoral system, restructuring the Legislative Council (LegCo) and allowing only government-approved candidates to run for office. The changes ensured that virtually all seats in the 2021 LegCo election went to pro-establishment candidates and effectively ended political opposition to Beijing. In 2024, the LegCo passed a new national security law (Article 23 of the Basic Law) further expanding the Hong Kong Government's power to curb dissent.

Area

land

1,073 sq km

total

1,108 sq km

water

35 sq km

Area - comparative

six times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Coastline

733 km

Elevation

highest point

Tai Mo Shan 958 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Geography - note

consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and over 200 islands

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

regional borders

China 33 km

total

33 km

Land use

agricultural land

3.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1% (2023 est.)

forest

0% (2022 est.)

other

96.2% (2022 est.)

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons

Natural resources

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Population distribution

population fairly evenly distributed

Terrain

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Age structure

0-14 years

13.2% (male 505,718/female 459,956)

15-64 years

64.8% (male 2,123,216/female 2,609,102)

65 years and over

21.9% (2024 est.) (male 738,878/female 860,951)

Birth rate

7.45 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.8% (2021 est.)

Death rate

8.16 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

35.8 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

2.8 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

56.7 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

20.8 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

15.7% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Chinese 91.6%, Filipino 2.7%, Indonesian 1.9%, other 3.7% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.6 (2025 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

Cantonese (official) 85.4%, English (official) 4.5%, Putonghua (official) 2.2%, other Chinese dialects 2.8%, other 2%, persons under 5 or mute 3.2% (2021 est.)

major-language sample(s)

世界概况, 必須擁有的基本資料参考书 (Cantonese) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

86.8 years

male

81.3 years

total population

84 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

7.685 million Hong Kong (2023)

Median age

female

48.6 years

male

45.3 years

total

47.6 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.8 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Chinese/Hong Kong

noun

Chinese/Hong Konger

Net migration rate

1.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Physician density

2.04 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

3,938,334

male

3,367,222

total

7,305,556 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.09% (2025 est.)

Religions

Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3% (2016 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 96.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 96.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2023 est.)

male

17 years (2023 est.)

total

17 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.81 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.86 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.86 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.24 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.58% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2023)

Citizenship

see China

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, or the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC

history

several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution)

Country name

abbreviation

HK

conventional long form

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

conventional short form

Hong Kong

etymology

probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"

local long form

Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball)

local short form

Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball)

Dependency status

special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Consul General Julie EADEH (since August 2025); note - also accredited to Macau

email address and website

acshk@state.gov https://hk.usconsulate.gov/

embassy

26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong

FAX

[852] 2845-1598

mailing address

8000 Hong Kong Place, Washington DC 20521-8000

telephone

[852] 2523-9011

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

none (Special Administrative Region of China)

HKETO offices

New York, San Francisco, Washington DC

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive

chief of state

President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)

election results

2022: John LEE was the only candidate and won with over 99% of the vote by the Election Committee 2017: Carrie LAM elected; Election Committee vote - Carrie LAM (non-partisan) 777, John TSANG (non-partisan) 365, WOO Kwok-hing (non-partisan) 21, 23 ballots rejected (1,186 votes cast)

election/appointment process

president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)

expected date of next election

president: March 2028 chief executive: 2027

head of government

Chief Executive John LEE Ka-chiu (since 1 July 2022)

most recent election date

president: 10 March 2023 chief executive: 8 May 2022

Flag

description: red with a stylized white Bauhinia flower with five petals in the center of the flag; each petal has a tiny five-pointed red star with a fine red line curving toward the center of the flower meaning: the red color is the same as the Chinese flag and represents the motherland, and the five stars also echo the Chinese flag; the Bauhinia flower was developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century and has come to symbolize the region

Government type

presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Independence

none (special administrative region of China)

International organization participation

ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges)

judge selection and term of office

all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice, other judges, and judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges serve until normal retirement at age 65, but term can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit

subordinate courts

High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

Legal system

mixed system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure); China's imposition of National Security Law incorporates elements of Chinese civil law

Legislative branch

electoral system

20 members directly elected; 70 members indirectly elected

expected date of next election

December 2029

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Legislative Council or LegCo

most recent election date

7 December 2025

number of seats

90

parties elected and seats per party

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) 20, Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Unions (HKFTU) 8, Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA) 7, Liberal (LP) 4, New People's Party (NPP) 3, Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers (HKFEW) 2, Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions (HKFLU) 2, Professional Power (PP) 1, Roundtable (RT) 1, New Territories Association of Societies (NTAS) 1, Kowloon West New Dynamic (KWND) 1, Independents 40

scope of elections

full

National anthem(s)

history

official anthem, as a Special Administrative Region of China

lyrics/music

TIAN Han/NIE Er

title

"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers)

National color(s)

red, white

National holiday

National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949)

National symbol(s)

bauhinia flower

Political parties

Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong or BPA  Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB  Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions or HKFLU  Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers or HKFEW  Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions or HKFTU  Kowloon West New Dynamic or KWND Liberal Party or LP  New People's Party or NPP New Prospect for Hong Kong or NPHK  New Territories Association of Societies or NTAS  Professional Power or PP  Roundtable or RT

Suffrage

18 years of age in direct elections for 20 of the 90 Legislative Council seats and all of the seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past 7 years

Agricultural products

pork, chicken, spinach, vegetables, pork offal, game meat, beef, fruits, onions, pork fat (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

0.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

11.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$105.849 billion (2020 est.)

revenues

$70.124 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$36.525 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$32.338 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$52.475 billion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

high-income tourism- and services-based economy; global financial hub; COVID-19 and political protests fueled recent recession; ongoing recovery but lower-skilled unemployment remains high; investing in job-reskilling programs

Exchange rates

Currency

Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

7.757 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

7.773 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

7.831 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

7.83 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

7.804 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$697.583 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$673.738 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$739.915 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, integrated circuits, gas turbines, broadcasting equipment, jewelry (2023)

Exports - partners

China 22%, Vietnam 12%, S. Korea 8%, Netherlands 5%, Switzerland 4% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

181.7% (2024 est.)

government consumption

12.8% (2024 est.)

household consumption

67.4% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-177.7% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.2% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0% (2023 est.)

industry

6.3% (2023 est.)

services

91.4% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$407.107 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$682.881 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$671.492 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$723.397 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, gold, machine parts, jewelry (2023)

Imports - partners

China 40%, Taiwan 10%, Singapore 7%, Japan 5%, S. Korea 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

3.4% (2024 est.)

Industries

trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

1.9% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.7% (2024 est.)

Labor force

3.836 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

0.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$470.42 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$485.541 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$497.88 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-3.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$64,000 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$64,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$66,200 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$496.867 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$424.03 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$425.554 billion (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

4.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

2.8% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

6.3% (2024 est.)

male

10.5% (2024 est.)

total

8.4% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

5.567 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

16,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

5.884 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

45.54 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

11.593 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

13.3 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.684 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

99.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

116.811 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

5.12 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

5.12 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

233,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

96 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

40 (2023 est.)

total

2.97 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

34 commercial terrestrial TV networks, each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 licensed broadcasters, one of which is government-funded, operate about 12 radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.hk

Internet users

percent of population

96% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

47 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

3.487 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

365 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

27.1 million (2024 est.)

Airports

2 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

B-H

Heliports

142 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1,047, container ship 560, general cargo 144, oil tanker 394, other 392

total

2,537 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Hong Kong

large

1

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

0

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

0

Military and security forces

Hong Kong Police Force (specialized units include the Police Counterterrorism Response Unit, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau, the Special Duties Unit, the Airport Security Unit, and the VIP Protection Unit) China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison is responsible for defense duties; the garrison includes elements of the PLA Army, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force and are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Southern Theater Command (2025)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

260 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Hong Kong remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/hong-kong/

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

12.935 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

10.045 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

35.453 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

58.433 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization; urban waste pollution; industrial pollution

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

5.68 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

34% (2016 est.)