2015 Edition

Background

Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's political and economic system would not be imposed on Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign affairs and defense for the subsequent 50 years.

Area

land

28.2 sq km

total

28.2 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Coastline

41 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Coloane Alto 172 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Environment - international agreements

party to

Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Geographic coordinates

22 10 N, 113 33 E

Geography - note

essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges

Irrigated land

NA; note - included in the total for China

Land boundaries

regional border (1)

China 3 km

total

3 km

Land use

arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%

agricultural land

0%

forest

0%

other

100% (urban area) (2011 est.)

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

not specified

Natural hazards

typhoons

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

generally flat

Age structure

0-14 years

14.31% (male 44,335/female 40,481)

15-24 years

13.02% (male 40,337/female 36,862)

25-54 years

50.67% (male 133,897/female 166,418)

55-64 years

12.42% (male 37,118/female 36,527)

65 years and over

9.58% (male 26,555/female 30,201) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

8.88 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

4.22 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

11.5%

potential support ratio

8.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

28.2%

youth dependency ratio

16.7%

Education expenditures

3.3% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

Chinese 92.4%, Portuguese 0.6%, mixed 1.1%, other 5.9% (includes Macanese - mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

2.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

3.27 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.12 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Cantonese 83.3%, Mandarin 5%, Hokkien 3.7%, English 2.3%, other Chinese dialects 2%, Tagalog 1.7%, Portuguese 0.7%, other 1.3%

note

Chinese and Portuguese are official languages (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

87.61 years (2015 est.)

male

81.55 years

total population

84.51 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

94.6% (2015 est.)

male

98%

total population

96.2%

Median age

female

37.9 years (2015 est.)

male

38.7 years

total

38.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Chinese

noun

Chinese

Net migration rate

3.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Population

592,731

note

Macau's statistical agency estimated the total population to be approximately 607,500 as of 31 December 2013 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.8% (2015 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none or other 35% (1997 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.1 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.81 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.88 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.91 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

0.94 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

4.7% (2011 est.)

male

7%

total

5.8%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.78% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)

Constitution

previous 1976 (Organic Statute of Macau, by Portugal); latest adopted 31 March 1993, effective 20 December 1999 (Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region, by the People's Republic of China, serves as Macau's constitution) (2013)

Country name

conventional long form

Macau Special Administrative Region

conventional short form

Macau

official long form

Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese)

official short form

Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)

Dependency status

special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (Special Administrative Region of China)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council appointed by the chief executive

chief of state

President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)

election results

Fernando CHUI Sai On reelected chief executive; Election Committee vote count - 380 of 396

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chief executive chosen by a 400-member Election Committee for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 August 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - the Legislative Assembly in August 2012 voted to expand the Election Committee to 400 from 300 seats for the 2014 election

head of government

Chief Executive Fernando CHUI Sai On (since 20 December 2009)

Flag description

green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large in the center of the arc and two smaller on either side; the lotus is the floral emblem of Macau, the three petals represent the peninsula and two islands that make up Macau; the five stars echo those on the flag of China

Government type

limited democracy

Independence

none (special administrative region of China)

International organization participation

ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Final Appeal of Macau Special Administrative Region (consists of the court president and 2 associate justices)

judge selection and term of office

justices appointed by the Macau chief executive upon the recommendation of an independent commission of judges, lawyers, and "eminent" persons; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts

Court of Second Instance; Court of First instance; Lower Court; Administrative Court

Legal system

civil law system based on the Portuguese model

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Legislative Council or Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (33 seats; 14 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 12 indirectly elected by an electoral college of professional and commercial interest groups, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - ACUM 18.0%, UMG 11.1%, UPP 10.8%, NE 9.0%, NUDM 8.9%, UPD 8.2%, APMD 7.5%, ANMD 6.0%, APM 6.0%, other 14.5%; seats by political group - ACUM 3, UMG 2, UPP 2, NE 2, NUDM 1, UPD 1, APMD 1, ANMD 1, APM 1; 12 seats filled by professional and business groups; 7 members appointed by the chief executive

elections

last held on 15 September 2013 (next to be held in September 2017)

National anthem

note

as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China)

National holiday

National Day (anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 20 December 1999 is celebrated as Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

National symbol(s)

lotus blossom; national colors: green, white, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Change or APM [Melinda CHAN Mei-yi]

Macau-Guangdong Union or UMG [MAK Soi-kun]

New Democratic Macau Association or ANMD (an electoral list of the New Macau Association)

New Hope or NE [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]

New Macau Association or ANM [Sulu SOU Ka-hou]

New Union for Macau's Development or NUDM [Angela LEONG On-kei]

Prosperous Democratic Macau Association or APMD (an electoral list of the New Macau Association)

Union for Development or UPD [KWAN Tsui-hang]

Union for Promoting Progress or UPP [HO Ion-sang]

United Citizens Association of Macau or ACUM [CHAN Meng-kam]

note

there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies

Political pressure groups and leaders

Bar-Bending Workers' Association [WONG Wai-Man]

Civic Power [Agnes LAM lok-fong]

Democratic Action [LEE Kin-yun]

Macau New Chinese Youth Association [LEONG Sin-man]

Macau Worker's Union [HO Heng-kuok]

New Macau Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]

Workers' Self-Help Union [CHEONG Weng-fat]

Suffrage

18 years of age in direct elections for some legislative positions, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; note - indirect elections are limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (973 were registered in the 2009 legislative elections) and a 400-member Election Committee for the Chief Executive drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, central government bodies, and elected Macau officials

Agriculture - products

only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers; fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of the catch is exported to Hong Kong

Budget

expenditures

$4.931 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$23.3 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

35.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.3% (31 December 2014 est.)

5.25% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

$20.77 billion (2013 est.)

$17.39 billion (2012 est.)

Debt - external

$0 (31 December 2013)

$0 (31 December 2012)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

35 (2013)

38 (2008)

Economy - overview

Since opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001, Macau has attracted tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment, transforming the territory into one of the world's largest gaming centers. Macau's gaming and tourism businesses were fueled by China's decision to relax travel restrictions on Chinese citizens wishing to visit Macau. In 2014, Macau's gaming-related taxes accounted for more than 83% of total government revenue. Macau's economy slowed dramatically in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown, but strong growth resumed in 2010-13, largely on the back of tourism from mainland China and the gaming sectors. In 2014, this city of 636,200 hosted nearly 31.5 million visitors. Almost 67% came from mainland China. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has slowed greatly since the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005. Services export—primarily gaming—increasingly has driven Macau’s economic performance. Mainland China’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign has brought Macau’s gambling boom to a halt, with spending in casinos contracting 2.6% in 2014. As a result, Macau's inflation-adjusted GDP contracted 0.4% from 2013, down from double-digit expansion rates in 2010-13. Non-inflation adjusted exports of goods and services dropped 0.4% from 2013, reflecting the slowdown in gaming exports. Macau continues to face the challenges of managing its growing casino industry, risks from money-laundering activities, and the need to diversify the economy away from heavy dependence on gaming revenues. Macau's currency, the pataca, is closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar, which is also freely accepted in the territory.

Exchange rates

patacas (MOP) per US dollar -

7.99 (2014 est.)

7.9893 (2013 est.)

7.99 (2012 est.)

8.0182 (2011 est.)

8.0022 (2010 est.)

Exports

$1.137 billion (2013 est.)

$1.384 billion (2012 est.)

note

includes reexports

Exports - commodities

clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts

Exports - partners

Hong Kong 58.6%, China 15.7% (2014 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

101.7%

government consumption

6.5%

household consumption

18.5%

imports of goods and services

-43.4%

investment in fixed capital

16.7%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0%

industry

5.9%

services

94.1% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$88,700 (2013 est.)

$79,900 (2010 est.)

$73,900 (2009 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

11.9% (2013 est.)

9.1% (2012 est.)

21.3% (2011 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$51.68 billion (2013 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$51.68 billion (2013 est.)

$46.19 billion (2012 est.)

$42.34 billion (2011 est.)

note

data are in 2013 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$10.13 billion (2013 est.)

$8.866 billion (2012 est.)

Imports - commodities

raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, garments and footwear, motor vehicles), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils

Imports - partners

China 33.2%, Hong Kong 10.3%, Switzerland 9.1%, France 8.4%, Italy 6.9%, US 6.5%, Japan 5.6% (2014 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2014 est.)

Industries

tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (2014 est.)

5.5% (2013 est.)

Labor force

367,800 (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

construction

9.8%

financial services

2.6%

gambling

25.9%

manufacturing

2.5%

other services

20.3% (2013)

public sector

7.1%

restaurants and hotels

15%

transport and communications

4.4%

wholesale and retail trade

12.4%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$85.5 billion (2 March 2012 est.)

$46.1 billion (31 February 2011)

$2.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$16.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

note

the Fiscal Reserves Act that came into force on 1 January 2012 requires the fiscal reserves to be separated from the foreign exchange reserves and to be managed separately; the transfer of assets took place in February 2012

Stock of broad money

$64.67 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$55.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$1.166 billion (2012 est.)

$667.8 million (2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$18.91 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$14.91 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$-4.956 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$-5.517 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$7.17 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.35 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

45.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

1.9% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.694 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

4.291 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - imports

3.855 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

472,000 kW (2013 est.)

Electricity - production

413.7 million kWh (2013 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

355,000 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

371,000 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

11,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,780 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Broadcast media

local government dominates broadcast media; 2 television stations operated by the government with one broadcasting in Portuguese and the other in Cantonese and Mandarin; 1 cable TV and 4 satellite TV services available; 3 radio stations broadcasting, of which 2 are government-operated (2012)

Internet country code

.mo

Internet users

percent of population

48.3% (2009)

total

270,200

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with mobile-cellular teledensity exceeding 200 per 100 persons; fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now in decline

general assessment

fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services

international

country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

28 (2012)

total

160,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

279 (2012)

total

1.6 million

Television broadcast stations

1 (2009)

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Heliports

2 (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Macau

Roadways

paved

421 km (2013)

total

421 km

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

150,780 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

149,514 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

124,189

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

3,674 (2010 est.)

male

4,274

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of China

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines