Hong Kong has its greatest population decline ever as the exodus accelerates

• Experts attribute the steepest yearly population reduction in Hong Kong to rigorous Covid control measures and a political crackdown that has diminished the appeal of a financial center that has long been marketed as “Asia’s world city.”
• According to data released on Thursday by the Census and Statistics Department, there are now 7.29 million people living in the city as opposed to 7.41 million, a 1.6% decline.
• The agency reported that throughout the last year, 113,200 residents left Hong Kong as opposed to 89,200 the year before.

Experts attribute the steepest yearly population reduction in Hong Kong to rigorous Covid control measures and a political crackdown that has diminished the appeal of a financial center that has long been marketed as “Asia’s world city.”

According to data released on Thursday by the Census and Statistics Department, there are now 7.29 million people living in the city as opposed to 7.41 million, a 1.6% decline.

Since the government started keeping track of the numbers in 1961, that is the greatest fall.

Experts said the figures also showed an exodus that has accelerated in the past few years amid periods of significant social upheaval that have included anti-government protests and the coronavirus pandemic. Although authorities attributed some of that to a “natural” decrease — more deaths than births — they also said the figures reflected an exodus that has slowed down in recent years.

The agency reported that throughout the last year, 113,200 residents left Hong Kong as opposed to 89,200 the year before. Expatriates and other non-permanent residents are included in the statistics.

Experts and business leaders have warned that the city’s severe Covid-19 regulations will drive away locals, tourists, and expatriates throughout the pandemic.

Hong Kong continued to seal borders, stop air routes, impose obligatory quarantines, and implement social segregation policies such as limiting the size of public gatherings and restricting restaurant services for months despite the rest of the globe opening up.

Mask requirements are still in place, and during periods of high case numbers, public places like beaches and gyms have had lengthy closures.

Some of Hong Kong’s most iconic locations, including the Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant, have closed in the last year as a result of the measures, which have had a devastating effect on business.

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce stated this month that “more than two and a half years of Covid-19 limitations are taking a significant toll on enterprises and the economy.”

George Leung, the CEO of the organization, noted that the closure of Hong Kong’s borders was “stifling any possibility of economic recovery” and he encouraged officials to establish a “clear timetable to reopen Hong Kong.”

The administration has acknowledged the effects of its actions, claiming on Thursday that flying restrictions — such as the need that all visitors undergo a Covid test, get immunized, and pay for hotel quarantine upon arrival — “had disrupted population inflow.”

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