Hong Kong: hong kongThe government announced on Thursday that the region’s population The decline came for a third year in a row as deaths rose during the pandemic and anti-virus measures reduced the number of incoming workers, but did not refer to an exodus of residents due to a crackdown on the pro-democracy movement.
The city’s population is set to drop 0.9% from a year earlier to 7.3 million at the end of 2022, according to provisional figures released. Census and Statistics Department, It said there was a net outflow of 60,000 residents, with 21,200 new residents arriving.
For most of the pandemic, Hong Kong followed mainland China’s rigid “zero COVID” strategy, barring professionals from moving to the international financial hub. Its population has declined due to the increasing number of young professionals moving to the UK. United States of america and other countries in response to Hong Kong’s erosion of Western-style civil liberties after the harsh new national security law The dissidents were silenced or put in jail.
Thursday’s announcement gave no clues about how many people had left for political reasons, but said the influx had dropped slightly since the end of last year after authorities gradually relaxed anti-virus controls. Was.
“We have observed that the population reduction in the second half of 2022 has become less than that of the first half, indicating that Hong Kong’s population movement has gradually begun to normalize,” the statement said.
The government predicted that the resumption of restriction-free travel with mainland China and elsewhere would eliminate the factors preventing workers from moving to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has introduced various measures aimed at attracting at least 35,000 professionals each year between 2023 and 2025.
The city’s population is set to drop 0.9% from a year earlier to 7.3 million at the end of 2022, according to provisional figures released. Census and Statistics Department, It said there was a net outflow of 60,000 residents, with 21,200 new residents arriving.
For most of the pandemic, Hong Kong followed mainland China’s rigid “zero COVID” strategy, barring professionals from moving to the international financial hub. Its population has declined due to the increasing number of young professionals moving to the UK. United States of america and other countries in response to Hong Kong’s erosion of Western-style civil liberties after the harsh new national security law The dissidents were silenced or put in jail.
Thursday’s announcement gave no clues about how many people had left for political reasons, but said the influx had dropped slightly since the end of last year after authorities gradually relaxed anti-virus controls. Was.
“We have observed that the population reduction in the second half of 2022 has become less than that of the first half, indicating that Hong Kong’s population movement has gradually begun to normalize,” the statement said.
The government predicted that the resumption of restriction-free travel with mainland China and elsewhere would eliminate the factors preventing workers from moving to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has introduced various measures aimed at attracting at least 35,000 professionals each year between 2023 and 2025.