Hong Kong
Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHeung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/
presidential limited democracyIndependence none (special administrative region of China)
Hong Kong as the 2023 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 144 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Seized by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China 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 was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China on 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 subsequent 50 years.
Since the turnover, Hong Kong has continued to enjoy success as an international financial center. However, dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong Government and growing Chinese political influence has been a central issue 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, the governments of the HKSAR and China took several actions that reduced the city's autonomy and placed new restrictions on the rights of Hong Kong residents, moves that were widely criticized to be in direct contravention of obligations under the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Chief among these actions was a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong imposed by the Chinese Government in June 2020 that criminalized acts such as those interpreted as secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign or external forces. The law ushered in a widespread crackdown on public protests, criticism of authorities, and freedom of speech, and was used by authorities to target pro-democracy activists, organizations, and media companies.
Democratic lawmakers and political figures were arrested, while others fled abroad. At the same time, dozens of civil society groups and several independent media outlets were closed or have disbanded. In March 2021, Beijing imposed a more restrictive electoral system, including restructuring the Legislative Council (LegCo) and allowing only government-approved candidates to run for office, claiming it was to ensure a system of "patriots" governed Hong Kong. The changes ensured that virtually all seats in the December 2021 LegCo election were won by pro-establishment candidates and effectively ended political opposition to Beijing in the territory.
Geography
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
17 fieldsLand useshare of 1,108 sq km
Climate
subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
People and Society
33 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2023 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2023 est.)
Male · female(2021)
Ethnic groups(2016 est.)
Religions(2016 est.)
Languages
Cantonese (official) 88.9%, English (official) 4.3%, Mandarin (official) 1.9%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 1.9% (2016 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.
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.09 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.82 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.86 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.86 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
- male:
- 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 2.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Environment
8 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- air and water pollution from rapid urbanization;
- urban waste pollution;
- industrial pollution
Climate
subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 100% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.58% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually:
- 5,679,816 tons (2015 est.)
- municipal solid waste recycled annually:
- 1,931,138 tons (2016 est.)
- percent of municipal solid waste recycled:
- 34% (2016 est.)
Government
Presidential limited democracy; President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Chief Executive John LEE Ka-chieu (since 1 July 2022)
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislative Council or LegCo, elected 19 Dec 2021percent of vote
Composition: men 73, women 17, percent of women 18.9%
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- conventional short form:
- Hong Kong
- local long form:
- Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball)
- local short form:
- Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball)
- abbreviation:
- HK
- etymology:
- probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"
Government type
presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
National holiday
- National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949);
- note - 1 July (1997) is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Constitution
- 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);
- note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law
- amendments:
- 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
Legal system
- mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure);
- PRC imposition of National Security Law incorporates elements of Chinese civil law
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;
- note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other 70 legislature seats and a 1,500-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)
- head of government:
- Chief Executive John LEE Ka-chieu (since 1 July 2022)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive
- elections/appointments:
- president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
- election last held on 10 March 2023 (next to be held in March 2028);
- chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
- election last held on 8 May 2022 (next to be held in 2027)
- election results:
- 2022: John LEE was the only candidate and won with over 99% of the vote by the Election Committee; 2017 : 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)
note: electoral changes that Beijing imposed in March 2021 expanded the Election Committee to 1,500 members
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (90 seats);
- 20 members directly elected in 2-seat constituencies, 30 indirectly elected by the approximately 220,000 members of various functional constituencies based on a variety of methods, and 50 indirectly elected by the 1,500-member Election Committee;
- members serve 4-year terms;
- note - in March 2021, China's National People's Congress amended the electoral rules and system for the LegCo;
- the total number of seats increased from 70 to 90, directly elected geographical constituencies were reduced from 35 to 20 seats, while trade-based indirectly elected functional constituencies remained at 30;
- an additional 40 seats were elected by the 1,500-member Election Commission;
- all political candidates are evaluated by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC), established in April 2022;
- the CERC consists of the chairperson, 2-4 official members, and 1-3 non-official members, all appointed by the chief executive
- elections:
- last held on 19 Dec 2021 (next to be held in 2025)
- election results:
- percent of vote by bloc: pro-Beijing 93%, non-establishment 7%;
- seats by block/party - pro-Beijing 89 (DAB 19, FTU 8, BPA 7, NPP 5, Liberal Party 4, FEW 2, FLU 2, other 46), non-establishment 1 (Third Side);
- composition - men 73, women 17, percent of women 18.9%;
- note - Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy political parties boycotted the 2021 election
note: in July 2023, Hong Kong lawmakers reduced the proportion of directly elected seats on local district councils from some 90% to about 20%; under the new law,
the majority of the 470 seats would be filled by members appointed by the chief executive, rural committee chairpersons, and others elected by local committees that are packed with pro-establishment figures
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges);
- note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 1 non-permanent judge
- judge selection and term of office:
- all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive upon 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
Political parties and leaders
- Bauhinia Party or BP [WONG Chau-chi and LI Shan]
- Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong or BPA [LO Wai-kwok]
- Concern Group for Tseung Kwan O People's Livelihood or CGPLTKO [N/A]
- Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [Starry LEE Wai-king]
- Democratic Party [LO Kin-hei]
- Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions or HKFLU [Lam Chun-sing]
- Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood of ADPL [Bruce LIU]
- Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers or HKFEW [LAU Chi-pang]
- Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions or HKFTU [labor and political group presided over by NG Chau-pei and chaired by WONG Kwok]
- Kowloon West New Dynamic or KWND [Priscilla LEUNG]
- Labor Party [Steven KWOK Wing-kin; arrested in 2020]
- League of Social Democrats or LSD [CHAN Po-ying]
- Liberal Party or LP [led by Tommy CHEUNG; chaired by Peter SHIU]
- Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC [LEUNG Yui-chung]
- New Century Forum [MA Fung-kwak]
- New People's Party or NPP [Regina IP]
- New Prospect for Hong Kong [Gary ZHANG Xinyu]
- New Territories Association of Societies or NTAS [CHAN Yung]
- Path of Democracy [Ronny TONG] (think tank)
- People Power or PP [LEUNG Ka-shing]
- Professional Power [Christine FONG Kwok Shan]
- Roundtable [Michael TIEN Puk-sun]
- Tai Po Democratic Alliance or TPDA [N/A]
- Third Side or TS [TIK Chi-yeun]
note 1: there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
note 2: by the end of 2021, the leading pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong had been effectively removed from the political arena under the provisions of Beijing's 2021 electoral changes or via charges under the 2020 national security law;
in addition, dozens of pro-democracy organizations, including political parties, unions, churches, civil rights groups, and media organizations have disbanded or closed; as of 2023, nearly all politically active groups were pro-Beijing
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- none (Special Administrative Region of China);
- Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison activities and communication with the US Government and other US entities;
- Eddie MAK Tak-wai (since 3 July 2018) is the Hong Kong Commissioner to the US Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;
- address: 1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036;
- telephone: [1] (202) 331-8947;
- FAX: [1] (202) 331-8958;
- email: [email protected];
- website: https://www.hketowashington.gov.hk/
- HKETO offices:
- New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Consul General Gregory MAY (since September 2022); note - also accredited to Macau
- embassy:
- 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong
- mailing address:
- 8000 Hong Kong Place, Washington DC 20521-8000
- telephone:
- [852] 2523-9011
- FAX:
- [852] 2845-1598
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://hk.usconsulate.gov/
Flag description
- red with a stylized, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center;
- each petal contains a small, red, five-pointed star in its middle;
- the red color is the same as that on the Chinese flag and represents the motherland;
- the fragrant Bauhinia - developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century - has come to symbolize the region;
- the five stars echo those on the flag of China
National anthem
note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China)
Economy
35 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2020 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
Credit ratings
- Fitch rating:
- AA- (2020)
- Moody's rating:
- Aa3 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2017)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agricultural products
pork, poultry, spinach, vegetables, pork offals, game meat, fruit, lettuce, green onions, pig fat
Industries
trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches
Labor force - by occupation
- agriculture:
- 3.8% (2013 est.)
- industry:
- 2% (2016 est.)
- services:
- 54.5% (2016 est.)
- industry and services:
- 12.5% (2013 est.)
- agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining:
- 10.1% (2013)
- manufacturing:
- 17.1% (2013 est.)
note: above data exclude public sector
Average household expenditures
- on food:
- 14.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
- on alcohol and tobacco:
- 1.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Current account balance
$41.712 billion (2021 est.) · $24.092 billion (2020 est.) · $21.23 billion (2019 est.)
Exports
$751.26 billion (2021 est.) · $608.159 billion (2020 est.) · $645.007 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - commodities
gold, integrated circuits, gas turbines, broadcasting equipment, silver, diamonds, telephones (2021)
Imports
$733.459 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $601.528 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $639.363 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - commodities
integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, office machinery, telephones, diamonds (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$496.867 billion (31 December 2021 est.) · $491.776 billion (31 December 2020 est.) · $441.35 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
Exchange rates
Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar - 7.773 (2021 est.) · 7.757 (2020 est.) · 7.836 (2019 est.) · 7.839 (2018 est.) · 7.793 (2017 est.)
Energy
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2021)
Installed generating capacity, 14.168 million kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 5.485 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 5.485 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 100 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 404,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate exports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate imports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- consumption:
- 4,913,021,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- imports:
- 4,913,021,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
92.493 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 23.557 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 62.451 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 6.484 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020–21 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- Hong Kong’s telecommunications sector continues to stay near the top of world rankings for the industry;
- it has kept its #1 spot in the Asian region in terms of the maturity of its telecom market – a reflection of the high penetration rates across mobile, mobile broadband, and fixed broadband;
- even fixed-line teledensity in Hong Kong is impressive at over 50%, although it too has started a gradual decline in keeping with most other telecom markets around the world, as consumers slowly transition over to the mobile platform for all of their communication needs (2022)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is over 51 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 319 subscriptions per 100 (2021)
- international:
- country code - 852;
- landing points for the AAE-1, AAG, APCN-2, APG, ASE, FEA, FNAL, RNAL, H2HE, SeaMeWe-3, SJC and TGN-IA submarine cables that provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe;
- satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean);
- coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China (2022)
Broadcast media
- 34 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations;
- multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available;
- 3 licensed broadcasters of terrestrial radio, one of which is government funded, operate about 12 radio stations;
- note - 4 digital radio broadcasters operated in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2017, but all digital radio services were terminated in September 2017 due to weak market demand (2019)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 2,661 ships by type(2022)
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 12 (2020) (registered in China); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 275 (registered in China)
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 47,101,822 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 12,676,720,000 (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
2
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature;
paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Military and Security
2 fieldsMilitary and security forces
no regular indigenous military 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) (2023)
note: the Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Army, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Southern Theater Command
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
the Frontier Closed Area was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration and the smuggling of goods
Illicit drugs
- modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering;
- groups involved in money laundering range from local street organizations to sophisticated international syndicates involved in assorted criminal activities, including drug trafficking;
- major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Hong Kong.” The World Factbook 2023. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/hong-kong/2023.