Hong Kong's birth rate is "extraordinarily low" Jiang Yuhuan: It is not difficult to understand the number of marriages and divorces

The government recently announced population data as of the end of 2022, and the population of Hong Kong decreased by 68,300 year-on-year to 7.333 million.

The reason for the population decline, in addition to the net migration of 60,000, also relates to the number of births and deaths, with only 32,500 births and 62,100 deaths last year.

Legislative Council member Jiang Yuhuan said that looking at the number of marriages and divorces in Hong Kong in recent years, it is not difficult to understand the reason for the extremely low birth rate.

Jiang Yuhuan believes that the birth rate in Hong Kong is extremely low, and the problems need to be understood.

(File photo/Photo by Zhang Haowei)

The birth population will drop sharply in 2021 and 2022

The Census and Statistics Department released the "Hong Kong Monthly Statistics" yesterday, and a special chapter lists the fertility trend in Hong Kong from 1991 to 2021.

Statistics show that from 1991 to 1996, the number of babies born each year reached 60,000 to 70,000, from 1997 to 2000 there were more than 50,000, and from 2001 to 2004 there were more than 40,000. The number of births has increased significantly. From 2013 to 2019, after the change of the "Double Non" policy, there will be about 50,000 to 60,000 people per year.

However, by 2020, the birth population will drop sharply to 43,031, further to 36,953 in 2021, and 32,500 in 2022.

The "Hong Kong Monthly Statistics" lists the number of babies born in Hong Kong from 1991 to 2021, and it can be seen that the number of births has dropped sharply since 2020.

According to the "Hong Kong Monthly Statistics", the figures on the right can be seen that after excluding the combination of females from the Mainland and males from Hong Kong, the relative number of births per thousand Hong Kong females will drop sharply in 2020 and 2021.

Jiang Yuhuan believes that the extremely low birth rate is related to the marriage situation. The figures listed refer to the number of marriages falling from more than 50,000 in 2006, 2011 and 2015 to 30,000 in 2022.

At the same time the number of divorces is on the rise, with 17,424 in 2006, 19,597 in 2011 and 20,075 in 2015.

She pointed out that Hong Kong's divorce rate is among the highest in the world. "Is this related to our government policies, family values, and the changing roles of women in society?"

The "Hong Kong Statistics Monthly" mentioned that women have delayed childbearing in the past 20 years, because women receive higher education and have higher opportunities to participate in the labor force, so they tend to delay marriage.

In 1999, 56% of women between the ages of 25 and 29 were married. In 2021, it has dropped to 19%. The median age of first marriage has risen from 26.2 in 1991 to 30.6 in 2021.

The crude divorce rate calculated in 1,000 population rose sharply from 1.11 in 1991 to 2.25 in 2021.

At the same time, the number of women aged 40 to 44 who are still single will rise from 6% in 1991 to 20% in 2021.

According to the number of divorces and the rough divorce rate released by the Census and Statistics Department in January 2022, it can be seen that the number of divorces after 2001 has been between 10,000 and 20,000.

Jiang Yuhuan said that in the past 10 years, Hong Kong did not conduct detailed research and analysis on the population trend and its situation, and it also lacked a systematic and comprehensive survey among the people to understand the problems and their causes. As a result, family problems abound.

She believes that Hong Kong can learn from the statistical data expression methods of the Mainland or Singapore. She pointed out that the Census and Statistics Department of Singapore knows how to use technology and data, and also generously share it with the outside world, which can create business opportunities.

The population of Hong Kong has fallen for three consecutive years and recorded 7.33 million people at the end of last year, down 0.9% year-on-year. About 60,000 Hong Kong people moved out of Hong Kong. The total fertility rate has fallen by 40% in 30 years to a new low. The population of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan is decreasing｜Members are worried about the impact on the population structure. Talent depends on whether it is suitable for industrial development