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| Hongkongers will continue to leave in the next 2-3 years |
Hong Kong's population continues to drop, as more than 113,000 people left the city in the past 12 months, a record 1.6 percent decrease in the population. It is the second straight annual decline in numbers.
The figure is from the Census and Statistics Department released on Thursday. Hong Kong's population fell to 7,291,600 from 7,413,100 from mid-2021. There were also 61,600 deaths and 35,100 births between mid-2021 and mid-2022, a decrease of 26,500 people.
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| The graph clearly illustrates the population plunge |
The decline to 7.29 million people was sharper than last year's 1.2 percent decrease.
Of course the Hong Kong government is trying to explain away the numbers, saying the drop in the population is due to people moving away for school and work, while strict quarantine measures have made it hard for people to come back or move there, and the birth rate has fallen further because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The authorities don't want to own up to the reality of why people are leaving, as someone on Twitter put it succinctly: "If 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong is such a success, there wouldn't be hoards of middle class in their 30s and 40s giving up what ought to be the start of the most economically lucrative stage of their lives to move to another place to start again or even semi-retire."
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| People in 30s and 40s leave HK to start over again |
"The pull and push factors are in one direction, which go against Hong Kong," he said.
He called on the government to address the housing shortage as well as concerns about the city's overall development.
"Some people do not understand the national security law, they are really worried. So the government should explain the law clearly to allay their concerns. This is very important," he said.
Alas will the government heed Yip's advice, when the NSL is deliberately vague to scare people?
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