7,305,556 (2025 est.)
Hong Kong
Key facts and a structured country profile. π§Ύ Change log π True Size
Locator πΊοΈ Map
1,108 sq km
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
π§ Background
The UK seized Hong Kong in 1841, and China formally ceded it 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 the UK obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Pursuant to a UK-China agreement in 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China as of 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 next 50 years. After the handover, Hong Kong continued to enjoy success as an international financial center. However, growing Chinese political influence and dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong Government in the 2010s became central issues 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 to the protests, the governments of the HKSAR and China reduced the city's autonomy and placed new restrictions on the rights of Hong Kong residents, moves that were widely criticized as contravening obligations under the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Democratic lawmakers and political figures were arrested in a widespread crackdown, while others fled abroad. At the same time, dozens of civil society groups and several independent media outlets were closed or disbanded. In 2021, Beijing imposed a more restrictive electoral system, restructuring the Legislative Council (LegCo) and allowing only government-approved candidates to run for office. The changes ensured that virtually all seats in the 2021 LegCo election went to pro-establishment candidates and effectively ended political opposition to Beijing. In 2024, the LegCo passed a new national security law (Article 23 of the Basic Law) further expanding the Hong Kong Government's power to curb dissent.
πΊοΈ Geography
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
22 15 N, 114 10 E
Southeast Asia
1,108 sq km
1,073 sq km
35 sq km
Six times the size of Washington, D.C.
33 km
China 33 km
733 km
12 nm
Subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Tai Mo Shan 958 m
South China Sea 0 m
Outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
3.8% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 1% (2023 est.)
0% (2022 est.)
96.2% (2022 est.)
10 sq km (2012)
Population fairly evenly distributed
Occasional typhoons
Consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and over 200 islands
π₯ People and Societyβ¬οΈ Top
7,305,556 (2025 est.)
3,367,222
3,938,334
Chinese/Hong Konger
Chinese/Hong Kong
Chinese 91.6%, Filipino 2.7%, Indonesian 1.9%, other 3.7% (2021 est.)
Cantonese (official) 85.4%, English (official) 4.5%, Putonghua (official) 2.2%, other Chinese dialects 2.8%, other 2%, persons under 5 or mute 3.2% (2021 est.)
δΈηζ¦ε΅, εΏ ι ζζηεΊζ¬θ³ζεθδΉ¦ (Cantonese) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3% (2016 est.)
13.2% (male 505,718/female 459,956)
64.8% (male 2,123,216/female 2,609,102)
21.9% (2024 est.) (male 738,878/female 860,951)
56.7 (2025 est.)
20.8 (2025 est.)
35.8 (2025 est.)
2.8 (2025 est.)
47.6 years (2025 est.)
45.3 years
48.6 years
0.09% (2025 est.)
7.45 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
8.16 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
1.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population fairly evenly distributed
100% of total population (2023)
0.58% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
7.685 million Hong Kong (2023)
1.06 male(s)/female
1.1 male(s)/female
0.81 male(s)/female
0.86 male(s)/female
0.86 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
29.8 years (2008 est.)
2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
2.8 deaths/1,000 live births
2.2 deaths/1,000 live births
84 years (2024 est.)
81.3 years
86.8 years
1.24 children born/woman (2025 est.)
0.6 (2025 est.)
Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: NA
Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: NA
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
2.04 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
4.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Urban: 96.5% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 96.5% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)
49.8% (2021 est.)
3.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
15.7% national budget (2024 est.)
17 years (2023 est.)
17 years (2023 est.)
17 years (2023 est.)
πΏ Environmentβ¬οΈ Top
Air and water pollution from rapid urbanization; urban waste pollution; industrial pollution
Subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
3.8% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 1% (2023 est.)
0% (2022 est.)
96.2% (2022 est.)
100% of total population (2023)
0.58% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
58.433 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
12.935 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
35.453 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
10.045 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
5.68 million tons (2024 est.)
34% (2016 est.)
ποΈ Governmentβ¬οΈ Top
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Hong Kong
Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball)
Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball)
HK
Probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"
Presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
Special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
Mixed system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure); China's imposition of National Security Law incorporates elements of Chinese civil law
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)
Proposed by the Standing Committee of the National Peopleβs Congress (NPC), the Peopleβs 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 Kongβs deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC
See China
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
President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)
Chief Executive John LEE Ka-chiu (since 1 July 2022)
Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive
President indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)
President: 10 March 2023 chief executive: 8 May 2022
2022: John LEE was the only candidate and won with over 99% of the vote by the Election Committee 2017: Carrie LAM elected; 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)
President: March 2028 chief executive: 2027
Legislative Council or LegCo
Unicameral
90
20 members directly elected; 70 members indirectly elected
Full
7 December 2025
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) 20, Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Unions (HKFTU) 8, Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA) 7, Liberal (LP) 4, New People's Party (NPP) 3, Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers (HKFEW) 2, Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions (HKFLU) 2, Professional Power (PP) 1, Roundtable (RT) 1, New Territories Association of Societies (NTAS) 1, Kowloon West New Dynamic (KWND) 1, Independents 40
December 2029
Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges)
All judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive on 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
High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals
Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong or BPA Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions or HKFLU Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers or HKFEW Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions or HKFTU Kowloon West New Dynamic or KWND Liberal Party or LP New People's Party or NPP New Prospect for Hong Kong or NPHK New Territories Association of Societies or NTAS Professional Power or PP Roundtable or RT
None (Special Administrative Region of China)
New York, San Francisco, Washington DC
Consul General Julie EADEH (since August 2025); note - also accredited to Macau
26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong
8000 Hong Kong Place, Washington DC 20521-8000
[852] 2523-9011
[852] 2845-1598
Acshk@state.gov https://hk.usconsulate.gov/
ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO
None (special administrative region of China)
National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949)
Description: red with a stylized white Bauhinia flower with five petals in the center of the flag; each petal has a tiny five-pointed red star with a fine red line curving toward the center of the flower meaning: the red color is the same as the Chinese flag and represents the motherland, and the five stars also echo the Chinese flag; the Bauhinia flower was developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century and has come to symbolize the region
Bauhinia flower
Red, white
"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers)
TIAN Han/NIE Er
Official anthem, as a Special Administrative Region of China
πΉ Economyβ¬οΈ Top
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
$497.88 billion (2024 est.)
$485.541 billion (2023 est.)
$470.42 billion (2022 est.)
2.5% (2024 est.)
3.2% (2023 est.)
-3.7% (2022 est.)
$66,200 (2024 est.)
$64,400 (2023 est.)
$64,000 (2022 est.)
$407.107 billion (2024 est.)
1.7% (2024 est.)
2.1% (2023 est.)
1.9% (2022 est.)
0% (2023 est.)
6.3% (2023 est.)
91.4% (2023 est.)
67.4% (2024 est.)
12.8% (2024 est.)
16.2% (2024 est.)
-0.5% (2024 est.)
181.7% (2024 est.)
-177.7% (2024 est.)
Pork, chicken, spinach, vegetables, pork offal, game meat, beef, fruits, onions, pork fat (2023)
Trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches
3.4% (2024 est.)
3.836 million (2024 est.)
2.8% (2024 est.)
3% (2023 est.)
4.4% (2022 est.)
8.4% (2024 est.)
10.5% (2024 est.)
6.3% (2024 est.)
11.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
0.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
$70.124 billion (2020 est.)
$105.849 billion (2020 est.)
0.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
$52.475 billion (2024 est.)
$32.338 billion (2023 est.)
$36.525 billion (2022 est.)
$739.915 billion (2024 est.)
$673.738 billion (2023 est.)
$697.583 billion (2022 est.)
China 22%, Vietnam 12%, S. Korea 8%, Netherlands 5%, Switzerland 4% (2023)
Gold, integrated circuits, gas turbines, broadcasting equipment, jewelry (2023)
$723.397 billion (2024 est.)
$671.492 billion (2023 est.)
$682.881 billion (2022 est.)
China 40%, Taiwan 10%, Singapore 7%, Japan 5%, S. Korea 4% (2023)
Integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, gold, machine parts, jewelry (2023)
$425.554 billion (2023 est.)
$424.03 billion (2022 est.)
$496.867 billion (2021 est.)
Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -
7.804 (2024 est.)
7.83 (2023 est.)
7.831 (2022 est.)
7.773 (2021 est.)
7.757 (2020 est.)
β‘ Energyβ¬οΈ Top
100% (2022 est.)
13.3 million kW (2023 est.)
45.54 billion kWh (2023 est.)
11.593 billion kWh (2023 est.)
3.684 billion kWh (2023 est.)
99.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
5.567 million metric tons (2023 est.)
16,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
5.884 million metric tons (2023 est.)
96 bbl/day (2023 est.)
233,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
5.12 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
5.12 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
116.811 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
π‘ Communicationsβ¬οΈ Top
3.487 million (2023 est.)
47 (2023 est.)
27.1 million (2024 est.)
365 (2024 est.)
34 commercial terrestrial TV networks, each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 licensed broadcasters, one of which is government-funded, operate about 12 radio stations (2019)
.hk
96% (2023 est.)
2.97 million (2023 est.)
40 (2023 est.)
π Transportationβ¬οΈ Top
B-H
2 (2025)
142 (2025)
2,537 (2023)
Bulk carrier 1,047, container ship 560, general cargo 144, oil tanker 394, other 392
1 (2024)
1
0
0
0
1
Hong Kong
π‘οΈ Military and Securityβ¬οΈ Top
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) China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison is responsible for defense duties; the garrison includes elements of the PLA Army, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force and are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Southern Theater Command (2025)
π Transnational Issuesβ¬οΈ Top
260 (2024 est.)
Tier 2 Watch List β the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Hong Kong remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/hong-kong/
Major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Source: Factbook JSON archive.