Hong Kong's provisional population in the middle of this year
was 6,994,500, a year-on-year increase of 0.8 percent, or 58,000
people.
Figures released by the Census and Statistics Department
yesterday showed that the major causes of the population increase
were births and immigrants from the mainland on one-way
permits.
About 59,800 births were recorded from mid-2005 to mid-2006,
including those given by permanent and non-permanent Hong Kong
residents. But the net natural population growth was 23,300 because
36,500 people died during the period.
The population growth was welcomed by Hong Kong Council of
Social Service Business Director Chua Hoi-wai. The population
increase can help solve part of the problem of an ageing population
and low birth rate, he said.
External immigrants are very important to Hong Kong because they
are a source of fresh labor supply and can help solve the ageing
problem, he said.
Though he was happy with the higher-than-normal birth rate, he
said more children being born to non-permanent Hong Kong residents
was not so healthy a sign.
"Since those parents are non-permanent residents and have jobs
on the mainland, they will take the children back to the mainland,
and hence it would not have too many instant impacts.
"We don't know when they'll return to Hong Kong. If they do so
in five or six years, the children, who are permanent residents by
birth, will create pressure on our education, welfare and medical
systems," he said.
So whether non-permanent Hong Kong residents' children born in
the city should have the right of abode in the SAR needed to be
discussed thoroughly.
(China Daily HK edition August 15, 2006)