Hong Kong sees ‘alarming’ drop in population as government insists new laws are not to blame

The Hong Kong government says the dip in population includes those leaving for other purposes and is “conceptually different from immigration and emigration”

File: The number of people now estimated to be in Hong Kong is about 7.39 million (AP/ File photo)

Hong Kong’s population has seen a dip of 1.2 per cent in the year after the national security law was implemented, with at least 89,200 people leaving the Asian financial hub in this period, according to several reports citing data released by the government.

The number of people now estimated to be in the city is about 7.39 million. This is the second year in a row that Hong Kong’s population decreased after more than 15 years of steady growth.

In 2020, the population dropped slightly by 0.3 per cent, the first such dip after 2003.

Hong Kong also saw an inflow of 13,900 people with one-way permits and a net natural decrease of 11,900 people after 38,500 birth and 50,400 deaths.

Several critics of the controversial national security law that was imposed in Hong Kong last year have said it clamps down on dissent and curtails the freedoms of individuals. The law, which was imposed in June 2020, was the result of protests that began in 2019, which saw the participation of thousands of people.

The Hong Kong government, however, responding to the data, said people have been leaving for many purposes, including work and study, which was “conceptually different from immigration and emigration”.

The coronavirus pandemic led to strict border controls and containment measures that led to low influx of people, according to a government spokesperson cited by the South China Morning Post.

The trend was dubbed “alarming” by Paul Yip Siu-fai, chair professor in social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong. A chunk of the decline occurred due to a sharp increase in net migration compounded by low birth rate, he told SCMP.

Hong Kong residents holding foreign passports or other connections overseas have opted to relocate to nations like United Kingdom which allowed citizenship to those holding British National (Overseas) travel documents, reported Bloomberg.

More than 34,000 applications have been received by the UK, out of which 7,200 have been granted, the report added, citing Home Office data.