The population of Hong Kong declined by 1.2% in the first half of 2021. This was the third consecutive six-month period in which the city-state saw a decline in its population.
It is believed that most of those leaving are young people with families concerned about the future of the city, given the crackdowns on political and civil liberties by China.
‘If you go to the airport, you will see young and middle-aged family types moving out. When they leave Hong Kong they bring their skills and their capital out of Hong Kong . . . our ageing will become more acute than ever,’ said Paul Yip, a demography expert at the University of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government said that the decline in the population was due to a decline in people moving to the city, because of Covid-19 travel restrictions, as well as a decline in the number of people using a scheme which allows mainland China to live in Hong Kong.
In recent times the United Kingdom and Canada have opened paths to citizenship and permanent residency for people fleeing the authoritarian crackdown from Beijing in Hong Kong.
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