Hong Kong’s population edges up 0.3% but births fall below 30,000 for first time

Hong Kong's population grew by 0.3% to over 7.5 million by mid-2026, despite a significant decline in births. Official figures from the Census and Statistics Department revealed fewer than 30,000 births in mid-2026, marking the first time since records began in 1962 that the city recorded under 30,000 births in a midyear population update.

The city logged 29,700 births, a 15.6% drop from the 35,200 births recorded during the same period a year earlier. This decline in births resulted in a natural population decline of 20,400, with 50,100 deaths recorded during the period. Despite the drop in births, the city's population still increased by 0.3%, attributed to government measures aimed at attracting talent and labor immigrants.

The government introduced a "baby bonus" scheme in 2023, offering a one-off HK$20,000 cash award to new parents, but this did not significantly boost the birth rate. The decline in births is a concern as Hong Kong has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, with 0.73 births per woman in 2025, below the replacement rate of 2.1.

Authorities have been discussing ways to encourage couples to have more children, with suggestions including raising the cash incentive for having a second child and allowing single women to access IVF procedures. However, experts and lawmakers argue that current support measures are insufficient to change the city's low fertility rate.