Demographics | Population declined slightly in 2016

The total population at the end of 2016 declined by 1,900 year-on-year to a total of 644,900. This marks the first year-on-year decline since 2009.

A reduction in the number of non- residents is understood to be the main cause in the drop in the region’s population.

The senior citizen population made up 9.8 percent of the total, an increase of 0.8 percentage points year-on-year.

The proportion of the adult population aged 15-64 dropped by 1.4 percentage points to 77.7 percent of the total population.

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the ratio of older to younger individuals has been rising for twenty consecutive years, up by 3.3 percentage points year-on-year to 78.9 percent.

A total of 7,146 live births were delivered in 2016, up by 91 year-on- year and the birth rate stayed the same as in 2015.

Mortality totaled 2,248 in 2016, up by 246 year-on-year.

The number of mortality cases from malignant neoplasms was the highest (815), comprising 36.3 percent of the total in this category, up by 0.1 of a percentage point year-on- year. The deaths from pneumonia and influenza (296) and hypertension (187), increased by 0.5 percentage points year-on-year to 13.2 percent and 8.3 percent respectively.

Meanwhile non-resident workers totaled 177,638 at end-2016, down by 4,008 year-on-year. Following the completion of large-scale entertainment facilities, non-resident workers in the construction sector dropped significantly by 8,868 year- on-year.

DSEC noted that there were 6,327 Chinese immigrants in 2016, down by 2,141 year-on-year, with 4,876 coming from Guangdong Province.

Some 1,300 illegal Chinese immigrants were repatriated to the mainland, down by 488 year-on-year.

In 2016, there were 3,891 marriage registrations, up by 172 year-on- year; while the number of divorce cases increased by 77 year-on-year to 1,245. Divorce by mutual consent accounted for 91.7 percent of divorces.

At end-2016, the number of households totaled 189,200, down by 3,500 year-on-year.