Non-resident worker numbers dip over 6,500 in 2021

The Macau SAR saw a plunge of 6,565 year-on-year to 171,098 non-resident workers at end-2021, according to data from the the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

Recently, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) noted that gaming operators have seen a decrease in the number of their non-resident workers as of the end of 2021, with 11,434 such workers recorded in the industry.

DSAL was cited showing that the figure is a 32% decrease compared to the 23,676 bluecard holders recorded before the pandemic started. 

Meanwhile, those engaged in Domestic work went down by 3,372 to 26,033 while those engaged in the Construction sector increased by 3,378 to 30,362.

Macau’s total population in 2021 was 683,200, representing a quarter-to-quarter increase of 900.

The proportion of senior citizens (aged 65 and above) grew by 0.5 percentage points year-on-year to 12.2%, whereas that of the adult population (aged 15-64) dropped by 0.9 percentage points to 73.3%. The population of Macau continued to age, with the ageing ratio rising to 83.7%.

Local population, excluding non-resident workers and non-local students living in the SAR, increased by 1.1% year-on-year to 570,100, and 53.1% of them were female. 

In 2021, the number of new arrivals from mainland China with a one-way permit reduced by 346 year-on-year to 2,627, with those coming from Guangdong Province falling by 405 to 1,705; females comprised 65.9% of the total. Meanwhile, the number of individuals newly granted a right of abode decreased by 262 year-on-year to 468 in 2021.

Birth rate at record low 

For the whole year of 2021, a total of 5,026 live births were delivered, down by 519 year-on-year; the birth rate was 7.4‰, the lowest level recorded since 2005.  In the fourth quarter of 2021, the number of live births rose by 30 quarter-to-quarter to 1,292, and mortality increased by 51 to 608. Meanwhile, mortality went up by 90 year-on-year to 2,320 last year.