JOSEPH LI writes in CHINA DAILY:
The population of Hong Kong will grow to 8.47 million over the next 30 years, according to a projection of the Census and Statistics Department.
At the same time, the aging of population will persist, with the percentage of senior citizens aged 65 and above rising from 13 percent in 2011 to 30 percent in 2041. The dependency ratio (ie, those “under 15” and those “65 and over” for every 1,000 persons aged 15 – 64) will also grow significantly, pushing the median age up to 49.9 years in 2041.
As to the sex ratio, there will be 712 men for every 1,000 women in 2041, continuing a trend of “surplus women” in the population. After foreign domestic helpers are excluded, the ratio will be 786 men to 1,000 women.
Wong Hung, assistant professor at the social work faculty of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says the greying of the population will continue as a result of a low fertility rate and a low death rate. READ MORE.