01
Physical geography
Hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north.
Local timeHong Kong ·
Asia / Eastern Asia · Card 012
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China on the southern coast of the Chinese mainland.
Find Hong Kong
● Administrative center · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Administrative center
- Hong Kong (city region)
- Languages
- Chinese & English
- Currency
- Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
- Population
- 7.5 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 1,104 km²426 square miles
- Status
- Special Administrative Region of China
Hong Kong in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Hong Kong; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Chinese and English are official languages. Cantonese is widely spoken; Mandarin and other languages are also used.
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Location
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China.
Flag
Red with a stylized white Bauhinia flower with five petals in the center of the flag; each petal has a tiny five-pointed red star with a fine red line curving toward the center of the flower
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Hong Kong Basic Law · political structure
History & status
Hong Kong developed under British administration after treaties in the nineteenth century. Sovereignty transferred to China on 1 July 1997. Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region under the Basic Law, with its own legal and economic systems within China.
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Hong Kong Island ceded to Britain
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Sino-British Joint Declaration signed
-
Hong Kong becomes a Special Administrative Region
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Hong Kong Basic Law · political structure
Economy
Main activities
Finance, trade, logistics, professional services and tourism dominate the economy. Its port, airport and financial markets connect mainland China with international business.
Industry and production
trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Hong Kong Basic Law · political structure
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people7.52025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,959,000 | 3.959 |
| 1980 | 5,063,100 | 5.063 |
| 1990 | 5,704,500 | 5.705 |
| 2000 | 6,665,000 | 6.665 |
| 2010 | 7,024,200 | 7.024 |
| 2020 | 7,481,000 | 7.481 |
| 2025 | 7,498,900 | 7.499 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars348.32025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 121,832,373,724 | 121.832 |
| 1991 | 128,779,177,422 | 128.779 |
| 1992 | 136,808,589,876 | 136.809 |
| 1993 | 145,292,343,777 | 145.292 |
| 1994 | 154,062,233,778 | 154.062 |
| 1995 | 157,719,407,391 | 157.719 |
| 1996 | 164,435,850,075 | 164.436 |
| 1997 | 172,821,585,033 | 172.822 |
| 1998 | 162,655,117,634 | 162.655 |
| 1999 | 166,732,419,571 | 166.732 |
| 2000 | 179,509,865,148 | 179.510 |
| 2001 | 180,516,676,991 | 180.517 |
| 2002 | 183,507,299,800 | 183.507 |
| 2003 | 189,115,941,428 | 189.116 |
| 2004 | 205,569,152,314 | 205.569 |
| 2005 | 220,756,917,763 | 220.757 |
| 2006 | 236,281,973,981 | 236.282 |
| 2007 | 251,557,197,409 | 251.557 |
| 2008 | 256,910,175,716 | 256.910 |
| 2009 | 250,592,519,410 | 250.593 |
| 2010 | 267,551,886,468 | 267.552 |
| 2011 | 280,433,621,558 | 280.434 |
| 2012 | 285,201,896,527 | 285.202 |
| 2013 | 294,047,583,443 | 294.048 |
| 2014 | 302,170,394,418 | 302.170 |
| 2015 | 309,385,622,601 | 309.386 |
| 2016 | 316,116,146,569 | 316.116 |
| 2017 | 328,116,261,237 | 328.116 |
| 2018 | 337,457,433,352 | 337.457 |
| 2019 | 331,813,698,523 | 331.814 |
| 2020 | 310,097,167,509 | 310.097 |
| 2021 | 330,112,173,307 | 330.112 |
| 2022 | 317,946,603,546 | 317.947 |
| 2023 | 327,963,017,258 | 327.963 |
| 2024 | 336,586,373,893 | 336.586 |
| 2025 | 348,325,324,737 | 348.325 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.955Very High human developmentRank 8 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.755
20000.839
20100.912
20200.950
20230.955
85.5 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.4 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Special Administrative Region of China governed under the Basic Law. A chief executive heads the government, and a Legislative Council makes local laws. Defense and foreign affairs are responsibilities of the central government.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Hong Kong Basic Law · political structure
Knowledge check
Three questions about Hong Kong.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for Hong Kong?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Hong Kong Basic Law · political structure
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.