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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.

At a glance

Administrative center: Hong Kong (city region)
Language guide: Languages spoken & official status
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 map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Hong Kong occupies a hilly coastal setting beside the Pearl River estuary. It includes part of the mainland, Hong Kong Island and many other islands. Dense urban development is concentrated in accessible coastal areas and valleys rather than covering the entire territory.

Victoria Harbour is the best-known urban waterway, but the wider landscape also includes wooded hills, reservoirs and deeply indented coasts. Sai Kung illustrates this less urban side, with headlands, islands and sheltered bays.

Climate & seasons

Summers are hot, humid and rainy. Winters are generally cooler and drier, while monsoon winds influence the seasonal pattern.

Coast & uplands

Country parks protect substantial upland areas. Coastal wetlands, rocky shores and marine habitats add further variety. Heavy summer rain and tropical cyclones can affect steep slopes and low-lying coastal districts in different ways.

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

Landscapes & nature

Languages

Public and official use

Chinese and English are Hong Kong’s official languages. Cantonese is the main everyday spoken language; written Chinese commonly uses traditional characters.

Community and regional languages

Mandarin, also called Putonghua, is also spoken and taught. Other Chinese varieties, Tagalog, Indonesian and South Asian languages are used by resident communities. The official designation “Chinese” covers written and spoken uses that differ by setting.

Sources: Hong Kong Civil Service Bureau · Official languages · GovHK · Multilingual services · CIA World Factbook · archived profile

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.

1842
Hong Kong Island ceded to Britain
1984
Sino-British Joint Declaration signed
1997
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 people

7.52025 · millions of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
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 dollars

348.32025 · 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

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
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.