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Asia / Eastern Asia · Card 025

Macau

Macau is a Special Administrative Region of China on the western side of the Pearl River estuary.

Find Macau

● 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: Macau (city region)
Language guide: Languages spoken & official status
Currency: Macanese pataca (MOP)
Population: 685,9002025 · World Bank
Area: 30 km²12 square miles
Status: Special Administrative Region of China

Macau in context

Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Macau; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River estuary. It combines a peninsula with island areas that have been joined and enlarged through reclamation. Much of the territory is densely built, so its modern geography reflects engineering as well as natural landforms.

Low coastal ground is interrupted by hills, including greener areas around Coloane. Waterfronts, bridges and reclaimed land connect formerly more separate areas. The estuary and surrounding sea remain central to the territory’s setting.

Climate & seasons

Macau has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and rainy, while winters are cooler and generally drier.

Coastal conditions

A humid subtropical climate brings hot, wet summers. Typhoons and storm surges can affect low-lying areas. Remaining wooded hills and coastal habitats provide environmental variety within an intensely urban landscape.

Flag

Green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, under an arc of five five-pointed gold stars

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Macao government · constitutional documents

Landscapes & nature

Languages

Public and official use

Chinese and Portuguese are official languages. Cantonese is the main everyday spoken language, while Mandarin is also widely used.

Community and regional languages

English, Tagalog and other languages are spoken by resident communities. Macanese Patuá, a Portuguese-based Creole, forms part of the territory’s cultural heritage, but has far fewer speakers than Cantonese or Mandarin.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & status

Portuguese settlement in Macau developed from the sixteenth century. Following a 1987 agreement between Portugal and China, sovereignty transferred to China in 1999. Macau became a Special Administrative Region under its Basic Law.

1557
Portuguese settlement established
1987
Joint Declaration signed
1999
Macau becomes a Special Administrative Region

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Macao government · constitutional documents

Economy

Main activities

Tourism, gaming, hospitality, retail and related services dominate economic activity. The economy is closely connected to visitor flows and the surrounding Pearl River Delta region.

Industry and production

tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Macao government · constitutional documents

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Thousands of people

685.92025 · thousands 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	Thousands of people
1970	257,396	257.396
1980	239,650	239.650
1990	334,950	334.950
2000	430,600	430.600
2010	537,000	537.000
2020	685,400	685.400
2025	685,900	685.900

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars

45.62025 · 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	10,510,339,249	10.510
1991	10,894,953,515	10.895
1992	12,343,868,430	12.344
1993	12,984,050,921	12.984
1994	13,536,337,256	13.536
1995	13,982,511,752	13.983
1996	13,923,804,581	13.924
1997	13,884,959,089	13.885
1998	13,250,263,249	13.250
1999	12,937,743,583	12.938
2000	13,681,294,587	13.681
2001	14,076,443,224	14.076
2002	15,329,923,614	15.330
2003	17,114,841,064	17.115
2004	21,673,699,753	21.674
2005	23,424,490,230	23.424
2006	26,561,538,062	26.562
2007	30,408,119,660	30.408
2008	31,439,719,866	31.440
2009	31,847,926,734	31.848
2010	39,842,746,026	39.843
2011	48,457,666,665	48.458
2012	52,924,239,876	52.924
2013	58,630,357,383	58.630
2014	57,435,035,499	57.435
2015	44,940,613,353	44.941
2016	44,625,350,361	44.625
2017	49,051,541,818	49.052
2018	52,170,812,899	52.171
2019	50,886,936,460	50.887
2020	23,203,378,177	23.203
2021	28,415,367,854	28.415
2022	23,028,683,195	23.029
2023	40,371,220,293	40.371
2024	43,540,200,437	43.540
2025	45,573,992,396	45.574

Government

Special Administrative Region of China governed under the Basic Law. A chief executive heads the government and a Legislative Assembly makes local laws. Defense and foreign affairs belong to the central government.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Macao government · constitutional documents

Knowledge check

Three questions about Macau.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

Which currency is listed for Macau?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Macao government · constitutional documents

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.