Almost 90,000 citizens leave Hong Kong in mid-2021

Hong Kong saw almost 90,000 citizens leaving the city in a year amid the emigration wave, according to latest statistics.

Although a total of 89,200 citizens have left the city, the government emphasized not all of them have emigrated, saying people move in and out of Hong Kong due to high mobility of the city.

According to data announced by the Census and Statistics Department, a net outflow of 75,300 persons was recorded from mid-2020 to mid-2021.

A total of 13,900 One-way Permit holders entered the city while 89,200 residents left Hong Kong.

The government said net movement is conceptually different from immigration and emigration, as it includes the movement of residents into and out of Hong Kong for various purposes, like work and study.

“Being an international city, Hong Kong’s population has always been mobile,” the government added. It also said during the past 10 years, net outflows of residents other than One-way Permit holders were recorded for most of the years.

The net outflow of 75,300 alongside a natural decrease of 11,800, with 38,500 births and 50,400 deaths, brought the city's population down by 87,100 in mid-2021.

It represents a 1.2 percent decrease compared to population recorded in mid-2020.