Hong Kong population pyramid 2026
7,378,602 people in 2026 (projected). Hong Kong combines one of the world’s lowest fertility rates with a large female surplus at ages 30–59, where there are as few as 64 men per 100 women.
- 2026 population
- 7.4Mrank 107 of 237
- Median age
- 47.9 yearsoldest rank 8
- Fertility rate
- 0.75births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older24.7% age 65+
Hong Kong population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Hong Kong age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 10.0% of the population, while 24.7% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 65.3% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Hong Kong’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 53.1: about 53 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (15.3 children and 37.8 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Hong Kong’s population pyramid
A city built by arrivals
Hong Kong’s early pyramids are dominated by migration. The population was about 2 million in 1950, swollen by people arriving from mainland China around 1949, and males outnumbered females at every age under 45. Within that structure sits a deep notch: children aged 5–9 in 1950, born during the Japanese occupation of 1941–45, when the city’s population fell sharply, number fewer than half the 0–4 band. The UN estimates net immigration of about 1.7 million between 1950 and 1999, and the population passed 6.7 million by 2000.
Fewer births than almost anywhere
Fertility was about 5 children per woman around 1960, fell below replacement by 1980 and reached about 1.0 in 2000. After a brief recovery it dropped to about 0.7 in 2023, placing Hong Kong among the lowest in the lowest fertility rates ranking. The 2026 pyramid shows two clear irregularities among the young. A notch at ages 20–24, about 20% smaller than its neighbours, covers births in 2002–06, a low point of fertility. Above it, a bulge at ages 10–14, born about 2012–16, stands about 10% above its neighbours, mainly because the 5–9 band below it is much smaller; the chart alone cannot show the cause. Deaths have exceeded births since 2021, and the population peaked at about 7.5 million in 2020, a period that also saw notable emigration.
Where the women come from
The overall sex ratio is about 82 men per 100 women, one of the lowest anywhere, but the imbalance is concentrated in working ages: 86 men per 100 women at 30–34 and 64 at 40–44. The most widely cited reason is the large number of foreign domestic workers, nearly all women and chiefly from the Philippines and Indonesia, who live in their employers’ homes; the settlement of women from the mainland who marry Hong Kong residents is also often mentioned. The guide to sex ratios by age explains how such migration reshapes a pyramid.
Among similar structures, Taiwan and South Korea are the closest. Under the UN medium scenario, with life expectancy rising towards 89 and births remaining very low, Hong Kong falls to about 6.1 million by 2050, when 46% of residents would be 65 or older, and to about 2.1 million by 2100.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20–24 | 2002–2006 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −20% |
| 10–14 | 2012–2016 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +10% |
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 2021. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2005 and 2010.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Hong Kong is projected to record 38,112 births (about 104 births a day) and 59,151 deaths, a natural decrease of 21,039. Net migration adds −12,576 people, ranking #173 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 1,532,963 births, 1,100,317 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +338,656. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −63,856 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 88.5 years61.4 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 83.2 years53.6 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 23.4 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 1.4per 1,000 births · 82 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 1.8per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 32.9 yearssex ratio at birth 107.7
Women in Hong Kong are projected to live 5.3 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 82 to 1.4 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #233 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 32.9 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Hong Kong
The median age of 47.9 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 0.75 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 85.9 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,378,602 | #107 | Largest first |
| Median age | 47.9 years | #8 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 0.75 | #236 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.5% | #205 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 85.9 years | #3 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 24.7% | #10 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Hong Kong
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60–64 | 613,131 | 8.3% | 274.3K / 338.8K |
| 2 | 40–44 | 587,894 | 8.0% | 228.7K / 359.2K |
| 3 | 65–69 | 583,506 | 7.9% | 279.6K / 303.9K |
| 4 | 45–49 | 582,206 | 7.9% | 227.2K / 355K |
| 5 | 50–54 | 573,613 | 7.8% | 232.5K / 341.1K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Hong Kong has 3,317,734 males and 4,060,868 females. That is 81.7 males per 100 females, ranking #237 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 45.0% of the population and females for 55.0%. There are 743,134 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 87.5 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 107.7 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, above the biological norm of about 105 (see the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Hong Kong has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 1,978,342 in 1950 to 7,378,602 in 2026, a change of 273%. Over the same span, median age moved from 22.8 to 47.9 years.
The under-15 share changed from 30.0% to 10.0%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 2.5% to 24.7%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Hong Kong’s population is projected to decline by about 17%, reaching 6,090,619 in 2050. The median age changes from 47.9 to 62.0 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 21.7 percentage points to 46.4%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 5.6%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 7,490,236 in 2020. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,978,342 | 22.8 | 4.25 | 57.8 | 78,773 | 21,025 | +31,230 | +4.5% |
| 1960 | 3,094,840 | 22.2 | 5.08 | 66.1 | 112,252 | 19,960 | +20,811 | +3.6% |
| 1970 | 3,739,916 | 19.3 | 3.39 | 71.3 | 63,000 | 17,200 | +302,462 | +9.3% |
| 1980 | 4,962,484 | 24.5 | 2.06 | 74.2 | 86,309 | 26,266 | +45,107 | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 5,560,597 | 29.9 | 1.28 | 77.4 | 72,435 | 29,933 | −26,077 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 6,704,664 | 35.0 | 1.03 | 80.7 | 63,229 | 36,208 | +58,755 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 7,101,617 | 39.9 | 1.12 | 82.9 | 69,810 | 44,159 | +8,307 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 7,490,236 | 44.4 | 0.89 | 84.7 | 55,485 | 54,624 | −1,800 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 7,442,734 | 46.2 | 0.72 | 85.5 | 41,294 | 57,190 | −3,427 | -0.3% |
| 2024* | 7,414,910 | 46.8 | 0.73 | 85.6 | 40,219 | 57,277 | −19,272 | -0.5% |
| 2026* | 7,378,602 | 47.9 | 0.75 | 85.9 | 38,112 | 59,151 | −12,576 | -0.5% |
| 2030* | 7,252,647 | 50.4 | 0.79 | 86.4 | 32,557 | 63,762 | −6,941 | -0.5% |
| 2040* | 6,816,568 | 56.5 | 0.88 | 87.8 | 23,366 | 80,483 | −3,843 | -0.9% |
| 2050* | 6,090,619 | 62.0 | 0.96 | 89.1 | 20,810 | 99,275 | −2,103 | -1.3% |
| 2060* | 5,199,364 | 66.7 | 1.02 | 90.3 | 14,146 | 103,835 | −495 | -1.7% |
| 2070* | 4,325,089 | 70.2 | 1.08 | 91.4 | 10,704 | 100,061 | −308 | -2.1% |
| 2080* | 3,448,212 | 70.9 | 1.13 | 92.4 | 9,281 | 94,521 | +2,217 | -2.4% |
| 2090* | 2,675,403 | 71.9 | 1.16 | 93.4 | 7,540 | 78,235 | −185 | -2.6% |
| 2100* | 2,080,290 | 72.4 | 1.20 | 94.4 | 5,667 | 56,085 | −1,302 | -2.5% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 106,172 | 98,585 | 204,757 | 2.8% |
| 5–9 | 123,419 | 118,945 | 242,364 | 3.3% |
| 10–14 | 147,555 | 144,538 | 292,093 | 4.0% |
| 15–19 | 146,250 | 140,786 | 287,036 | 3.9% |
| 20–24 | 125,801 | 124,595 | 250,396 | 3.4% |
| 25–29 | 167,985 | 172,257 | 340,242 | 4.6% |
| 30–34 | 222,344 | 257,079 | 479,423 | 6.5% |
| 35–39 | 228,951 | 311,805 | 540,756 | 7.3% |
| 40–44 | 228,668 | 359,226 | 587,894 | 8.0% |
| 45–49 | 227,178 | 355,028 | 582,206 | 7.9% |
| 50–54 | 232,494 | 341,119 | 573,613 | 7.8% |
| 55–59 | 236,709 | 326,976 | 563,685 | 7.6% |
| 60–64 | 274,318 | 338,813 | 613,131 | 8.3% |
| 65–69 | 279,638 | 303,868 | 583,506 | 7.9% |
| 70–74 | 225,422 | 248,624 | 474,046 | 6.4% |
| 75–79 | 163,567 | 179,974 | 343,541 | 4.7% |
| 80–84 | 82,074 | 91,570 | 173,644 | 2.4% |
| 85–89 | 58,059 | 70,213 | 128,272 | 1.7% |
| 90–94 | 30,502 | 48,733 | 79,235 | 1.1% |
| 95–99 | 8,621 | 20,814 | 29,435 | 0.4% |
| 100+ | 2,006 | 7,319 | 9,325 | 0.1% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Hong Kong’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Taiwan95% overlap · median age 45.4
- South Korea94% overlap · median age 46.2
- Bosnia and Herzegovina93% overlap · median age 46.1
- Bermuda92% overlap · median age 46.4
- Slovenia92% overlap · median age 45.0
- Bulgaria92% overlap · median age 45.0
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Hong Kong.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Hong Kong Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/hong-kong/
MLA
“Hong Kong Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/hong-kong/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Hong Kong Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/hong-kong/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Hong Kong in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Hong Kong's population in 2026 is projected at 7,378,602.
What is the median age in Hong Kong?
The projected median age in Hong Kong in 2026 is 47.9 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Hong Kong?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 0.75 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Hong Kong's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 17%, from 7.4M to 6.1M.
What share of Hong Kong is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 24.7% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 46.4%.
How many babies are born in Hong Kong each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 38,112 births and 59,151 deaths in 2026, about 104 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 21,039.
What is life expectancy in Hong Kong for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 88.5 years for women and 83.2 years for men, a gap of 5.3 years in favour of women.
Does Hong Kong have more immigrants or emigrants?
Hong Kong is projected to lose about 12,576 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +338,656.
What is the sex ratio in Hong Kong?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 81.7 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.