2025 Edition Primary

Background

The UK seized Hong Kong in 1841, and China formally ceded it the following year at the end of the First Opium War. The Kowloon Peninsula was added in 1860 at the end of the Second Opium War, and the UK obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Pursuant to a UK-China agreement in 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China as of 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic and strict political system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years. <br><br>After the handover, Hong Kong continued to enjoy success as an international financial center. However, growing Chinese political influence and dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong Government in the 2010s became central issues and led to considerable civil unrest, including large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019 after the HKSAR attempted to revise a local ordinance to allow extraditions to mainland China. In response to the protests, the governments of the HKSAR and China reduced the city's autonomy and placed new restrictions on the rights of Hong Kong residents, moves that were widely criticized as contravening obligations under the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Democratic lawmakers and political figures were arrested in a widespread crackdown, while others fled abroad. At the same time, dozens of civil society groups and several independent media outlets were closed or disbanded. In 2021, Beijing imposed a more restrictive electoral system, restructuring the Legislative Council (LegCo) and allowing only government-approved candidates to run for office. The changes ensured that virtually all seats in the 2021 LegCo election went to pro-establishment candidates and effectively ended political opposition to Beijing. In 2024, the LegCo passed a new national security law (Article 23 of the Basic Law) further expanding the Hong Kong Government's power to curb dissent.

Area

Land

1,073 sq km

Total

1,108 sq km

Water

35 sq km

Area - comparative

six times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Coastline

733 km

Continent

Asia

Elevation

Highest point

Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Geography - note

consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and over 200 islands

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

CHN

number of neighbors

1

Regional borders

China 33 km

Total

33 km

Land use

Agricultural land

3.8% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.9% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1% (2023 est.)

arable land

1.9%

Forest

0% (2022 est.)

Other

96.2% (2022 est.)

permanent crops

0.95%

Landlocked

No

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map links

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/1sEnNmT47ffrC8MU8

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/913110

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

Territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons

Natural resources

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Population distribution

population fairly evenly distributed

Subregion

Eastern Asia

Terrain

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Time zone

UTC+08:00

number of time zones

1

Age structure

0-14 years

13.2% (male 505,718/female 459,956)

15-64 years

64.8% (male 2,123,216/female 2,609,102)

65 years and over

21.9% (2024 est.) (male 738,878/female 860,951)

Birth rate

7.45 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.8% (2021 est.)

Death rate

8.16 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

adult female

35 per 1,000

adult male

65 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

Elderly dependency ratio

35.8 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

2.8 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

56.7 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

20.8 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved total

100%

Improved: rural

rural: NA

Improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: NA

Unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

15.7% national budget (2024 est.)

Education expenditures

4 % of GDP

Ethnic groups

Chinese 91.6%, Filipino 2.7%, Indonesian 1.9%, other 3.7% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.6 (2025 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Female

2.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

Cantonese (official) 85.4%, English (official) 4.5%, Putonghua (official) 2.2%, other Chinese dialects 2.8%, other 2%, persons under 5 or mute 3.2% (2021 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

<br> <p>世界概况, 必須擁有的基本資料参考书 (Cantonese)</p> <br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Note

<strong>note:</strong> data represent population by usual spoken language

number of languages

2

Life expectancy at birth

Female

86.8 years

Male

81.3 years

Total population

84 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

7.685 million Hong Kong (2023)

Median age

Female

48.6 years

Male

45.3 years

Total

47.6 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.8 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Chinese/Hong Kong

Noun

Chinese/Hong Konger

Net migration rate

1.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Physician density

2.04 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

Female

3,938,334

Male

3,367,222

Total

7,305,556 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.09% (2025 est.)

Religions

Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3% (2016 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> many people practice Confucianism, regardless of their religion or not having a religious affiliation

Sanitation facility access

improved total

94.83%

Improved: total

total: 96.5% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 96.5% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Female

17 years (2023 est.)

Male

17 years (2023 est.)

Total

17 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.81 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.86 male(s)/female

At birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Total population

0.86 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.24 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization

0.58% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

100% of total population (2023)

Capital

geographic coordinates

22.267, 114.188

name

City of Victoria

Citizenship

see China

Coat of arms

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/hk.svg

Constitution

Amendment process

proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People&rsquo;s Congress (NPC), the People&rsquo;s Republic of China State Council, or the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two thirds of Hong Kong&rsquo;s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC

History

several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution)&nbsp;

Note

<strong>note:</strong> since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law

Country name

Abbreviation

HK

alternative spellings

HK

Conventional long form

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Conventional short form

Hong Kong

Etymology

probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"

FIFA code

HKG

Local long form

Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball)

local long form (eng)

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China

Local short form

Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball)

Dependency status

special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission

Consul General Julie EADEH (since August 2025); note - also accredited to Macau

Email address and website

<br>acshk@state.gov<br><br>https://hk.usconsulate.gov/

Embassy

26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong

FAX

[852] 2845-1598

Mailing address

8000 Hong Kong Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-8000

Telephone

[852] 2523-9011

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission

none (Special Administrative Region of China)

HKETO offices

New York, San Francisco, Washington DC

Note

<strong>note</strong>: Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China and does not have a diplomatic presence; the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison activities and communication with the US government and other US entities; the position of the Hong Kong Commissioner to the US Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is vacant; address: 1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: [1] (202) 331-8947; FAX: [1] (202) 331-8958; email:  hketo@hketowashington.gov.hk; website: https://www.hketowashington.gov.hk/

Executive branch

Cabinet

Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive

Chief of state

President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)

Election results

<em><br>2022: </em>John LEE was the only candidate and won with over 99% of the vote by the Election Committee<em><br><br><em>2017</em>: </em>Carrie LAM elected; Election Committee vote - Carrie LAM (non-partisan) 777, John TSANG (non-partisan) 365, WOO Kwok-hing (non-partisan) 21, 23 ballots rejected (1,186 votes cast)

Election/appointment process

president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)

Expected date of next election

<em>president: </em>March 2028<em><br><br>chief executive: </em>2027

Head of government

Chief Executive John LEE Ka-chiu (since 1 July 2022)

Most recent election date

<em>president: </em>10 March 2023<em><br><br>chief executive: </em>8 May 2022

Note

<strong>note:</strong> electoral changes that Beijing imposed in March 2021 expanded the Election Committee to 1,500 members

Flag

<strong>description:</strong> 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<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the red color is the same as the Chinese flag and represents the motherland, and the five stars also echo the Chinese flag; the Bauhinia flower was developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century and has come to symbolize the region

Flag description

The flag of Hong Kong is red with a stylized, five-petal, white Bauhinia flower in the center. Each petal has a small, five-pointed red star.

Flag image

svg

https://flagcdn.com/hk.svg

Government type

presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Independence

none (special administrative region of China)

International organization participation

ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Highest court(s)

Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges)

Judge selection and term of office

all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice, other judges, and judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges serve until normal retirement at age 65, but term can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit

Subordinate courts

High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

Legal system

mixed system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure); China's imposition of National Security Law incorporates elements of Chinese civil law

Legislative branch

Electoral system

20 members directly elected; 70 members indirectly elected

Expected date of next election

December 2029

Legislative structure

unicameral

Legislature name

Legislative Council or LegCo

Most recent election date

7 December 2025

Note

<strong>note:</strong> all political candidates are evaluated by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC), which was established in April 2022; CERC members are all appointed by the chief executive

Number of seats

90

Parties elected and seats per party

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) 20, Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Unions (HKFTU) 8, Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA) 7, &nbsp;Liberal (LP) 4, New People's Party (NPP) 3, Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers (HKFEW) 2, Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions (HKFLU) 2, Professional Power (PP) 1, Roundtable (RT) 1, New Territories Association of Societies (NTAS) 1, Kowloon West New Dynamic (KWND) 1, Independents 40

Scope of elections

full

National color(s)

red, white

National holiday

National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949)

note

<strong>note:</strong> 1 July (1997) is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

National symbol(s)

bauhinia flower

Political parties

Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong or BPA <br>Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB <br>Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions or HKFLU <br>Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers or HKFEW <br>Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions or HKFTU <br>Kowloon West New Dynamic or KWND<br>Liberal Party or LP <br>New People's Party or NPP<br>New Prospect for Hong Kong or NPHK <br>New Territories Association of Societies or NTAS <br>Professional Power or PP <br>Roundtable or RT

note

<strong>note 1:</strong> there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> by the end of 2021, the leading pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong had been effectively removed from the political arena under the provisions of Beijing's 2021 electoral changes or via charges under the 2020 national security law; in addition, dozens of pro-democracy organizations, including political parties, unions, churches, civil rights groups, and media organizations have disbanded or closed; as of 2023, nearly all politically active groups were pro-Beijing

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age in direct elections for 20 of the 90 Legislative Council seats and all of the seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past 7 years

note

<strong>note:</strong> in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other 70 legislature seats and a 1,500-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials

UN Member

No

Agricultural products

pork, chicken, spinach, vegetables, pork offal, game meat, beef, fruits, onions, pork fat (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

On alcohol and tobacco

0.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

On food

11.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

Expenditures

$105.849 billion (2020 est.)

Revenues

$70.124 billion (2020 est.)

Currency

code

HKD

name

Hong Kong dollar (HKD) [$]

Current account balance

$52.55 billion

Current account balance 2022

$36.525 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$32.338 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$52.475 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

high-income tourism- and services-based economy; global financial hub; COVID-19 and political protests fueled recent recession; ongoing recovery but lower-skilled unemployment remains high; investing in job-reskilling programs

Exchange rates

Currency

Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

7.757 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

7.773 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

7.831 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

7.83 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

7.804 (2024 est.)

Exports

$739.64 billion

Exports 2022

$697.583 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$673.738 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$739.915 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, integrated circuits, gas turbines, broadcasting equipment, jewelry (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 22%, Vietnam 12%, S. Korea 8%, Netherlands 5%, Switzerland 4% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows

$125.82 billion

GDP - composition, by end use

Exports of goods and services

181.7% (2024 est.)

Government consumption

12.8% (2024 est.)

Household consumption

67.4% (2024 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-177.7% (2024 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

16.2% (2024 est.)

Investment in inventories

-0.5% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture

0% (2023 est.)

Industry

6.3% (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

91.4% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$407.107 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$54,075

GNI (gross national income)

$445.41 billion

GNI per capita

$57,070

Gross domestic investment

16 % of GDP

Imports

$723.06 billion

Imports 2022

$682.881 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$671.492 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$723.397 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, gold, machine parts, jewelry (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 40%, Taiwan 10%, Singapore 7%, Japan 5%, S. Korea 4% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.4% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.73%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

1.9% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.7% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

3.836 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

3.8 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

0.18%

industry

14.01%

services

85.8%

Public debt

Public debt 2016

0.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$565.78 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$470.42 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$485.541 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$497.88 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

2.5%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-3.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$75,196

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$64,000 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$64,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$66,200 (2024 est.)

Remittances

$457.57 million

Note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2022

0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$425.55 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$496.867 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$424.03 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$425.554 billion (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.8%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

4.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

2.8% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female

6.3% (2024 est.)

Male

10.5% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

8.4% (2024 est.)

Coal

Consumption

5.567 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Exports

16,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Imports

5.884 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption

45.54 billion kWh (2023 est.)

consumption per capita

6,375 kWh

Imports

11.593 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

13.3 million kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

3.684 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

Electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

Biomass and waste

0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

99.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

0%

nuclear

0%

renewable

0.84%

Solar

0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

1,566 kg of oil equivalent

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

116.811 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

Consumption

5.12 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Imports

5.12 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption

233,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Total petroleum production

96 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

0.4%

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants

40 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

40 (2023 est.)

Total

2.97 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

34 commercial terrestrial TV networks, each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 licensed broadcasters, one of which is government-funded, operate about 12 radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.hk

Internet users

Percent of population

96% (2023 est.)

Telephone calling code

+852

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

47 (2023 est.)

Total subscriptions

3.487 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100

319 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

365 (2024 est.)

Total subscriptions

27.1 million (2024 est.)

Air transport

passengers carried

25.7 million passengers

registered carrier departures

143,874 departures

Airports

2 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

B-H

Driving side

Left

Heliports

142 (2025)

Merchant marine

By type

bulk carrier 1,047, container ship 560, general cargo 144, oil tanker 394, other 392

Total

2,537 (2023)

Ports

Key ports

Hong Kong

Large

1

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

1

Small

0

Total ports

1 (2024)

Very small

0

Vehicle registration code

HK

Military and security forces

Hong Kong Police Force (specialized units include the Police Counterterrorism Response Unit, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau, the Special Duties Unit, the Airport Security Unit, and the VIP Protection Unit)<br><br>China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison is responsible for defense duties; the garrison includes elements of the PLA Army, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force and are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Southern Theater Command (2025)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

<br>major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Refugees

260 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

Tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Hong Kong remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/hong-kong/

Carbon dioxide emissions

From coal and metallurgical coke

12.935 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From consumed natural gas

10.045 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From petroleum and other liquids

35.453 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Total emissions

58.433 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization; urban waste pollution; industrial pollution

Protected areas

42 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

1 % of total

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually

5.68 million tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

34% (2016 est.)