Decline in Marriage Rates in Hong Kong: A 7.4% Decrease Observed
In the year 2024, the bustling city of Hong Kong saw a shift in its demographic landscape, with several notable changes in marriage trends and population dynamics.
According to the "Women and Men in Hong Kong" report published by the Census and Statistics Department, the number of registered marriages in 2024 was 44,196. While this figure represents an increase from the 30,012 recorded in 2022, it marks a 7.4% decrease compared to 2023. The decrease is believed to have been affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
Hong Kong's population at the end of 2024 was 7.5 million. Of this total, 3.9 million residents were married. The female residents in Hong Kong at the end of 2024 numbered 4.1 million, with 2.3 million of them married. Conversely, the male residents in Hong Kong at the end of 2024 numbered 3.4 million, with 1.6 million of them married.
Interestingly, there was a difference of 691,600 between the number of female and male residents in Hong Kong at the end of 2024. This gender imbalance, coupled with changing social norms and significant financial pressures, has contributed to the decrease in the number of registered marriages. Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, chair professor of population health at the University of Hong Kong, attributed the trend in marriage numbers to these factors.
Despite the decrease in the number of registered marriages, the number of newborns in Hong Kong in 2024 increased by 10.5%. However, despite this increase, the overall population of children aged up to 14 in Hong Kong fell by 4.7%. This suggests a shift in the city's demographic structure towards an older population.
The estimated year when the number of registered marriages in Hong Kong is expected to reach a minimum due to these changing social norms and financial burdens is around the mid-2020s, reflecting current societal trends and economic pressures. As Hong Kong navigates these demographic changes, it will be interesting to see how these trends evolve in the coming years.
