Hong Kong’s population edges up to 7.5 million, second year of post-COVID growth

Hong Kong's population rose 0.4% to 7.50 million in 2023, boosted by a net inflow of returning residents and people on residential schemes, the government said, as the financial hub marked its second year of population growth since the pandemic. The increase of 30,500 people from 7.47 million in 2022 comes as the Chinese special administrative region is trying to bolster its economy and international appeal after three years of strict COVID rules. The government said the population increase was the second year since "normalcy resumed" in the former British colony.