Good to know
Good to Know
- Hong Kong's population is highly internationalized with nearly 8.4% foreign-born residents, many in professional and entrepreneurial roles beyond the visible domestic helper population.
- The city has Asia's strongest fintech ecosystem with over 1,100 companies and multiple unicorns; FinTech dominates the startup landscape but AI, greentech, and healthcare tech are rapidly growing sectors.
- 28% of startup founders are non-local, reflecting Hong Kong's role as a global business hub attracting international talent.
- The city's aging population (median age 47.9) and very low fertility rate (0.72 births per woman) contrast sharply with its youthful, dynamic startup and innovation sectors.
- English is widely spoken in business settings, easing integration for expats and foreign entrepreneurs; Cantonese remains the primary local language.
- Hong Kong government actively promotes foreign investment and talent, with dedicated InvestHK support and talent admission schemes processing 60,000 applications in 2024.
Ethnic Composition
Chinese (Han Chinese)
- Percentage
- 91.6
Non-Chinese (Ethnic Minorities)
- Percentage
- 8.4
Fintech Ecosystem
- Unicorn Count
- 10
- Fintech Companies
- 1100
- Market Size Projection
- HK$4,710,000,000,000
- Fintech Investments 2024
- HK$18,600,000,000
Strengths
- Wealthtech leader (second-largest cross-boundary wealth management centre globally)
- Blockchain and digital assets highest concentration in Asia
- Payment and remittance infrastructure
- Virtual banking licenses and regulatory sandbox support
Notable Unicorns
- Airwallex
- HashKey Group
- WeLab
- Micro Connect
- ZA Group
Startup Ecosystem
- Growth Rate
- 10% year-over-year
- International Founder Percentage
- 28
- Year
- 2024
- Total Startups
- 4694
- Total Employment
- 17651
Leading Sectors
- FinTech
- E-commerce
- Supply chain/logistics technology
- Healthcare/medical technology
- Green technology
- Artificial intelligence
Government Support
- Innovation Fund
- HK$10,000,000,000
- Accelerator Pilot Scheme
- HK$180,000,000
Global Business Presence
Hong Kong Ranked As
- Top 3 global financial centre
- Top 4 fintech centre globally
- Leading IPO market (4th largest globally as of 2022)
- Super-connector for East-West business flows per World Bank 2024
Foreign Investment Activity
- Growth
- 41% increase from 2023
- Supporting Agency
- Invest Hong Kong
- Overseas Companies Assisted 2024
- 539
Foreign Born And Notable Nationalities
- Foreign Born Percentage
- 8.4
- Total Foreign Born Estimate
- 619568
- Note On Domestic Helpers
- Filipinos and Indonesians include many short-term foreign domestic helpers; excluding domestic helpers, ethnic minorities comprised 3.6% in 2016
Expatriate Population
- Percentage Of Total
- 8
- Note
- Hong Kong ranks 7th globally for proportion of expatriates, higher than most developed nations outside Middle East and Switzerland
Largest Non Chinese Communities
Filipino
- Percentage
- 2.7
- Estimate
- 200000
- Context
- Largest non-Chinese group; many are domestic helpers but growing professional community
Indonesian
- Percentage
- 1.9
- Context
- Second largest; significant domestic helper population
Thai
- Year
- 2016
- Estimate
- 10215
- Context
- About 33% concentrated in Kowloon City
Indian
- Percentage
- 0.6
Nepalese
- Percentage
- 0.4
Pakistani
- Percentage
- 0.3
European (All Origins)
- Percentage
- 0.8
- Context
- 48.9% reside on Hong Kong Island where they comprise 2.5% of local population
Total Population
- Year
- 2026
- Figure
- 7378602
- Source Note
- UN estimates, mid-year 2026
Population Density
- Rank Global
- 4th most densely populated region in the world
- Per Km Squared
- 7027
Demographic Characteristics
- Fertility Rate
- 0.72
- Median Age
- 47.9
- Life Expectancy At Birth
- 85.5
- Note
- Well below replacement rate; world's lowest birth rates
Gender Split
- Male Percentage
- 44.96
- Female Percentage
- 55.04
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Hong Kong
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.