There seems to be some problem with numbers in the South China Morning Post and particularly with the way they are portrayed in stories. The case in point is yesterday's article on the number of expatriates living in Hong Kong ('Influx of maids boosts expat numbers').
The article cites the number of foreigners in Hong Kong last year and says this figure has more than doubled since 1991 'due mainly to an influx of domestic helpers from Southeast Asia'. True, the number more than doubled - a 109.6 per cent rise, to be precise - but foreign domestic helpers were actually a drag on the rate of increase, not a cause.
The number of Filipinos increased 104.6 per cent, five percentage points slower than the total expatriate population. The number of Indonesian domestic helpers rose 102 per cent, nearly eight points slower.
Subtract the rise in Filipinos and Indonesian domestic helpers, and the rest of the expatriate population rose not 109.6 per cent but 114.1 per cent.
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