Census also shows fewer weddings, more females in the workplace and more men taking mainland wives
The changing gender ratio means there are now fewer men than women in Hong Kong.
A decade ago, the sexes were equal in number. Now, there are only 961 men for every 1,000 women.
If foreign domestic helpers are included in the calculation, the figure falls even lower - to 911 men for every 1,000 women, according to results of the government's 2006 by-census.
Statistics released yesterday showed many men were turning to the mainland for wives, as more Hong Kong women chose careers over husbands.
Commissioner for Census and Statistics Fung Hing-wang said of 50,300 marriages registered in Hong Kong last year, 18,000 involved men who brought brides from the mainland. A further 10,000 men obtained certificates of absence of marriage so they could get married on the mainland.
Mr Fung said the number of marriages had declined over the past 10 years and the proportion of women who never married increased from 28.9 per cent in 1996 to 30.7 per cent last year. The proportion of unmarried men was higher, at 34.3 per cent last year, a slight increase on the 34.2 per cent recorded in 1996.