For every 100 men in the city between 20 and 34, there are 127 women in the same age bracket.
Competition for dates may be tough for women already, but it's getting tougher with the growing sophistication of virtual 'girlfriends' in video games. On Friday, Japanese computer game manufacturer Illusion released Real Kanojo (kanojo is Japanese for 'her'), an adult game which, according to the official website, is not available outside Japan.
However, the game is available in Hong Kong and local gamers have responded to the release with enthusiasm in online forums. That's raised concerns about negative effects on youth among people who work in the areas of child abuse and the psychology of sexuality.
Via a webcam and mouse control, players interact with a virtual girl who submits and responds. Players can caress the girl and otherwise interact with her. The game comes with a pair of 3-D glasses and its maker says it 'challenges the limits of expression' as the most advanced game of its kind. The official website had recorded 500,000 downloads by January 25. It was released in November.
One forum contributor nicknamed 'I lost my girlfriend' said: 'Great game for addicts like me!' But a member nicknamed 'iudf' said: 'It's not real. It just makes you feel inferior.' Another, nicknamed 'BALTHASAR' said: 'She doesn't yell back if you scream at her, and she doesn't hit back if you hit her. How is that real?'
One forum member who said she was female, said: 'Because there are fewer men than women these days, some Hong Kong girls can't find a husband. Other girls focus too much on their career and have difficulty finding an ideal relationship. I think there is a market for virtual boyfriends.'
A reviewer in a local games magazine called the game an upgraded version of Love Plus - a fairly innocuous dating simulation game.