Number of mainland Chinese migrants coming to Hong Kong drops by almost 15,000 from last year, government data shows
The last time there was such a steep decline was more than a decade ago
The number of mainland migrants entering Hong Kong via a one-way permit saw its biggest drop in a decade, government data showed, raising questions on whether the city has become a less attractive destination.
Some 41,000 mainlanders moved to the city in the past 12 months ending June 30, according to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department (CSD) on Tuesday.
It was a decrease of 14,700 from the previous 12-month period when 55,700 mainland Chinese moved to the city via the scheme between mid-2016 and mid-2017, an 11-year high.
The last time there was such a steep decline was more than a decade ago, between 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 when the number fell by 14,900 to 44,700 people.
The one-way permit scheme, which allows up to 150 mainlanders each day to move to the city, is meant to help spouses and children born across the border reunite with their families in Hong Kong.
Close to 950,000 mainland migrants moved to the city via the scheme as of end-2016, making up about 12.8 per cent of Hong Kong’s population.