Browse a full set of economic indicators

Hong Kong SAR

Includes Hong Kong real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Hong Kong economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Hong Kong best banks and safest banks are also available.

Basic Information

Government Type: Presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China

Capital City: Hong Kong

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank
Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Currency Hong Kong dollars (HKD)

International Reserves
USD 424.7 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 363.0 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) Intl$ 480.5 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth
2007: 6.5%
2008: 2.1%
2009: -2.5%
2010: 6.8%
2011: 4.8%
2012: 1.7%
2013: 3.1%
2014: 2.8%
2015: 2.4%
2016: 2.2%
2017: 3.8%
2018: 3.0%
*Estimate
GDP per capita – current prices USD 48,517.4 (2018, estimate)
GDP per capita – PPP Intl$ 64,215.7 (2018, estimate)
GDP (PPP) – share of world total 1980: 0.27%
1990: 0.38%
2000: 0.37%
2010: 0.38%
2019: 0.35%
*Estimate
GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 7.2%
services: 88.6%
(2017 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2015: 3%
2016: 2.4%
2017: 1.5%
2018*: 2.4%
2019: 3%
*Estimate

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2015: 3%
2016: 2.4%
2017: 1.5%
2018*: 2.4%
2019: 3%
*Estimate
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: AA+

Moody’s: Aa12

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s
Unemployment rate 2017 13.7%
2018 12.3%
2019 11.5%
2020* 11.7%
2021* 12%

*Estimate
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2015: 0.1%
2016: 0.1%
2017: 0.1%
2018: 0.1%
2019*: 0%
*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2015: 0.6%
2016: 4.4%
2017: 5.5%
2018: 2.3%
2019*: 0.6%
*Estimate
Market value of publicly traded shares 2016: USD 3,193.2 billion
2017: USD 4,350.5 billion
2018: USD 3,819.2 billion
Largest Companies Beijing Enterprises, China Resources Power, China Mengniu Dairy, Power Assets Holdings, Cathay Pacific Airways, Sino Biopharmaceutical, Techtronic Industries, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery, Shenzhou International Group Holdings, Nine Dragons Paper Holdings, China Mobile, CITIC, AIA Group, CNOOC, CK Hutchison, China Unicom, China Resources Land, Jardine Matheson, Sun Hung Kai Properties, CK Asset Holdings, Swire Pacific, New World Development, China Taiping Insurance, CLP Holdings, MTR, Henderson Land, Great Eagle Holdings, First Pacific, China Oriental Group, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, China Agri-Industries, Sino Land, Yuexiu Property Co., Li & Fung, Shimao Property Holdings, Wheelock, Geely Automobile Holdings, WH Group, Link REIT, Lenovo Group, Hong Kong Exchanges, Galaxy Entertainment, Towngas, China Resources Pharmaceutical Group, Bank of East Asia, China Gas Holdings, China Jinmao, Sun Art Retail Group, Far East Horizon, Kerry Properties, China Merchants Port Holdings, Hang Lung Group, KWG Group Holdings, Hopson Development Holdings, China Resources Gas Group, Guangdong Investment, China Resources Cement Holdings, Kingboard Holdings

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 188% (2018)
Shares in world total merchandising export 2.92% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export 1.97% (2018)
Total exports USD 682.7 billion (2018 estimate)
Export commodities Electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, watches and clocks, toys, “jewelry, goldsmiths’ and silversmiths’ wares, and other articles of precious or semi-precious materials”; hong kong plays an important role as entrepot to the chinese mainland; in 2017, 58% of hong kong’s re-exports originated in mainland china, and 54% were destined for the chinese mainland
Total imports
USD 682.6 billion (2018 estimate)
Import commodities Raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)
Exports – major partners China 54.1%, US 7.7% (2017)

Imports – major partners China 44.6%, Singapore 6.4%, Japan 6.1%, South Korea 5.5%, US 5.2% (2017)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD 15.6 billion (2018 estimate)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP 4.3 % (2018 estimate)
FDI inflows 2016: USD 117,387 million
2017: USD 110,685 million
2018: USD 115,662 million
FDI Outflows 2016: USD 59,703 million
2017: USD 86,704 million
2018: USD 85,162 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser 2015: USD 19,598 million
2016: USD 11,113 million
2017: USD 23,686 million
2018: USD 13,604 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 2014
CITIC Pacific Ltd, CITIC Ltd, China, USD 42.2 billion / MMG South America Management Co Ltd, Xstrata Peru SA, Peru, USD 7.0 billion / Lenovo Group Ltd, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc, United States, USD 3.1 billion
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 China Resources (Holdings) Co Ltd, Ondereel Ltd,Best-Growth Resources Ltd,Havensbrook Investments Ltd,China Resourc, Hong Kong, China, USD 14.0 billion / Chia Tai Bright Investment Co Ltd, CITIC Ltd, Hong Kong, China, USD 5.9 billion / China Overseas Holdings Ltd, China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd, Hong Kong, China, USD 5.5 billion / Alpha Progress Global Ltd, Celestial Domain Investments Ltd, China, USD 5.5 billion / Chia Tai Bright Investment Co Ltd, CITIC Ltd, Hong Kong, China, USD 4.4 billion
Best countries for doing business Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

3 out of 190 countries

​Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 5 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 1 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 3 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 51 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 37 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 7 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 2 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 29 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 31 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 45 out of 190 countries
Global competitiveness ranking
3 out of 141 countries

(2019)
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 1 / Score: 90.2 (Free)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Population & Geographic Data

Time Zone UTC+8
Total Area 1,108 sq km
Total Population 1990: 5.79 million
2000: 6.71 million
2010: 7.05 million
2015: 7.31 million
2020: 7.64 million
*Estimate
Urban population as % of total population 1960: 85.2%
1980: 91.5%
2000: 100%
2018: 100%
Population median age 44.8 years
Population growth rate 0.29% (2018 estimate)
Life expectancy
83.1 years (2018 estimate)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day N/A

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) N/A

Freedom House rating Partly Free
Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 2 (2018)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population Fixed: 57.2% Mobile: 259.4% (2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 89.42 % (2017)

Language & Religon

Languages Cantonese (official) 88.9%, English (official) 4.3%, Mandarin (official) 1.9%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 1.9% (2016 est.)
Literacy N/A
Religions Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3% (2016 est.)

World Rankings

Population 7.64 M
Mercer Cost of living index Hong Kong: 1st (2019)

C02 Emissions per capita 6.39 metric tons per capita (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Hong Kong

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


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