The city’s population statistics marked 7,333,200 at the end of 2022, according to a report released by the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday, representing a decrease of 68,300 or 0.9 percent from the figure of 7,401,500 at the end of 2021.

Among this, 29,500 were recorded as a natural decrease, with 32,500 newborns and 62,100 deaths in Hong Kong last year, marking the lowest birth rate in the past 30 years.

The city also witnessed a net outflow of 38,800 people under an inflow of 21,200 people and a net outflow of 60,000 Hong Kong residents.

"Net movement includes the movement of residents into and out of Hong Kong for various purposes such as work, study, and migration, but the breakdown of figures is not available as Hong Kong residents traveling abroad are not required to declare to the government their purpose of travel," said a government spokesperson, "therefore, the government does not have direct statistics on the emigration of Hong Kong residents."

Meanwhile, Hong Kong saw a drop in the unemployment rate for nine months in a row as the number of unemployed people in the city decreased to 118,400 in January this year.

Total employment decreased by around 3,100 from the number logged in December last year, and the labor force also decreased by about 10,700.

Almost all the major economic sectors, with more distinct decreases observed in the construction and retail sectors, saw a decline in the unemployment rate, contributing to the overall figure drop by 0.9 percent or 7,600 compared to last December.

"The labor market conditions in the coming months should be further improved, " Secretary for Labor and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han forecasted positively.