Economy Of Hong Kong

Economy overview Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Imports and exports, including reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has increased competitive pressure on Hong Kong's service industries, and Hong Kong's re-export business from China is a major driver of growth. Per capita GDP compares with the level in the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989-1997, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past 6 years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and the global downturn of 2001-2002. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak also battered Hong Kong's economy, but a boom in tourism from the mainland because of China's easing of travel restrictions, a return of consumer confidence, and a solid rise in exports resulted in the resumption of strong growth in late 2003.
 
GDP purchasing power parity - $213 billion (2004 est.)
 
GDP - real growth rate 3.3% (2004 est.)
 
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $28,800 (2004 est.)
 
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 12.1%
services: 87.9% (2004 est.)
 
Investment gross fixed 22.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
 
Population below poverty line NA
 
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
 
Distribution of family income - Gini index  
Inflation rate consumer prices -2.6% (2004 est.)
 
Labor force 3.5 million (2004 est.)
 
Labor force by occupation manufacturing 8.2%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.5%, financing, insurance, and real estate 19.5%, transport and communications 7.8%, community and social services 17.8% (Note: above data exclude public sector) (2002 est.)
 
Unemployment rate 7.9% (2004 est.)
 
Budget
revenues: $26.17 billion
expenditures: $32.64 billion, including capital expenditures of $5 billion (2004 est.)
 
Public debt  
Agriculture products fresh vegetables, poultry, fish, pork
 
Industries textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
 
Industrial production growth rate -9.2% (2004 est.)
 
Electricity production 30.48 billion kWh (2001)
 
Electricity production by source
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
 
Electricity consumption 37.12 billion kWh (2001)
 
Electricity exports 1.581 billion kWh (2001)
 
Electricity imports 10.36 billion kWh (2001)
 
Oil production 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 
Oil consumption 257,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 
Oil exports NA (2001)
 
Oil imports NA (2001)
 
Oil proved reserves  
Natural gas production 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 
Natural gas consumption 680.9 million cu m (2001 est.)
 
Natural gas exports 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 
Natural gas imports 680.9 million cu m (2001 est.)
 
Natural gas proved reserves  
Current account balance $17.42 billion (2004 est.)
 
Exports $225.9 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2004 est.)
 
Exports commodities electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones
 
Exports partners China 42.6%, US 18.7%, Japan 5.4% (2003)
 
Imports $230.3 billion (2003 est.)
 
Imports commodities electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics; a large share is reexported
 
Imports partners China 43.5%, Japan 11.9%, Taiwan 6.9%, US 5.5%, Singapore 5%, South Korea 4.8% (2003)
 
Reserves of foreign exchange gold $118.4 billion (2004 est.)
 
Debt external $59.21 billion (2004 est.)
 
Economic aid recipient  
Currency Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
 
Currency code HKD
 
Exchange rates Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001), 7.7912 (2000), 7.7575 (1999)
 
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March

 

 

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This information was reproduced in part from the CIA World Fact book.

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