Census Department Releases March 2025 Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics with Key Trade and Elderly Home Insights.

March 2025 issue of "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" now available

The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (March 17) the March 2025 issue of the "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" (HKMDS).

Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains two feature articles entitled "Analysis of Hong Kong's External Merchandise Trade by Mode of Transport" and "The Profile of Persons Residing in Private Elderly Homes in 2024".

"Analysis of Hong Kong's External Merchandise Trade by Mode of Transport"

External merchandise trade is one of the important economic activities in Hong Kong. Goods are brought into or out of Hong Kong by various means of transport. In terms of the value of goods, air and land are the two main modes of transport of Hong Kong's external merchandise trade, together accounting for 88.4% of Hong Kong’s total value of trade in goods in 2024. Ocean and river accounted for 9.7% and 1.5% respectively.

This feature article analyses the performance and characteristics of Hong Kong's external merchandise trade by mode of transport during the period from 2014 to 2024.

For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4914; email: trade@censtatd.gov.hk).

"The Profile of Persons Residing in Private Elderly Homes in 2024"

A survey was conducted by the C&SD during July to August 2024 to collect the age-sex profile of persons residing in private elderly homes (PEH). Results of the survey together with some other administrative records are used in the General Household Survey to estimate the age-sex profile of the land-based non-institutional population of Hong Kong. This feature article gives a brief account of the results of the 2024 round of the Annual Survey on Profile of Inmates of PEH.

For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the General Household Survey Section (3) of the C&SD (Tel: 2887 5208; email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hk).

Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 130 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460).

Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).

Responses from University Grants Committee on 2026-27 Budget

The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:

The 2026-27 Budget outlines financial measures related to higher education, including earmarking $10 billion for providing loans to University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities and universities of applied sciences for campus development in the Northern Metropolis University Town, as well as supporting on a matching basis, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in developing the third medical school.

The chairman of the UGC, Mr Tim Lui, said yesterday (February 25), "The UGC supported relevant measures. The Northern Metropolis University Town and the third medical school would not only provide development room for the whole post-secondary education sector to expand capacity and enhance quality, but would also serve as a key engine to advance the deeply integrated development of Hong Kong's academic excellence and industry. The UGC Secretariat will continue to support relevant work."

At the same time, with the advent of artificial intelligence, innovative and breakthrough technology in the new era, the UGC-funded universities are utilising resources effectively during the 2025-28 triennium, and introduced 27 undergraduate programmes relevant to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). The new programmes would foster innovation and technology (I&T), nurture more high calibre talent to support Hong Kong's development into an international I&T hub, and inject impetus into future development.

He added, "The UGC also appreciates the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's strong support to promote internationalisation of higher education, including the establishment of the Task Force on Study in Hong Kong and the organisation of 'Study in Hong Kong' Week. The Asia-Pacific Association for International Education 2026 Conference and Exhibition, currently underway, has received a very encouraging and overwhelming audience, attracting over 3 200 global education experts from more than 70 countries and regions. As a hub for attracting global talent and facilitating academic exchange, Hong Kong's international reputation and appeal would be further enhanced. The UGC will continue to work closely with each university to deepen international partnership, and will further enrich Hong Kong's diverse and vibrant higher education environment."

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