Old Hong Kongers hit 4.8% growth rate in 2012

Versus 2011's overall population rate of 1.6%.

According to the Census & Statistics Department, the number of older people increased at an average annual growth rate of 4.8% from 1961 to 2011, compared to the whole-population rate of 1.6%.

Announcing the results 2011 Population Census, the department said 'older people' refers to those aged 65 and over. There were 941,312 older people in Hong Kong in 2011, constituting 13.3% of the whole population.

Among them, 24.9% were aged 65-69, 46.3% were aged 70-79, and 28.8% were aged 80 or more. In 2001, people aged 80 and over constituted 19.6% of the population.

In 2011, 91.4% of older people were living in domestic households - 12.7% living alone, 23.6% with a spouse, 29.7% with spouse and children, and 21.4% with children. The proportion of older people living with children dropped from 56.8% in 2001 to 51.2% in 2011. However, those living with a spouse and those living alone rose by 5.2 and 1.4 percentage points.

About 8.6% of older people were living in non-domestic households in 2011, compared to 9.1% in 2001.

Among the older people living in domestic households in 2011, the proportions of those living in public rental housing, subsidised home ownership housing, and private permanent housing were 38.6%, 17.6%, and 42.8%.

In 2011, Kwun Tong had the largest number of older people amongst Hong Kong's 18 districts, constituting 10.8% of older people, followed by Eastern (9.8%), and Kwai Tsing (8%) districts.

Regarding the proportion of older people in a district, Wong Tai Sin (17.6%) ranked top, followed by Sham Shui Po (17%), and Kwun Tong (16.3%), while Sai Kung ranked last with 9%.