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About 91,800 Hong Kong residents, or 1.7% of the population aged 18 and over, moved to live on the Mainland in 2005, a survey released by the Planning Department today (July 6) has revealed.
The main reasons given for the move were work-related, reunion with spouse or children and having relatives on the Mainland.
A total of 10,100 households were interviewed in the Thematic Household Survey on Hong Kong Residents' Experience of and Aspirations for Taking up Residence in the Mainland, commissioned by the department from May to July, 2005. The information collected provides a supplement to previous surveys done in 2001 and 2003.
A department spokesman said that focusing on Hong Kong residents who had their usual home base in Hong Kong, the survey provided snapshots of local people's intentions and aspirations regarding living on the Mainland. This would be a relevant reference for considering policies and plans with a cross-boundary dimension and for ongoing strategic planning studies, including the Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy Study.
The survey indicated that there were 212,200 Mainland residential properties owned or rented by Hong Kong residents in 2005. About 181,600 were owned properties while only 30,600 were rental properties. Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou were the most popular locations where Hong Kong residents owned or rented properties. This was similar to the previous surveys.
In terms of building types, some 73% of the properties owned by Hong Kong residents were flats in multi-storey buildings, and the rest were houses. About 68% of the properties owned by Hong Kong people were self-occupied, serving as second homes or vacation retreats, and about 16% were occupied by relatives or friends. A similar pattern was observed for the rental properties.
About 32,200 local households, or 1.4% of all households, intended to move to the Mainland within the next 10 years. In terms of individuals, some 80,200 Hong Kong residents aspired to live on the Mainland within the next 10 years. The main reasons to do so were lower cost of living, better living environment, and retirement.
The survey also revealed that some 96,600 Hong Kong residents intended to own or rent residential properties on the Mainland within the next 10 years. About 78% of the preferred locations were within Guangdong province, mainly Shenzhen, Guangzhou (including Panyu) and Zhongshan. The properties were intended mainly as vacation retreats or permanent residences.
"While the survey enables us to appreciate the trend of Hong Kong residents taking up residence on the Mainland, as well as their aspirations for doing so in the future, the findings are snapshots in nature and future development is subject to the interplay of various socio-economic factors pertaining to Hong Kong and the Mainland," the spokesman said.
An Executive Summary of the findings of the survey has been posted on the Planning Department's website at www.pland.gov.hk and the HK2030 Study's website at www.hk2030.gov.hk.
Detailed findings of the survey are available in the Thematic Household Survey Report No. 25 published by the Census and Statistics Department today. Users can download this publication free of charge at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk) of the Census and Statistics Department.
Ends/Thursday, July 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:31
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