Hong Kong’s population fell by a net 12,900 people in the second half of 2022, down from a decrease of 55,400 in the first six months. The previously announced population drop of 121,500 in the year ended June 30, 2022 was revised to a fall of 67,000. Starting in 2020, some bankers, lawyers, and other professionals left Hong Kong as pandemic curbs and national security laws restricted activities. The outflow has strained an already-aging Hong Kong population and pushed up prices in the city’s main rival Singapore. Ahead of the data release, Eric Fong, head of the sociology department at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), said it is important to keep local talent, adding that they have been the majority in the labour market.