Accelerating 'Hong Kong Exodus'... Over 50,000 Leave in Just Half a Month

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Due to concerns over city lockdowns resulting from COVID-19 quarantine measures, Hong Kong citizens are increasingly leaving the city.

The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) cited data from the Hong Kong Immigration Department (Immigration Office) on the 18th, reporting that 50,505 people left Hong Kong between the 1st and 15th of this month. This represents a 12.6% increase compared to the same period last month. The net number of departures, calculated by subtracting arrivals from departures, was 43,200.

In February, 94,305 people left Hong Kong, with the net departures reaching 71,354, the highest since the fifth wave of COVID-19. This is a sharp increase compared to net departures of 16,879 and 15,252 in December 2021 and January this year, respectively.

SCMP reported that "the Hong Kong exodus is not slowing down," citing data from the international relocation company Swift Leo, which showed that inquiries about migration increased by about 50-60% during February. Popular destinations for migration included Singapore and Thailand.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.