The transformation of Hong Kong in five charts

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 after 156 years of British colonial rule. Listed below are some main transformations the monetary hub has witnessed in the course of the previous 25 years.

OUTSHINED BY MAINLAND CHINA

Whereas Hong Kong retains an outsized, oblique contribution to China’s financial development given its standing as the one Chinese language monetary centre not topic to capital controls, its personal development has been overshadowed by that of the mainland.

Interactive graphic: Hong Kong’s GDP as a proportion of China’s GDP: https://graphics.reuters.com/HONGKONG-ANNIVERSARY/klpykrbebpg/index.html

GLITZY TOWERS

However, Hong Kong has benefited massively from China’s breakneck development in latest a long time. One side of that transformation is seen within the top of its skyline.

Interactive graphic: Variety of buildings in-built Hong Kong taller than 150m: https://graphics.reuters.com/HONGKONG-ANNIVERSARY/egvbkglzlpq/index.html

UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING

One of many unintended effects of huge sums of cash flowing into this gateway metropolis for funding is that the property market has absorbed a few of it.

This makes it unaffordable for a lot of of its residents, whose wages have did not sustain with residence costs.

Interactive graphic: Hong Kong’s Housing Worth Index and Actual Wage Index: https://graphics.reuters.com/HONGKONG-ANNIVERSARY/myvmnrjdrpr/index.html

Hong Kong is now one of many world’s most costly property markets.

Interactive graphic: Hong Kong’s Housing Worth Index and Actual Wage Index: https://graphics.reuters.com/HONGKONG-ANNIVERSARY/gdvzygbrrpw/index.html

MORE MAINLANDERS LIVING IN HONG KONG

Drawn partly by Hong Kong’s relative freedoms versus mainland China, greater than 1 million mainland residents have moved to the previous British colony over the previous 2-1/2 a long time. Extra not too long ago, COVID-19 and different components have slowed down such arrivals, but in addition accelerated departures of longtime Hong Kong residents and expatriates pissed off with strict restrictions.

Interactive graphic: Influx of One-way Allow holders (year-end): https://graphics.reuters.com/HONGKONG-ANNIVERSARY/lgpdwbawnvo/index.html

(Compiled by Marius Zaharia; Graphics by Adolfo Arranz. Enhancing by Gerry Doyle)