Births and Deaths

Births and deaths must be registered. Records are kept in the General
Register Office. During the year, 60 379 live births and 32 079 deaths
were registered, compared with 64 559 and 32 049 respectively in 1996.
The figures, when adjusted for under-registration, gave a natural increase
in population for 1997 of about 0.4 per cent.

A birth which has not been registered within one year may be
post-registered with the consent of the Registrar of Births and Deaths.
During the year, 188 births were post-registered. Birth registration
services in the urban areas are provided by one main registry on Hong
Kong Island and another in Kowloon. There are also five birth registries in
the rural areas. In the outlying areas and islands, births are normally
registered at rural committee offices by visiting district registrars.

There are two main death registries, one on Hong Kong Island and one in
Kowloon. Deaths in rural areas are registered at local police stations.

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