Population (mid-2008)	6.98 million
Total GDP (2007)	HK$1,616 billion
Per Capita GDP (2007)	HK$0.233 million
GDP Growth (3rd quarter 2008)	+1.7%
Composite Consumer Price Index (Sept 2008)	+2.1%
Unemployment Rate (Aug - Oct 2008: Provisional)	3.5%
Foreign Currency Reserve Asset (2007)	US$152.7 billion

Hong Kong's Economy

Hong Kong is one of the most open and externally oriented economies in the world. The city prospers as a trading hub and service centre, where an understanding of international markets as well as the Mainland give it a unique and versatile economic role as the Mainland opens up.

The economy is robust enough to have weathered the economic shockwaves and recover to new heights. Over the past two decades, the Hong Kong economy has more than doubled in size with GDP growing at an average annual rate of 5% in real terms.  Right before the global economic downturn, the Hong Kong economy expanded by 4.3% in the first three quarters of 2008, after growing by 6.3% in 2007.  The global downturn triggered by intensifying financial market turbulence has started to affect the Hong Kong economy, resulting in a much reduced GDP growth forecast of +1.7% for the 3rd quarter of 2008.