Hong Kong saw a net outflow of 113,200 residents over the past year, census data showed Thursday, setting a new record in population decline as the city maintained strict pandemic curbs.

The finance hub's population started shrinking in 2020 for the first time since the SARS epidemic in 2003 -- and the drop-off showed no signs of stopping, according to government figures.

Mid-year estimates put Hong Kong's population at 7,291,600 -- down 1.6 percent or 121,500 from the same time last year -- the single largest percentage decline over a 12-month period since records began in 1961.

Population figures were in part driven down because Covid-19 border controls "interrupted population inflow", a government spokesperson said.

Hong Kong has been internationally isolated for over two years as it adheres to China's zero-Covid strategy, though some curbs have been relaxed in recent months.

At the height of Hong Kong's worst Covid outbreak this year, the number of residents leaving via the airport daily often topped 2,000 and arrivals slowed to a trickle.

The population decline also reflects an ongoing exodus of Hong Kongers, many of whom settled overseas in the wake of Beijing's crackdown on political dissent following democracy protests in 2019.

Authorities in part attributed the decline in residents to the number of deaths outstripping births, as the city combines an ageing population with one of Asia's lowest fertility rates.

Hong Kong saw 26,500 more deaths than births in the past year, while the figure stood at 11,900 the year before.

Thursday's figures showed a net outflow of 113,200 residents between mid-2021 and mid-2022.

Hong Kong authorities say the net outflow includes people moving for work and study and should not be taken as an exact count of those emigrating permanently.

The government has repeatedly brushed off the departures, saying many will one day return and those who leave can be replaced with Chinese mainlanders.

Migrants from mainland China used to be one of Hong Kong's main population boosters, but recent figures have remained low as the pandemic kept borders partly closed.

Hong Kong had an inflow of 18,300 Chinese migrants via a one-way permit in the past year, which was down from around 45,000 a year pre-pandemic, the government said.

In 2020 and 2021, Hong Kong's population fell by 1.2 and 0.3 percent respectively.

Two jailed for clash that led to rare Hong Kong protest death
Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 12, 2022 - A Hong Kong court on Friday jailed two young men in relation to a violent clash during the city's political unrest in 2019 that killed an elderly man.

Luo Chang-qing, a 70-year-old cleaner, died from a blow to the head during a border town confrontation where democracy protesters and government loyalists hurled bricks at each other.

Luo was one of the only fatalities directly linked to Hong Kong's political turmoil in 2019 and his case remains a source of outrage for government supporters.

Kelvin Lau, 19, and Chan Yin-ting, 18, were each sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail for rioting on Friday.

The duo faced additional manslaughter and wounding charges but a jury last month cleared them of responsibility in Luo's death.

The judge said on Friday that the defendants -- who were underage at the time of the crime -- were among the group that instigated the violence that escalated into a "very serious riot".

"Things devolved into mayhem which led to very tragic consequences," the judge said.

The skirmish, which took place in the Sheung Shui neighbourhood in November 2019, was one among dozens that broke out between ideological opponents at the height of Hong Kong's massive pro-democracy protests.

The defendants made plans to protest together on the day, which showed some level of premeditation, according to the judge.

Earlier media accounts of the Sheung Shui conflict placed blame on both sides, but the judge praised the government loyalists as "unsung heroes" who acted selflessly and courageously when they stood up to the protesters.

The judge said a deterrence sentence was needed, with a minor reduction after considering the duo's young age and their lack of adult supervision.

The judge also commended the police for being "Asia's finest" and conducting a thorough investigation into the case.

At trial, defence lawyers argued that the duo were threatened by police to admit responsibility for the death.

In court, police officers denied allegations of coercion or intimidation.

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