Language

HONG KONG can mostly thank its international harbor for the rich blend of cultures that provide its unique character. While the majority of the city’s population are Chinese speakers, simply walking the streets will expose you to a medley of Asian and European languages.

Chinese

Cantonese, a minority dialect on the Chinese mainland, is spoken by 88 percent of the people in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, other Chinese dialects, such as Hakka, Taishanese and Teochiu, are also present, as of course is Mandarin — China’s official dialect, which has become more widely spoken in Hong Kong since the reunification in 1997.

English

From Hong Kong’s establishment as a colonial port, through its period as a manufacturing hub, and up until its current role as an international financial center, the city’s population has always looked outwards. As a result, English is widely spoken. Today, it is the language of preference in the government, business and tourism sectors. All official signs and public transport announcements, as well as most menus, are bilingual. A visitor can expect to encounter only minimal problems communicating in English, as most taxi drivers, salespeople, tourism industry employees and police have reached a competent level in the language. In fact, many locals even pepper their Chinese speech with English words and phrases.

Population

Hong Kong’s population was 7.37 million as of the end of 2016. About 91 percent of the Hong Kong people are of Chinese descent, the majority of whom from Guangzhou, Taishan, Chaozhou and other areas in Guangdong. The remaining 6.9 percent of the population is composed of non-ethnic Chinese. There is a South Asian population of Indians and Pakistanis; some Vietnamese refugees have become permanent residents of Hong Kong. There are also Britons, Americans, Canadians, Japanese, and Koreans working in the city’s commercial and financial sectors.