The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), published today (October 16) a tentative issuance schedule for Government Bonds (GBs) offered under the Institutional Bond Issuance Programme for the next six-month period from October 2023 to March 2024 (Annex). The tentative issuance schedule contains information on, among others, the tentative tenors, tender dates, issuance sizes, issue dates and methods of issuance of individual GB issues. Further details on the methods of issuance are set out in the Information Memorandum available on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website, www.hkgb.gov.hk.
      
     The tentative issuance schedule is normally published by the HKMA on a half-yearly basis, and the information contained therein, such as the tenors, tender dates, issue dates, issuance sizes, issue codes and methods of issuance are tentative. The HKMA may make adjustments having regard to market conditions. A revised issuance schedule may be issued where appropriate. Other details of individual issues are to be confirmed and announced at least four business days prior to the scheduled tender dates.

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (October 16) the October 2023 issue of the "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" (HKMDS).
 
     Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains three feature articles entitled "Hong Kong Population Projections for 2022 to 2046", "Hong Kong Labour Force Projections for 2022 to 2046" and "Hong Kong Domestic Household Projections up to 2046".
 
     The C&SD has prepared a new set of population projections covering the period from 2022 to 2046, with the mid-2021 population as the base. Based on this set of population projections, the labour force projections and domestic household projections have also been updated. The projection results were released on August 15, 2023. The following three feature articles provide a brief account of the method, assumptions and results of the projections.
 
"Hong Kong Population Projections for 2022 to 2046"
 
     According to the results of the baseline population projections, the Hong Kong Resident Population is projected to generally maintain an upward trend over the entire projection period and reach 8.19 million in mid-2046. Population ageing is expected to continue. Excluding foreign domestic helpers, the proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and over is projected to increase from 20.5% in 2021 to 36.0% in 2046.
 
     Apart from analysing the baseline population projections, this feature article also presents the high and low population projections for reference.
 
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Demographic Statistics Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6933; email: population@censtatd.gov.hk).
 
"Hong Kong Labour Force Projections for 2022 to 2046"
 
     The C&SD has compiled a new set of labour force projections covering the period from 2022 to 2046. The projection results provide information on the projected labour supply in Hong Kong and its age and sex distribution during 2022 to 2046. In accordance with the projections, the total labour force (excluding foreign domestic helpers) will generally increase from 3.54 million in 2021 to a peak of 3.66 million in 2038, before decreasing gradually to 3.58 million in 2046. This feature article gives a brief account of the projection method and presents the projection results.
 
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the General Household Survey Section (3) of the C&SD (Tel: 2887 5208; email: ghs@censtatd.gov.hk).
 
"Hong Kong Domestic Household Projections up to 2046"
 
     The number of domestic households is projected to increase from 2.67 million in 2021 to 3.08 million in 2046. The average household size is projected to decrease from 2.7 in 2021 to 2.6 in 2046, following the past declining trend.
 
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Demographic Statistics Section (2) of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6934; email: census@censtatd.gov.hk).
 
     Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 140 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available.  Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460).
 
     Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).

     A partial lunar eclipse will occur in Hong Kong in the small hours of October 29 (Sunday). The elevation of the moon will be rather low during the eclipse. If weather permits, the event can be directly observed with unaided eyes at places with an unobstructed view to the west.
 
     The lunar eclipse will begin at 1.59am on that day, with the maximum eclipse occurring at 4.14am. This partial lunar eclipse only has an umbral magnitude of around 0.13, meaning that about 13 per cent of the moon's diameter will enter the umbra (total shadow) of the earth at the maximum eclipse. Details of this partial lunar eclipse are as follows:
 

 
     In the small hours on October 29, members of the public can watch the whole event via a webcast to be jointly hosted by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Ho Koon Nature Education cum Astronomical Centre (sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen), Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College and the Creative Education Unit of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.
 
     For the latest weather conditions and the astronomical observation conditions on October 29, please refer to the Hong Kong Observatory's latest weather forecast and the Weather Information for Astronomical Observation webpage.
 
     The next lunar eclipse observable in Hong Kong will be a total lunar eclipse on September 7, 2025.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, October 16, 2023 is 106.5 (up 0.1 against last Saturday's index).

     â€‹The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, October 14, 2023 was 106.4 (down 0.1 against last Friday's index).

     â€‹In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
      
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt, and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
      
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
      
     From noon on October 13 to noon today (October 16), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 246 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
      
     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
      
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
     (www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
      
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 8 747samples of food imported from Japan (including 5 707 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 2 606 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.