Hong Kong covers 1,114.6 km² (430.3 sq mi) of land and had a population of 7.5 million in 2024, about 6,760 people per km² (17,508 per sq mi). In more familiar terms, it is about 1.43 times the size of New York City.
The closest rung on the US reference ladder (Census Bureau land area); see the sources below.
Land per resident
148 m² of land per resident
The inverse of population density, from the same area and population figures.
The outline is fitted to this frame, not a map for measuring distances. Outlying islands may make the main landmass appear smaller.
Change the yardstick
Hong Kong is “how many times” what?
The multiples on this site default to Taiwan. Pick a place you know and the area, population and density are recalculated against it; your choice is remembered in this browser and carries to other pages.
26,160 people per km² 3.9 times the territory-wide average
The six urban classes in the Planning Department’s land utilization table added together: residential, commercial and office, industrial, institutional and open space, transportation, and other urban or built-up land. It therefore counts parks, stadiums, the airport, open storage yards, cemeteries and land that is merely vacant or under construction as built-up. Country parks and special areas, which cover roughly 40% of the territory, fall in the excluded woodland and water classes. The Planning Department publishes no single built-up total; this is the sum of its six urban rows.
Year-end population and total land area of the Hong Kong SAR.
Average administrative density does not describe population distribution in every neighborhood. Compare population definitions and reference dates alongside the numbers.
Place guide
How should this Hong Kong profile be read?
Hong Kong is represented as the complete Special Administrative Region. The familiar urban harbour occupies only part of a territory that also includes rural land, country parks and islands.
Territory-wide numbers
Land area and year-end population cover the full SAR. The resulting density is a territorial average, not a measurement of Kowloon, Hong Kong Island or any individual district.
Protected and less developed land remains part of the area, which is why density cannot be converted directly into available housing space.
Why compare it with Taiwan
Taiwan provides a familiar whole-territory reference and makes Hong Kong’s combination of limited land and large population visible.
For city-life questions, separate housing, commuting and built-area data would still be required.
Questions people ask
About Hong Kong’s area and population
How big is Hong Kong?
Hong Kong covers 1,114.6 km², or 430.3 sq mi (reference date 2026-01-01). In US terms: ≈ 1.43 × New York City.
What is the population of Hong Kong?
7.5 million — 7,534,200 as of 2024-12-31. The scope of that count is set out under “Scope and definitions” on this page.
What is the population density of Hong Kong?
About 6,759.7 people per km² (17,508 per sq mi), derived from the area and population above, whose reference dates may differ. An administrative average does not describe how crowded any particular neighbourhood is.
What do these Hong Kong figures include?
Year-end population and total land area of the Hong Kong SAR.