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Hong Kong’s population is ageing rapidly. The latest population projection figures
show that the proportion of the older population (aged 65 and above) in Hong Kong is
projected to increase from 18.3% of the total population in 2020 to 34.4% of the total
population by 2069, almost doubling in size (C&SD, 2020a) (Figure 1.4). The observed
demographic shift will foreseeably impact healthcare resources necessitated to meet the
emerging healthcare demands. Currently, more than half of the public hospital resources, as
proxied by the number of patient days, are utilised by our older population (HA, n.d.). The
number of public hospital patient days has increased by age group in an upward trend for the
past 5 years (Figure 1.5), with age groups aged 65 and above constituting 54% of total
patient days in 2019–20. Notably, the number of hospital beds required for populations aged
65 years and above is also more than three times that of beds required for populations under
65 years old, and more than nine times that for populations over 80 years old (Figure 1.6)
(C&SD, 2021b; HA, 2021h).

Figure 1.5

Number of patient days (%) by age group, 2015–2020

100%
90% 28.3% 28.1% 29.3% 29.1% 29.2%
80%
70%
60% 23.6% 24.0% 24.5% 24.8% 25.5%
50%
40%
30% 40.8% 40.5% 39.1% 39.2% 38.8%
20%
10%
7.2% 7.5% 7.2% 6.8% 6.5%
0
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
Age below 18
Aged 18–64
Aged 65–79
Aged 80 or above

Note: Patient Days are inclusive of both inpatient patient days and day inpatient discharges and deaths, in 2019–20.
Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Source: HA, n.d.

Figure 1.6

Number of public hospital beds required per age group per 1,000
population in 2020-2021

20
18
16 >9x
14
12
10
15.9
8
6 >3x
4 5.9
2
0 1.7
0-64 ≥65 ≥80

Note: Number of public hospital beds required = total number of patient days utilised per thousand population/365.
Patient days include inpatient days and day inpatient discharges and deaths.
Sources: C&SD, 2021b; HA, 2021h
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