Macao Fact Sheet

The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is an integral part of the People’s Republic of China. Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and bordering on Guangdong Province, Macao is 60 kilometres from Hong Kong, and located at latitude 22º12’40”N and longitude 113º32’22”E. Macao time is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Due to land reclamation along its coastline, Macao has grown in land area from 11.6 square kilometres in 1912 to --- square kilometres, including the Macao peninsula, Taipa, Coloane, COTAI Reclamation Area, New Urban Zone Area A, New Urban Zone Area C and the Macao border crossing area on Zhuhai-Macao checkpoint on the Artificial Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The Hengqin campus of the University of Macau covers an area of one square kilometre. Macao consists of the Macao peninsula and the two islands of Taipa and Coloane. Four bridges, Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, Friendship Bridge (Ponte da Amizade), Sai Van Bridge and Macao Bridge, link the peninsula to Taipa, while the two islands are linked by COTAI Reclamation Area.

The population of Macao is estimated to be ---.

The population of Macao is estimated to be 688,300 as at 31 December 2024, which represented an increase of 4,600 people (0.7 percent) over the same period of the previous year. An estimated 46.3 percent of Macao’s population were males, and 53.7 percent were females.

The local population was 568,700 at the end of the year, representing a decrease of 2,500, or 0.4 percent, over the previous year. The number of foreign employees residing in Macao increased by 5.7 percent to 91,400, while the number of foreign students residing in Macao increased by 8.5 percent to 28,200.

In terms of age groups, the 0-14 years old age group accounted for 12.5 percent of the population; the 15-64 year old age group accounted for 67.3 percent; the 65 year old or above age group accounted for 17.6 percent. Macao’s population density was 20,600 people per square kilometre. Areia Preta and Iao Hon remained the most densely populated districts.

In regards to natural factors of population changes in 2024, there were 3,607 new-born babies, 2.8 percent fewer than in 2023, and 2,477 deaths, 16.9 percent fewer in 2023. The natural population growth rate stood at 0.16 percent, up 0.05 percentage points compared to the previous year.

In 2024, the net number of immigrants was 3,500, largely attributed to more foreign employees residing in Macao. The number of new immigrants from mainland China holding one-way permits increased by 110, from the previous year, to 3,346.

The results of the 2021 Census indicated that among the local population, 89.2 percent was Chinese, 1.3 percent was Portuguese, 5.0 percent was Filipino, and 1.8 percent was Vietnamese.

Chinese and Portuguese are the official languages of Macao, and more than 81 percent of the population speak Cantonese. Portuguese is spoken by about 2.3 percent of the population. Putonghua and English are spoken by 45 percent and 22.7 percent of the population, respectively.

Meanwhile, 41.3 percent of the population were born in Macao, 43.8 percent were born in mainland China, 3.3 percent in Hong Kong, and 0.3 percent in Portugal.

Macao is situated in a subtropical zone, with the Asian continent to the north and a wide tropical sea to the south. In winter, Macao experiences a north wind, cold and dry weather and low rainfall, due to a cold continental high-pressure system at medium and high latitudes. In summer, Macao is mainly subject to southwesterly winds, hot and wet weather and heavy rainfall, due to the influence of oceanic tropical weather systems.

Macao has an average annual temperature of 22.8ºC. The coolest month is January, when it averages 15.2ºC. Most years, Macao has a short, cold weather period when temperatures fall below 5ºC. The average monthly temperature exceeds 22ºC during seven months of the year.

Macao is frequently hit by typhoons. The typhoon season starts in May and ends in November, with July to September as its peak period.