About 91,800 Hong Kong residents, or 1.7% of the population aged 18 and over, moved to the Mainland in 2005, a Planning Department survey shows.

The three top reasons people made the move were: for work, due to a  reunion with spouse or children, or because they had relatives on the Mainland.  

The "Thematic Household Survey on Hong Kong Residents' Experience of and Aspirations for Taking up Residence in the Mainland" was based on interviews of 10,100 households.

The department commissioned the study from May to July, 2005. The information collected supplements previous surveys done in 2001 and 2003.

The survey indicated Hong Kong residents owned or rented 212,200 Mainland residential properties in 2005. About 181,600 were owned and 30,600 were rentals.

Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou were the most popular locations where Hong Kong residents owned or rented properties, similar to previous surveys' findings.

In terms of building types, about 73% of the properties Hong Kong residents owned were flats in multi-storey buildings, and the rest were houses.

About 68% of the properties Hong Kong people owned were self-occupied, serving as second homes or vacation retreats. About 16% were occupied by relatives or friends. A similar pattern was observed for the rental properties.

Lower living costs attract HK people

About 32,200 local households, or 1.4% of all households, intended to move to the Mainland within the next 10 years. About 80,200 Hong Kong residents aspire to live on the Mainland within the next 10 years. The main reasons were lower living costs, a better living environment, and retirement.

The survey also revealed that 96,600 Hong Kong residents intended to own or rent residential properties on the Mainland within the next 10 years. About 78% of the preferred locations were within Guangdong province, mainly Shenzhen, Guangzhou - including Panyu - and Zhongshan. The properties were intended mainly as vacation retreats or permanent residences.

An executive summary of the survey findings has been posted on the Planning Department's website at www.pland.gov.hk and the HK2030 study's website.