ARCHIVE // MO // 2025
Macau
2025 Edition — special_admin
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Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 212,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30 (2023 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
local government dominates broadcast media; 2 TV stations operated by the government, with one broadcasting in Portuguese and the other in Cantonese and Mandarin; 1 cable TV and 4 satellite TV services available; 3 radio stations broadcasting, of which 2 are government-operated (2019)
Internet country code
[time series]
.mo
Internet users
[time series]
percent of population: 89% (2023 est.)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 87,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 1.37 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 175 (2022 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
pork, chicken, beef, eggs, pork offal, pork fat, pepper, beef offal, cattle hides, goose meat (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $12.513 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $11.509 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Current account balance
[time series]
$14.38 billion (2023 est.) $3.476 billion (2022 est.) $2.705 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Economic overview
[time series]
high-income, Chinese special administrative region economy; known for apparel exports and gambling tourism; currency pegged to Hong Kong dollar; significant recession due to 2015 Chinese anticorruption campaign; COVID-19 further halved economic activity
Exchange rates
[time series]
patacas (MOP) per US dollar - 8.037 (2024 est.) 8.063 (2023 est.) 8.065 (2022 est.) 8.006 (2021 est.) 7.989 (2020 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$41.839 billion (2023 est.) $21.097 billion (2022 est.) $28.163 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
[time series]
jewelry, garments, broadcasting equipment, precious metal watches, video and card games (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exports - partners
[time series]
Hong Kong 73%, China 6%, USA 6%, Philippines 3%, Singapore 1% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$50.183 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 29% (2024 est.) government consumption: 12.2% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 13.8% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0.7% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 89.8% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -45.4% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
industry: 5.4% (2023 est.) services: 91.4% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Imports
[time series]
$23.205 billion (2023 est.) $20.923 billion (2022 est.) $23.77 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
[time series]
jewelry, garments, trunks and cases, broadcasting equipment, electricity (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - partners
[time series]
China 36%, Hong Kong 17%, USA 6%, France 6%, Japan 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
6.8% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
[time series]
tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
0.5% (2023 est.) 1% (2022 est.) 0% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Labor force
[time series]
382,100 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Public debt
[time series]
0% of GDP (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$77.524 billion (2024 est.) $71.248 billion (2023 est.) $40.699 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
8.8% (2024 est.) 75.1% (2023 est.) -19.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$112,800 (2024 est.) $105,000 (2023 est.) $60,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Remittances
[time series]
0.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$29.392 billion (2024 est.) $27.771 billion (2023 est.) $25.971 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
22.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Unemployment rate
[time series]
2.5% (2024 est.) 2.3% (2023 est.) 2.5% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 7.2% (2024 est.) male: 9.4% (2024 est.) female: 5.6% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Energy
Coal
[time series]
exports: 600 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 7 metric tons (2023 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 427,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 5.659 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 5.327 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 161.125 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 58.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 41.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
64.641 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Natural gas
[time series]
consumption: 121.747 million cubic meters (2023 est.) imports: 121.716 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Petroleum
[time series]
refined petroleum consumption: 11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
1.595 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: -1,239 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.358 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 238,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Climate
[time series]
subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Environmental issues
[time series]
air pollution; coastal water pollution; solid-waste disposal; noise pollution
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.) forest: 0% (2022 est.) other: 100% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 100% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 377,900 tons (2024 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total : 28 sq km land: 28.2 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
less than one-sixth the size of Washington, D.C.
Climate
[time series]
subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Coastline
[time series]
41 km
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Alto Coloane 172 m lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
22 10 N, 113 33 E
Geography - note
[time series]
primarily urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km (2 sq mi) and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges
Irrigated land
[time series]
0 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 3 km regional borders (1): China 3 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.) forest: 0% (2022 est.) other: 100% (2022 est.)
Location
[time series]
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Map references
[time series]
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
[time series]
not specified
Natural hazards
[time series]
typhoons
Natural resources
[time series]
NEGL
Population distribution
[time series]
population fairly equally distributed
Terrain
[time series]
generally flat
Government
Citizenship
[time series]
see China
Constitution
[time series]
history: previous 1976 (Organic Statute of Macau, under Portuguese authority); latest adopted 31 March 1993, effective 20 December 1999 (Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as Macau's constitution) amendment process: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People s Congress (NPC), the People s Republic of China State Council, and the Macau Special Administrative Region; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Assembly of Macau, approval by two thirds of Macau's deputies to the NPC, and consent of the Macau chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region conventional short form: Macau official long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese)/ Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese) official short form: Aomen (Chinese)/ Macau (Portuguese) etymology: name derived from the Chinese ama-gao , or Bay of Ama, for Ama, the patron goddess of sailors
Dependency status
[time series]
special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
embassy: the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
none (Special Administrative Region of China)
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013) head of government: Chief Executive Sam Hou FAI (since 20 December 2024) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the chief executive election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chief executive chosen by a 400-member Election Committee for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: president: 10 March 2023 chief executive: 13 October 2024 election results: 2024: Sam Hou FAI (unopposed; received 394 out of 400 votes) 2019: HO lat Seng (unopposed; received 392 out of 400 votes) expected date of next election: president: March 2028 chief executive: 2029
Flag
[time series]
description: green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, under an arc of five five-pointed gold stars meaning: the lotus is the national floral emblem, and the three petals represent the country's peninsula and two islands; the five stars echo the Chinese flag
Government type
[time series]
executive-led limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
Independence
[time series]
none (special administrative region of China)
International organization participation
[time series]
ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Court of Final Appeal of Macau Special Administrative Region (consists of the court president and 2 associate justices) judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the Macau chief executive upon the recommendation of an independent commission of judges, lawyers, and "eminent" persons; judge tenure NA subordinate courts: Court of Second Instance; Court of First instance; Lower Court; Administrative Court
Legal system
[time series]
civil law system based on the Portuguese model
Legislative branch
[time series]
legislature name: Legislative Assembly (Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 33 (14 directly elected, 12 indirectly elected, 7 appointed) electoral system: mixed scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 9/12/2021 parties elected and seats per party: United Citizens Association of Macau (ACUM) (3); Union for Development (UPD) (2); Macau-Guangdong Union (UGM) (2); Union for Promoting Progress (UPP) (2); Alliance for a Happy Home (ABL) (2); New Hope (NE) (2); Association of Synergy of Macau (PS) (1) expected date of next election: September 2025
National anthem(s)
[time series]
title: "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers) lyrics/music: TIAN Han/NIE Er history: official anthem, as a Special Administrative Region of China
National color(s)
[time series]
green, white, yellow
National holiday
[time series]
National Day (anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949) note: 20 December (1999) is celebrated as Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
National symbol(s)
[time series]
lotus blossom
Political parties
[time series]
Alliance for a Happy Home or ABL Association of Synergy of Macau ("Synergy Power" or Poder da Singeria) or PS Macau-Guangdong Union or UGM New Hope or NE Union for Development or UPD Union for Promoting Progress or UPP or UNIPRO United Citizens Association of Macau or ACUM note: there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age in direct elections for some legislative positions, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past 7 years note: indirect elections are limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" and an election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, central government bodies, and elected Macau officials
Introduction
Background
[time series]
Portuguese ships began arriving in 1513. In the 1550s, Portuguese paying tribute to China settled in Macau, which became the official entrep t for all international trade with China and Japan and the first European settlement in the Far East. The first governor was appointed in the 17th century, but the Portuguese remained largely under the control of the Chinese. In the 1930s and 40s Macau was declared a neutral territory during the Sino-Japanese War and World War II and became a refuge for both Chinese and Europeans. Portugal officially made Macau an overseas province in 1951. In April 1987, Portugal and China reached an agreement to return Macau to Chinese rule in 1999, using the Hong Kong Joint Declaration between China and the UK as a model. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's political and economic system would not be imposed on Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign affairs and defense for the next 50 years. However, after China's multi-year crackdown against the pro-democracy movement in nearby Hong Kong, the governments of China and the Macau Special Administrative Region worked to limit Macau's political autonomy by suppressing opposition activity in the 2021 legislative elections.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
defense is the responsibility of China; the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) maintains a garrison in Macau
Military and security forces
[time series]
Macau Public Security Police Force
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 47,346/female 45,216) 15-64 years: 69.9% (male 210,059/female 240,577) 65 years and over: 15.7% (2024 est.) (male 47,583/female 53,645)
Birth rate
[time series]
8.31 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 43 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 20.5 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 22.5 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 4.5 (2024 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
urban: 100% of population
Education expenditure
[time series]
6.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Chinese 89.4%, Chinese and Portuguese 1%, Portuguese 0.8%, Chinese and non-Portuguese 0.2%, Portuguese and others 0.2%, other 8.5% (2021 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
[time series]
0.61 (2025 est.)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
Cantonese 81%, Mandarin 4.7%, other Chinese dialects 5.4%, English 3.6%, Tagalog 2.9%, Portuguese 0.6%, other 1.8% (2021 est.) major-language sample(s): 世界概况, 必須擁有的基本資料参考书 (Cantonese) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: Chinese and Portuguese are official languages; Macanese or Patua, a Portuguese-based Creole, is also spoken
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 85.3 years (2024 est.) male: 82.5 years female: 88.3 years
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
682,000 Macau (2023)
Median age
[time series]
total: 43 years (2025 est.) male: 41.5 years female: 43.1 years
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese
Net migration rate
[time series]
3.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population
[time series]
total: 644,426 (2024 est.) male: 304,988 female: 339,438
Population distribution
[time series]
population fairly equally distributed
Population growth rate
[time series]
0.64% (2025 est.)
Religions
[time series]
folk religion 58.9%, Buddhist 17.3%, Christian 7.2%, other 1.2%, none 15.4% (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 18 years male: 17 years female: 19 years (2021)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.25 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 100% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Transnational Issues
Trafficking in persons
[time series]
tier rating: Tier 3 Macau does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Macau remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/macau
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
1 (2025)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
B-M
Heliports
[time series]
4 (2025)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 5 (2023) by type: other 5
Ports
[time series]
total ports: 1 (2024) large: 0 medium: 1 small: 0 very small: 0 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Macau