 rose 5.1 per cent year on year to HK$925.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to preliminary data published on 16th June by the Census and Statistics Department.){kind=link}
16th June 2026 – (Hong Kong) Hong Kong’s Gross National Income (GNI) rose 5.1 per cent year on year to HK$925.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to preliminary data published on 16th June by the Census and Statistics Department.
During the same period, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded 5.3 per cent to HK$843.9 billion at current market prices. GNI exceeded GDP by HK$81.8 billion — equivalent to 9.7 per cent of GDP — reflecting a continued net inflow of investment income.
Stripping out the impact of price movements, GNI recorded real growth of 3.9 per cent compared with a year earlier, while GDP increased by a stronger 5.9 per cent in real terms.
Primary income inflows, which are largely made up of investment returns, totalled HK$529.6 billion in the first quarter, representing 62.8 per cent of GDP and marking a 1.6 per cent rise from a year earlier. Outflows of primary income reached HK$447.8 billion, or 53.1 per cent of GDP, up 1.4 per cent year on year.
Direct investment income flowing into Hong Kong grew 2.8 per cent, buoyed by improved overseas earnings from several major local enterprises. Portfolio investment income increased 7.4 per cent, driven mainly by higher interest receipts from non‑resident debt securities held by Hong Kong investors.
On the outward side, direct investment income rose 2.5 per cent, reflecting stronger profits recorded by multinational corporations operating in the city. Portfolio investment income outflow surged 29.4 per cent, largely due to increased interest payments to overseas investors holding Hong Kong‑issued debt instruments.
Regionally, the Chinese mainland remained the largest source of primary income inflow, accounting for 38.8 per cent of the total, followed by the British Virgin Islands with 16 per cent. These two jurisdictions were also the principal destinations for income outflows, taking 30.1 per cent and 20.6 per cent respectively.