Sham Shui Po Had a Population of 1,577

As of 2024, Sham Shui Po is the second most densely populated district in Hong Kong, recording a population density of 47,190 inhabitants per square kilometre (122,216 inhabitants per square mile).

With a total population of 441,600 inhabitants, Sham Shui Po is one of the most urbanized districts in Hong Kong. However, little over a century ago, Sham Shui Po presented a very different face.

Sham Shui Po, being part of the so-called New Kowloon, was leased to the British in July 1898 as part of the 99-year lease of the New Territories. According to the census of 1911, held thirteen years after the lease of the New Territories, Sham Shui Po had a population of only 1,577, of whom 1,028 (65% of the population) were males.

Since then, Sham Shui Po has transformed from a primarily agrarian economy to a dense commercial and industrial hub, before becoming the commercial and residential neighborhood it is today.

Unfortunately, it is also the second poorest district in Hong Kong, behind Kwun Tong, with a median monthly household income of 23,100 Hong Kong dollars, or 3,000 US dollars.