Background: Portuguese ships began arriving in 1513. In the 1550s, Portuguese paying tribute to China settled in Macau, which became the official entrepôt 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.

Area
Total: 28 km²
Land: 28.2 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: less than one-sixth the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 3 km
Regional borders (1): China 3 km

Coastline: 41 km

Maritime claims: not specified

Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Terrain: generally flat

Elevation
Highest point: Alto Coloane 172 m
Lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 0% (2022 est.)
Other: 100% (2022 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: typhoons

Geography
Note: primarily urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 km² (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

Population
Total: 644,426 (2024 est.)
Male: 304,988
Female: 339,438
Distribution: population fairly equally distributed
Growth rate: 0.67% (2024 est.)

Languages: 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

Religions: folk religion 58.9%, Buddhist 17.3%, Christian 7.2%, other 1.2%, none 15.4% (2020 est.)

Age structure
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)

Dependency ratios
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.)

Median age
Total: 42.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 41.5 years
Female: 43.1 years

Population growth rate: 0.67% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 8.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: population fairly equally distributed

Urbanization
Urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 682,000 Macau (2023)

Sex ratio
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.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 85.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 82.5 years
Female: 88.3 years

Total fertility rate: 1.24 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 100% of population

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 2.5% (2024 est.); 2.3% (2023 est.); 2.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Legal system: civil law system based on the Portuguese model

Executive branch
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: 2,029
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 2,028

Legislative branch
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

Flag description: green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, under an arc of five five-pointed gold stars

National anthem
Title: 'Yiyongjun Jinxingqu' (The March of the Volunteers)
Lyrics/music: TIAN Han/NIE Er
History: official anthem, as a Special Administrative Region of China

Real gdp growth rate: 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: 8.8% (2024 est.); 75.1% (2023 est.); -19.6% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
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
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

Industries: tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys

Industrial production growth rate: 6.8% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 382,100 (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 2.5% (2024 est.); 2.3% (2023 est.); 2.5% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 2.5% (2024 est.); 2.3% (2023 est.); 2.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
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

Taxes and other revenues: 22.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $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
Commodities: jewelry, garments, broadcasting equipment, precious metal watches, video and card games (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $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
Commodities: jewelry, garments, trunks and cases, broadcasting equipment, electricity (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
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.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 58.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 41.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Exports: 600 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 7 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas
Consumption: 121.747 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 121.716 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.595 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: -1,239 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.358 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 238,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 64.641 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 87,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1.37 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 175 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 89% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 212,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30 (2023 est.)

Airports: 1 (2025)

Heliports: 4 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 5 (2023)
By type: other 5