| variable | 2000-2007 | 2008-2009 | 2010-2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| real gdp growth | 12.36 | 13.2 | -2.35 | 75.3 | 7.8 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
| CPI % | 2.94 | 2.0 | 3.82 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.72 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Debt/GDP % | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Current account balance/GDP % | 24.43 | 33.2 | 31.22 | 31.4 | 36.3 | 35.7 | 35.0 | 34.2 |
Data derived from World Economic Outlook Database. To see main macroeconomic indicator in graphs click here
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: 28 sq km km2
Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Natural resources: NEGL
Groups: 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.)
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.)
Religions: folk religion 58.9%, Buddhist 17.3%, Christian 7.2%, other 1.2%, none 15.4% (2020 est.)
Capital:
Government type: executive-led limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
Chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)
Head of government: Chief Executive Sam Hou FAI (since 20 December 2024)
Description: Legislative Assembly (Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau) - unicameral
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
tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys
GDP by sector: Agriculture: n/a, Industry: 5.4% (2023 est.), Services: 91.4% (2023 est.)
Export partners: Hong Kong 73%, China 6%, USA 6%, Philippines 3%, Singapore 1% (2023)
Export commodities: jewelry, garments, broadcasting equipment, precious metal watches, video and card games (2023)
Import partners: China 36%, Hong Kong 17%, USA 6%, France 6%, Japan 5% (2023)
Import commodities: jewelry, garments, trunks and cases, broadcasting equipment, electricity (2023)
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Information derived from worldfactbook.io (Lupon Media), open successor to the CIA World Factbook. Data sourced from World Bank, IMF, UN and other international organizations.