The Government today announced that the number of companies in Hong Kong with Chinese Mainland or overseas parent companies rose to 11,070 in 2025, while the number of startups in Hong Kong increased to 5,221, both reaching new record highs.

The results demonstrate that Hong Kong's unique attractiveness to enterprises from around the globe continues growing, and that the city is the ideal investment destination to set up or expand businesses, it added.

The record-high figures were contained in the 2025 Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong with Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong and the 2025 Startup Survey announced by the Government today.

The 2025 Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong with Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong revealed a record 11,070 non-local firms operating in the city. This represents an 11% increase of 1,110 companies over 2024, while total employment within these firms rose 3% to 509,000.

When analysed by the location of the parent company, the Chinese Mainland ranked first with 3,090 companies, followed by the US and Japan, both with 1,550 companies, the UK with 770 and Singapore with 590.

The major lines of business of the 11,070 companies in Hong Kong are mostly import/export trade and wholesale and retail, followed by financing and banking, and professional, business and education services.

A record high number of 5,221 startups continued to flourish in Hong Kong in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 11%. These startups employed 19,753 people, a 12% rise over the previous year, and spanned various sectors, including financial technology; information, computer and technology; biotechnology; education and learning; and health and medical.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau said even though geopolitics and the global economic and trade landscape are evolving, Hong Kong has been proactively demonstrating its incomparably unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle as the best two-way springboard for overseas enterprises to tap into the vast Chinese Mainland market and for those enterprises to go global.

“Together with the wide array of the latest initiatives to promote economic development, including the establishment of the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global, the formulation of preferential policy packages to attract high value-added industries to Hong Kong, the accelerated development of the Northern Metropolis, the establishment of the Economic & Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur, etc, Hong Kong's advantages will continue to strengthen, thereby accelerating the injection of new impetus to our economy and providing more opportunities for both Chinese Mainland and overseas companies based in Hong Kong,” he said.

Mr Yau also noted that the number of startups in Hong Kong continues to grow at a double-digit rate, signaling the city as an ideal place for startups to thrive, and demonstrating the great confidence that global startup entrepreneurs have in Hong Kong.

“Startups can leverage the strengths of Hong Kong – including its concentration of internationally renowned universities and research institutes, entrepreneurial talent, and investors from around the world, as well as a strong local network of incubators and accelerators, to rapidly develop innovation and technology businesses that showcase their strengths," he added.