Hong Kong 18 Districts reference. Search by district, landmark, or English name. HK Island (4) + Kowloon (5) + New Territories (9). Includes population, area, key landmarks.
Hong Kong 18 Districts Reference (香港 18 區)
How to use
Search by district
Either Chinese (中環) or English (Central) — both match.
Search by landmark
"Tsim Sha Tsui", "Disneyland", "Airport" etc. all resolve to the right district.
Search by code
2-letter codes (CW = Central & Western, YL = Yuen Long) used internally by HK government.
Browse by region
Below the search, all 18 districts are listed in 3 groups: HK Island / Kowloon / New Territories.
Hong Kong's 18 administrative districts
Hong Kong is administratively divided into 18 districts covering 1,100 km² and 7.4 million people. The District Councils (before the 2024 reform: 18 elected councils) form the basic local government layer. Three geographic groups: HK Island (4) — Central & Western, Wan Chai, Eastern, Southern; Kowloon (5) — Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong; New Territories (9) — Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, North, Tai Po, Sha Tin, Sai Kung, Islands.
District codes
Each district has a 2-letter code (e.g. CW = Central & Western, YL = Yuen Long). These are used internally by HK Post, Lands Department, HK Police, and the Education Bureau. This tool includes all 18 codes.
"The New Territories cover 86% of HK's land area (945 km²) but only 48% of its population — HK Island is the densest, NT has the most room to grow."
Population and area
Largest: Sha Tin (ST) 692k; Yuen Long (YL) 668k; Kwun Tong (KT) 666k. Smallest: Wan Chai (WC) 166k; Islands (IS) 186k (but covers 175 km² — 18.5% of NT).
Practical use cases
District codes appear in: address abbreviations (e.g. Cyberport, HK → "SO" Southern), government statistics (Census & Statistics Dept publishes by district), elections (Legco + District Councils divided by district), and real estate (properties grouped by district for pricing).
10 facts about HK's 18 districts
The 18-district structure dates from 1982, when the District Councils were first established (under Governor MacLehose).
New Territories' 9 districts cover 86% of HK's land area (945 km²) — but only 48% of population.
Sha Tin (ST) is the most populous district (692k) — 9.4% of HK total.
Islands District (IS) is the largest by area (175 km²) — includes Lantau (HK Intl Airport + Disneyland).
Central & Western (CW) is HK's financial heart — Central + Sheung Wan + The Peak.
Wan Chai (WC) has the smallest population (166k), but extreme commercial density — Causeway Bay + HKCEC.
HK Island has the fewest districts (only 4) — but the highest density in HK.
Kowloon's 5 districts represent HK's densest living — Yau Tsim Mong + Sham Shui Po exceed 40,000/km².
The 2024 District Council reform reduced directly-elected seats from 452 to ~264 (mixed direct + appointed + indirect).
Hong Kong has no ZIP / postal code system — street + building name suffice, and the 18 district codes give enough resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
18 districts: HK Island (4) + Kowloon (5) + New Territories (9).
Internal HK government district abbreviations (e.g. CW = Central & Western, YL = Yuen Long). Common in addresses, statistics, and government documents.
Yes, per the HK Census & Statistics Department's District Code Standard — but not standardised internationally like China's GB/T 2260.
No. Hong Kong has no postal code system. Street + building + flat number is enough, and the 18 district codes give sufficient resolution.
HK Island 8%, Kowloon 4%, New Territories 86%, water 2%.
Reduced from 452 directly-elected seats to ~264 (mixed direct + appointed + indirect). Districts repositioned as local advisory bodies rather than elected councils.
Most: Sha Tin (ST) 692k. Least: Wan Chai (WC) 166k.
Lantau (HK Intl Airport + Disneyland), Cheung Chau, Lamma, Peng Chau, Tai O, and 200+ other islands.
No. The 18-district data is inline JS — copy it into your own code.
Yes. All RECATOOLS tools are 100% free, ad-supported.
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