Skip to content
Home >> Statistics >> Health Manpower Survey

Statistics

2024 Health Manpower Survey on Dentists

Key Findings

The dentists covered in the 2024 Health Manpower Survey on Dentists (HMS-DN) were dentists registered with the Dental Council of Hong Kong on the list* of registered dentists resident in Hong Kong under the Dentists Registration Ordinance (Chapter 156) as at the survey reference date of 31 March 2024.

The number of dentists covered was 2 576.

Of the 2 576 dentists covered, 1 428 responded to the survey, including 258 (18.1%) who submitted their responses through online platform and 1 170 (81.9%) who submitted by post, giving an overall response rate of 55.4%. Among the 1 428 responding dentists, 1 388 (97.2%) were active†‡ and 40 (2.8%) were inactive†§ as at the survey reference date of 31 March 2024(See Chart).

Of the1 388 active dentists enumerated, 1 385 (99.8%) were practising in the local dental profession, two (0.1%) were seeking jobs in the dental profession and one (0.1%) reported that he / she was available for work but had not sought work during the 30 days before the survey reference date as he / she believed that work was not available in the local dental profession.

The survey results presented below were based on the information provided by 1 385 responding dentists who were practising in the local dental profession as at the survey reference date of 31 March 2024 (hereafter referred to as “active local dentist”). The percentages present below may not add up to 100% due to missing responses or rounding.

  1. Of the 1 385 active local dentists enumerated, there were 876 (63.2%) male and 464 (33.5%) female. The remaining 45 (3.2%) respondents did not indicate their gender. Among the 1 340 respondents who indicated their gender, the overall sex ratio (males per 100 females) was 189. The median age of the 1 351 active local dentists enumerated who reported their age was 51.0 years.
  2. The respondents were requested to indicate the characteristics of their main jobs║. Among the 1 385 active local dentists enumerated, 1 090 (78.7%) reported that their main jobs║ were in the private sector, 176 (12.7%) in the Government, 41 (3.0%) in the academic sector, 24 (1.7%) in the subvented sector and six (0.4%) in the Hospital Authority.
  3. Of the 1 385 active local dentists enumerated, 1 105 (79.8%) worked in general dentistry, 203 (14.7%) in specialist practice and 17 (1.2%) reported teaching / education / research as their primary field of work. Nine (0.6%) did not indicate their field of practice.
  4. Among the 1 376 active local dentists enumerated who reported their weekly working hours, the median number of hours of work per week (excluding meal breaks) was 40.0 hours. Among the 1 385 active local dentists enumerated, 55 (4.0%) were required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty), with a median 6.0 hours of on-call duty per week (excluding normal duty).

* As the 2024 Health Manpower Survey on Dentists only aimed at covering all dentists practising in Hong Kong, dentists on the list of registered dentists outside Hong Kong of the Dental Register were excluded from the survey.
† In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.
‡ Economically active (“active”) dentists included all “employed” and “unemployed” dentists. “Employed” dentists referred to those dentists practising in the dental profession in Hong Kong as at the survey reference date; and“Unemployed” dentists referred to those dentists who (i) were not practising in the local dental profession as at the survey reference date; (ii) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey reference date† AND (iii) had sought work in the local dental profession during the 30 days before the survey reference date. The respondent would be classified as “unemployed” if he / she had sought work in the local dental profession but had not been available for work because of temporary sickness. The respondent would be classified as “unemployed” if he / she fulfilled conditions (i) and (ii) but had not sought work during the 30 days before enumeration because he / she believed that work was not available; had made arrangements to take up a new job; was starting business on a subsequent date; or was expecting to return to the original job in the local dental profession.
§ Economically inactive (“inactive”) dentists referred to the responding dentists who were not practising in the dental profession in Hong Kong as at the survey reference date, excluding those who were on leave and who were “economically active” but “unemployed”.
║ Main job referred to the jobs in which the dentists had spent most of their working time.
Includes universities and the Prince Philip Dental Hospital.

Of the 40 inactive dentists enumerated (See Chart):

  1. 24 (60.0%) reported not seeking jobs in the local dental profession during the 30 days before the survey reference date. The reasons of not seeking jobs in the local dental profession included: 12 (50.0%) had retired, four (16.7%) wanted to take a rest / had no motive to work / had no financial need, three (12.5%) were engaged in household duties, etc.
  2. 12 (30.0%) reported practising overseas, one (2.5%) reported practising in Macao or other areas of the Greater Bay Area, one (2.5%) reported practising in other areas of the Mainland and two (5.0%) were not available for work during the seven days before the survey reference date.

Breakdown of Dentists Covered and Activity Status of Dentists Covered

Text Version

Breakdown of Dentists Covered and Activity Status of Dentists Covered

Notes: * Figure refers to the number of dentists who had registered with the Dental Council of Hong Kong on the list of registered dentists resident in Hong Kong under the Dentists Registration Ordinance (Chapter 156) as at the survey reference date of 31 March 2024.
† Figure refers to the number of responding dentists who (a) were not practising in the dental profession in Hong Kong as at the survey reference date; (b) had been available for work in the local dental profession during the seven days before the survey reference date; AND (c) had sought work in the dental profession during the 30 days before the survey reference date.
‡ Figure refers to the number of responding dentists who (a) were not practising in the dental profession in Hong Kong as at the survey reference date; (b) had been available for work in the local dental profession during the seven days before the survey reference date; AND (c) had not sought work in the local dental profession during the 30 days before the survey reference date because he / she believed that work was not available in the local dental profession.
§ Figure refers to the number of responding dentists who were not available for work in the local dental profession during the seven days before the survey reference date.
‖ Figure refers to the number of responding dentists who reported not seeking work in the local dental profession during the 30 days before the survey reference date due to reasons such as emigration, working in other profession etc.
Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

15 Jan 2026