m2 to ft2

Average Apartment Size in Hong Kong

Updated 30 June 2026 · Hong Kong Population Census + Rating and Valuation Department + Liber Research Community

Typical Hong Kong home

~430 ft²

≈ 40 m²

Median household floor area (2016 Census). Living space per person is just ~172 ft² (16 m²), among the smallest of any developed economy. Most flats are RVD Class A, under 40 m².

Hong Kong has some of the smallest homes in the developed world. A typical flat has a median floor area of roughly 430 square feet, about 40 square metres, and the median living space per person is only around 172 square feet, or 16 square metres. Flats are quoted locally in saleable square feet, and the great majority fall into the Rating and Valuation Department’s smallest size band, Class A.

Hong Kong Home Sizes at a Glance

MeasureSquare feetSquare metres
Median home floor area~430~40
Living space per person~172~16
Nano-flat thresholdUnder 260Under 24
New-build minimum (since 2022)28026

Median home floor area: 2016 Population By-census. Per-capita living floor area: 2021 Population Census, reported by the HKSAR Government (LCQ22, 29 March 2023). Nano-flat threshold and minimum-size rule: see sections below. Saleable area includes the bathroom and kitchen.

Hong Kong Flat Classes (RVD)

The Rating and Valuation Department classifies every private flat by saleable area into five classes. Class A is the smallest and accounts for the large majority of Hong Kong’s housing stock.

ClassSaleable area
Class AUnder 40 m²
Class B40 to 69.9 m²
Class C70 to 99.9 m²
Class D100 to 159.9 m²
Class E160 m² and above

Source: Rating and Valuation Department private-domestic class definitions. Square-foot equivalents are rounded.

Class A

Under 40 m²

Small flats. The most common class in Hong Kong. Includes nano flats and most studio and one-bedroom units.

Class B

40 to 69.9 m²

Medium flats. A comfortable two-bedroom by local standards sits in this band.

Class C

70 to 99.9 m²

Large flats. Three-bedroom family units.

Class D

100 to 159.9 m²

Very large flats, a small share of the market.

Nano Flats and the 280 sq ft Minimum

A nano flat is a unit with a saleable area under 24 m² (260 sq ft), including the bathroom and kitchen. The average nano flat measures roughly 219 sq ft. These tiny units multiplied through the 2010s, reaching about 13 percent of new private supply, before the government stepped in.

  • ·Since February 2022, a minimum saleable area of 26 m² (280 sq ft) applies to all government land-sale sites.
  • ·The rule also covers MTR property projects, Urban Renewal Authority projects, and private lease-modification applications.
  • ·It is not retroactive: existing nano flats and second-hand stock are unaffected.

Nano-flat definition and average: Liber Research Community. Minimum-size rule announced December 2021, effective February 2022 (Development Bureau / Lands Department).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average apartment size in Hong Kong?
A typical Hong Kong home has a median floor area of about 430 sq ft (40 m2), based on the 2016 Population By-census. Most flats fall into the Rating and Valuation Department's Class A band, meaning a saleable area under 40 m2. Hong Kong has some of the smallest homes of any developed economy.
How much living space does each person have in Hong Kong?
The median per-capita living floor area was about 172 sq ft (16 m2) in 2021, according to the 2021 Population Census reported by the Hong Kong government. That is among the lowest of any developed economy and well below the government's own long-term aspiration of 215 to 237 sq ft per person.
What is a nano flat in Hong Kong?
A nano flat is a residential unit with a saleable area under 24 m2 (260 sq ft), including the bathroom and kitchen. The average nano flat measures around 219 sq ft, per the Liber Research Community. Nano flats made up roughly 13 percent of new private supply in the late 2010s before the government acted to limit them.
Is there a minimum flat size in Hong Kong?
Yes. Since February 2022, a minimum saleable area of 26 m2 (280 sq ft) applies to all government land-sale sites, MTR property projects, Urban Renewal Authority projects, and private lease-modification applications. The rule was introduced to curb the nano-flat trend. It does not apply retroactively to existing flats.
How big is a Hong Kong apartment in square feet?
The median Hong Kong home is about 430 sq ft (40 m2). The smallest one-bedroom and studio flats run 240 to 300 sq ft (22 to 28 m2), while a comfortable family flat is 750 sq ft (70 m2) or more. Sizes are quoted locally in saleable square feet.
Why are Hong Kong apartments so small?
Hong Kong has extreme land scarcity, with only a small fraction of its territory developed, combined with one of the world's densest populations and very high land values. Developers respond by building small, efficient units, which pushed average flat sizes down for a decade until the 2022 minimum-size rule.
How does Hong Kong compare to other cities?
Hong Kong has the smallest living space per person among major developed cities. Its median per-capita floor area of roughly 16 m2 (172 sq ft) is well below Tokyo, Singapore, London, and New York. See our apartment sizes by city page for a full comparison.

Convert a Hong Kong Flat Size

40 m² is approximately a small one-bedroom flat.

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Oliver Wakefield-Smith, founder of Digital Signet

About the author

Oliver Wakefield-Smith

Founder of Digital Signet, an independent research firm publishing data-led property, planning, and conversion tools. Content is sourced from ONS, Nationwide, RICS, MHCLG planning data, and UK building regulations. Confirm planning and regulatory figures with your local authority or a qualified professional.

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Updated 2 May 2026