BEIJING – Since its return to the motherland in December 1999, Macau has charted a long journey of growth that has drawn the gaze of observers from around the world.
The two decades have seen Macau evolve from a small town with a sluggish economy and a lack of social security to a world-renowned metropolis with political stability, social harmony, economic prosperity and cultural diversity.
Macau’s gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP per capita grew by almost eight times and five times from 1999 to 2018, respectively, and its fiscal reserves and foreign reserves grew 193 fold and 6.2 fold, with the unemployment rate also dropping from 6.3 percent to 1.8 percent.
