The United States consulate estimates there are about 70,000 Americans in Hong Kong as of January 2023[update], a drop from 85,000 since its 2018 estimate; no census by any US government organization has ever been attempted.[1] They consist of both native-born Americans of various ethnic backgrounds, including Chinese Americans and Hong Kong Americans, as well as former Hong Kong emigrants of Chinese descent to the United States who returned after gaining American citizenship. Many come to Hong Kong on work assignments; others study at local universities. They form a large part of the greater community of Americans in China.