Since its return to the motherland in 1999, the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has scored remarkable development achievements. Sustained economic growth and abundant fiscal revenue have significantly improved people's livelihoods and welfare.

Liu Zhiyi, director of the Macao Economic Association, said Macao has enjoyed the most glorious period in its history during these 20 years.

The figures from Macao's Statistics and Census Service showed that Macao's GDP increased from 51.9 billion patacas ($6.43 billion) in 1999 to 424.9 billion patacas in 2018, with a per capita GDP worth $83,000.

The fiscal surplus reached 508.8 billion patacas by the end of last year, a 193-fold increase over 1999, greatly enhancing the SAR's ability to protect itself from external risks.

The unemployment rate declined from 6.4 percent in 1999 to 1.8 percent in 2018, while the median of monthly income increased by 2.27 times to 16,000 patacas from 4,890 patacas during the same period.

The SAR has greatly improved residents' welfare, enabling all sectors of society to share fruits of economic development.

Permanent residents of Macao at least 65 years of age will be granted an annual allowance of about 73,190 patacas, according to Liu.

As of 2018, the SAR government had offered 51,000 units of public housing to improve housing conditions. And it has lowered the mortgage loan rations for young locals to purchase their first home.

The SAR government has provided 15-year free education starting from 2007, with an enrollment rate of 100 percent.

In 2018, the government expenditure in Macao grew by 163.3 percent to 7.2 billion patacas from 2.7 billion patacas in 2009. The average life expectancy for citizens in Macao rose to 83.7 years in 2018 from 77.9 years in 1999.

Standing at a new historical starting point, Macao will surely enjoy greater development by integrating itself into the overall development of China.