 However, some argue that since Hong Kong was a British colony and that Britain was not a free market, Hong Kong's success was not caused by "laissez-faire" policies.A 1994 World Bank Group report stated that Hong Kong's GDP per capita grew in real terms at an annual rate of 6.5% from 1965 to 1989, a consistent growth percentage over a span of almost 25 years.By 1990, Hong Kong's per capita income officially surpassed that of the ruling United Kingdom.