According to the Hong Kong Census no Statistics Department, in 2022, Hong Kong will witness the lowest birth rate across the globe, with a ratio of 701 newborn babies per 1000 females. At the same time, Hong Kong is one of the regions with the highest life expectancy. Hence, with a declining younger population and extending life expectancy, the ageing population issue has worsened. Government data has shown that the proportion of elderly aged 65 or above will increase from 20% of the overall population to up to one-third over the next decade. As labour is in high demand for sustainable economic growth, the HK government has aimed to increase the birth rate to alleviate the ageing population.

Policies:

Recently, in the Legislative Council, members have proposed ideas on how to boost the birth rate. Proposals include decorating government offices with baby photos to encourage younger workers to give birth, organising events within government departments to expand workers’ social circle, and providing more sex and family planning education. They believe civil servants should contribute more to increase the birth rate and be the role models for other citizens. Earlier, the government has implemented a newborn reward scheme, providing subsidies of 20000 HKD per newborn (approximately 1991 GBP) and has increased tax exemption on housing rents for families where the newborn lives in the same household as their parents.

Reasons for low birth rate:

Despite implementing new policies, there is only a slight increase of 338 newborns from 2022 compared to 2023. The number of babies born in 2023 is around 33000, still less than half of the pre-COVID average birth rate of over 67000 births per year. According to interviews done by RFA, parents of newborn children claimed that the subsidy provided is far less than the cost of raising a child, and there is no incentive for them to give birth after the policy was being implemented.

A public opinion survey done by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute shows that 60% of non-parents indicated that they have no future plans of raising a child due to the poor education system and political environment. Data published by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong shows that the overall suicide rate of children under 15 has risen from 0.9 in the previous year to 2.9 last year; among them, the suicide rate for girls increased from 0.5 to 4.2. The main root cause for the skyrocketing suicide rate is identified as the increasing academic pressure faced by students.

Another survey carried out in 2023 by the Hong Kong Women Development Association has shown that 76% of respondents expressed no intention to have children. This marked a record high after nine years. The survey reflects three main reasons for their unwillingness to have children, including financial pressures, long working hours, and the inability to afford property. Policies on addressing the cost of living and raising children are seen to be crucial in boosting the birth rate.