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Rhys Cheung

Raymond Lap-Ming Tang

Paul Yip

Youth mental wellness has emerged as an important public health concern, particularly given the worrying rise in Hong Kong’s youth suicide rate between 2019 and 2022. A slight rise in the rate year on year was recorded in 2023. Over half of suicides among Hongkongers under 15 years were linked to broken families, underscoring the impact of an unstable environment on children’s well-being.
In Hong Kong, youth suicide notes have revealed a troubling sense of hopelessness, reflecting the disenchantment of the city’s young people. The younger generation faces challenges in adapting to the rapid social and economic changes in recent years, which have diminished their prospects for upward mobility and home ownership, and added to a sense of aimlessness.
The alarming rise in youth disenchantment necessitates an urgent intervention. In response, the government has enacted policy measures to address these interconnected issues.
In his latest policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu outlined a range of initiatives to meet the diverse needs of young Hongkongers, including talent cultivation, provision of more living space, digital engagement, creative skills development, life planning and employment support.
While commendable, these policies depend on public funding and this imposes a significant financial burden, particularly as Hong Kong’s post-pandemic economic challenges have left fiscal reserves at their lowest in a decade. Public expenditure in the last financial year, at HK$760 billion (US$97.76 billion), has grown nearly three times faster than government revenue, and cost controls have become necessary.




The government has already restructured its commissions and bureaus to better address youth needs. Importantly, the Home Affairs Bureau was converted into the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau in 2022 to provide a one-stop platform for youth policy initiatives. The coordination function of the Youth Development Commission has also been improved to emphasise cross-bureau, cross-departmental and cross-sectoral cooperation.
But the involvement of young people is still very limited, and their voices do not seem to be heard, or at least, are not sufficiently addressed.
It is imperative to further explore collaboration-based approaches to youth development using community resources as they can enhance the effectiveness of policy outcomes and relieve the government’s financial burden. Projects from various sectors can provide a reference for the government to understand the forms of collaboration and activities essential for a novel approach to youth development.
One notable example is the Swire Properties Placemaking Academy, launched in 2019. It is a collaboration across different sectors led by community business leaders. It offers local university students a six-month apprenticeship that culminates in the much-anticipated annual White Christmas Street Fair in Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay.
This event is a vibrant community celebration featuring food and drink, live entertainment, workshops and family-friendly Christmas shopping. It also helps raise funds for Operation Santa Claus, a yearly charity drive organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK since 1988.

Last year, the programme expanded its reach by partnering with the Home Affairs Department’s Eastern district office to involve secondary school students. This expansion involved training the students and encouraging them to compose a theme song for the event as well to create an accessible and interactive digital map for the fair.
Such programmes highlight the effectiveness of cross-sectoral collaboration in the development and empowerment of young Hongkongers. When young people are encouraged to take up leadership and the ownership of problems, they can make a difference. Widely implemented, this approach can open the door to more comprehensive and impactful youth initiatives in various sectors.
But the success of such initiatives hinges on establishing and maintaining trust among the sectors that take part. To replicate and expand this model, organisations and policymakers should prioritise strategies that foster trust.
It is necessary to promote open communication, ensure transparency and encourage all stakeholders to join in actively to facilitate the coordinating role of the Youth Development Commission. By focusing on these principles, a stronger framework for youth development that benefits the entire community can be created.


Our young people are the cornerstone of our future; their opinions merit consideration, and governmental bodies ought to address their concerns with genuine attentiveness. The government’s efforts, along with cross-sectoral collaborations, show the way to a holistic approach to empowering young people.
Challenges, such as financial sustainability and the need for balanced strategies, persist. Building trust among stakeholders and expanding successful collaborative models are crucial to creating comprehensive and effective youth development programmes.
As the city navigates an uncertain future with a shrinking young population and a growing ageing cohort, these measures must aim to unleash the potential of Hong Kong’s youth, fostering a generation well-equipped to thrive and contribute to the city’s future.


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Hong Kong government can’t turn the tide on youth disenchantment on its own

Young people play basketball in Tiu Keng Leng in December 2023. Photo: Sun Yeung

A customer interacts with young people manning a stall at the White Christmas Street Fair at Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay, on November 30. Photo: Edmond So

Why John Lee’s policy plans for Hong Kong deserve strong support

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How Hong Kong can ensure its youth are truly heard

Students on a university campus in December 2022. A 2021 survey revealed that nearly 60 per cent of young people aged 15 to 30 expressed a desire to leave Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee

Students and members of the Coalition of South Africa Trade Unions march in Johannesburg on September 23, 2016, during the #FeesMustFall protests against the increase in fees for tertiary education. Photo: AFP 

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (centre) and other Hong Kong officials on stage at the Youth Development Summit on August 10. Photo: Facebook/John Lee

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Hong Kong has adopted a three-tier system to tackle suicide risk among children. Photo: Shutterstock

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Children leave Taikoo Primary School in Quarry Bay on September 5. Dwindling numbers of students in primary schools across Hong Kong are leading education authorities to consolidate and shut down some schools. Photo: Dickson Lee

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Hong Kong

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Education

Government initiatives are expensive and not enough. For effective youth development, collaboration is needed with businesses and the community


Government initiatives are expensive and not enough. For effective youth development, collaboration is needed with businesses and the community.


Suicides in Hong Kong

Mental health

Hong Kong society

Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong housing

Operation Santa Claus

Jobs

Ageing society

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Hong Kong government can’t turn the tide on youth disenchantment on its own

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Government initiatives are expensive and not enough. For effective youth development, collaboration is needed with businesses and the community

Government initiatives are expensive and not enough. For effective youth development, collaboration is needed with businesses and the community