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Hong Kong population

Hong Kong population
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Hong Kong population. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
John Lee policy address 2026

The story begins …

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s final policy address for his current term lays out five major development opportunities and 25 key livelihood measures, from targets for Northern Metropolis to family friendly policies.

John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong’s new chapter

John Lee policy address 2026

The story begins …

John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong’s new chapter

The city’s first five-year plan includes 22 key performance indicators tied to the local economy, innovation and residents’ living standards.

John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong’s John Lee vows to review IVF support for women over 40

City leader says he will examine current policies but acknowledges no single measure can reverse Hong Kong’s declining birth rate.

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John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong’s HK$30,000 bonus for second child among 11 new measures to boost births

‘The current-term government has shifted from a non-interventionist approach to actively promoting fertility,’ city leader John Lee says.

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John Lee policy address 2026

14 key takeaways from John Lee’s policy address, Hong Kong’s first 5-year plan

Chief executive lays out how the five-year plan will align the city more closely with the national development blueprint.

Chief Executive John Lee leaves the Legislative Council chamber after delivering Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and the annual policy address. Photo: Dickson Lee
John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong to sweeten school merger deals, offer housing measures to lift births

Source says city leader John Lee will unveil additional incentives to boost births and encourage school mergers in policy address.

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Hong Kong society

Can Hong Kong fix its triple whammy: ageing society, low births and job losses?

Experts say this week’s policy address should go beyond welfare provision, offering strategy for job creation and upskilling the workforce.

Hong Kong

Opinion | Hong Kong must plan for the population it wants to have

As the population ages, becomes more mobile and welcomes more non-locals, data-based planning is needed to inform and improve urban planning.

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Pedestrians in Central, Hong Kong, on August 15, 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse
Education in Hong Kong

‘Worst yet to come’ as Hong Kong schools cut record 126 Primary One classes

Contraction hits Kwai Tsing hardest, where nearly half the district’s 31 primary schools forced to trim Primary One intake.

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Pupils play tug-of-war at West Kowloon Cultural District. The total number of Primary One classes across public schools dropped from 1,558 in 2025-26 to 1,432 in 2026-27. Photo: Karma Lo
Hong Kong society

Will fixing Hong Kong’s childcare bottleneck help lift the city’s birth rate?

Parents and social welfare groups say demand for childcare services remains high even as births fall below 30,000 for 12-month period.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong needs a mission for 2049 to focus its 5-year plans

Rather than another slogan or list of targets, the city needs a shared long-term vision of what it should stand for at the centenary mark.

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Hong Kong property

Is Hong Kong’s property market recovery running out of gas? UBS flags 4 risks

Amid AI’s impact, slower population growth, regional integration and newly built homes, investment bank says property prices likely to remain flat.

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UBS predicts Hong Kong’s property market’s recovery will moderate both in property prices and rents during coming months due to four disrupting factors. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong politics

Opinion | How has John Lee’s ‘new chapter’ for Hong Kong promise held up?

As the chief executive works on both his policy address and a five-year plan for the city, more boldness, reforms and innovation are needed.

John Lee Ka-chiu at an chief executive election campaign rally at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on May 6, 2022. Photo: Felix Wong
Good Schools Guide

Hong Kong’s baby bonus fails to boost births – what would work?

The three-year fertility incentive brought cash but failed to deliver more children – would-be parents weigh in on what would actually drive their decision.

Hong Kong society

Opinion | How employers can support high-risk carers who fall through safety net

With the right awareness and tools, employers can serve as effective first responders for those beyond the government’s safety net.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | To boost birth rate, Hong Kong needs to deliver quality housing

If homes remain painfully unaffordable and pitifully small, it’s very difficult to persuade couples to have children.

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A man pushes a baby in a pram in Yau Ma Tei on July 17, 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong politics

Opinion | Hong Kong’s five-year plan must boost governance to ensure results

The challenge is not simply identifying problems. It is mustering the political will and building the capacity to overcome them.

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Ageing society

Opinion | East Asia’s population challenge isn’t just about raising birth rates

Sustainable policies must strengthen people’s well-being and expand opportunities, creating a society where everyone can thrive.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong is getting its population policy assumptions all wrong

Rather than encouraging more births, Hong Kong should align its family-related policies with the Greater Bay Area’s demographic system.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Ageing society

Editorial | Hong Kong baby bonus scheme needs rethink to focus on systemic issues

As financial incentives fall flat, the government should take aim at the pressures holding back family formation.

Children and their carers spend time at a playground in Kai Tak Sports Park on February 23. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong society

20 Hong Kong couples each get HK$60,000 triple baby bonus but disbursement lags

Only HK$1.31 billion or 57.5 per cent of HK$2.28 billion allocated for baby bonus scheme used as of February, with three-year scheme set to end this October.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong is ageing, but the real question is where people age

The city’s rapid ageing need not turn into a crisis as long as it can look beyond its borders and tap into regional healthcare systems.

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Hong Kong society

Outside In | Debunking the myth of the lonely, isolated Hong Kong retiree

New findings show that elderly Hongkongers are much more mobile than most people imagine and just want to be treated as normal members of society.

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Passengers young and old disembark from a ferry from Cheung Chau in Central on March 7. New research reveals that in five cities including Hong Kong, people aged over 66 have more encounters with a broader cross-section of society than younger, working-age people. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong society

Letters | The clock is ticking on reversing Hong Kong’s birth decline

Readers discuss the subtle changes afoot when cities age, and double standards in the US-Iran war.

A family walks along the harbour on March 15, past a giant inflatable sleeping cat in the Art Park in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong society

Letters | Hong Kong’s low birth rate calls for swift, thoughtful school restructuring

Readers discuss the shrinking number of children of school-going age, the government’s weight management plans, and the latest war in the Middle East.

Hong Kong housing

Opinion | When homes are small and costly, dreams of having a family shrink

In Asian cities, imagining family life has become the real work of adulthood – shaped by square footage, commute times and childcare options.

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