More than 25,000 applications for HK$20k newborn bonus since last year

The government said around HK$500 million has been disbursed to 24,622 successful applicants of the one-off cash grant of HK$20,000 for each newborn following the announcement of the initiative. 

It added that a total of 25,353 applications for the scheme have been received as of September 12, and the number has increased significantly since May, with nearly 10,000 more approvals in just four months.

Kwai Chung East district councilor Jody Kwok Fu-yung mentioned that the recent application increase might be linked to the Year of the Dragon, as many couples wish to have children during this auspicious year.

DAB lawmaker Edward Leung Hei, a new father himself, emphasized that cash incentives alone won't significantly boost birth rates. He called for more comprehensive family support services, especially in community childcare.

The number of new births in Hong Kong has been declining for nearly a decade, dropping from 62,000 in 2014 to a record low of 32,950 in 2022. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu thus introduced the cash incentive program in his last Policy Address to encourage births.

Eligible babies for the cash bonus must be born in Hong Kong between October 25, 2023, and October 24, 2026, with at least one parent being a permanent resident of Hong Kong.