Plan to counter looming super-aged society

To tackle Hong Kong's aging population, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said elderly people can retire in the mainland while the government would attract younger mainland and overseas talents to the city.

In a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Council yesterday, industrial sector lawmaker Jimmy Ng Wing-ka asked if Lam will have more proactive policies to encourage childbearing and establish a more comprehensive population policy, including attracting talents from around the world to come to Hong Kong and take advantage of opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.

Ng stressed that China has already announced a three-child policy for married couples to help counter its aging population and that Hong Kong will soon have a "super-aged society."

Lam admitted that Hong Kong's latest birth rate of 0.87 in 2020 was even lower than the 0.9 during the 2003 SARS epidemic.

She said Hong Kong has no birth restriction as people can have as many children as they want.

Government policies also do not exclude families who have more children, she added, while Hong Kong has free education and almost free health care so childbearing is an individual choice.

"If we close the door and work on our population policy, that would be difficult. But if we make this city, with a population of 7.5 million, part of the country's 1.4 billion people, I won't be too worried about our demographics," Lam said.

She agreed with Ng that Hong Kong should attract more young people to come to the city.

Lam said many young people want to work in finance and that Hong Kong is an international financial center. She added some youngsters may want to have a career in innovation and technology and that the SAR has the conditions to become an international IT center.

"Both mainland and overseas people can come and live in this city, changing our demographics," Lam said.

At the same time, older Hong Kong adults can be provided a better retirement arrangement and location.

"Many of our elderly people are receiving old age living allowance and living in the Greater Bay Area," Lam said.

"If our policies make it more convenient for them to spend their postretirement years comfortably and stably in mainland cities near Hong Kong, this would change our demographics," Lam said.

According to the Census and Statistics Department, with postwar baby boomers entering old age, the number of elderly people aged 65 and over is projected to nearly double in the coming 20 years.

Excluding foreign domestic helpers, the number of elderly people will increase from 18.4 percent of the total population in 2019 to 33.3 percent in 2039.

sophie.hui@singtaonewscorp.com