Hong Kong’s lifeguard shortage has worsened sharply over the past five years, with 272 civil service posts left vacant this year.
The figures come as the Leisure and Cultural Services Department continues to face staffing pressure across its 46 public swimming pools, 42 gazetted beaches and five water sports centers.
According to the department, 1,226 civil service lifeguards were in post in 2026, compared with an establishment of 1,498, leaving 272 vacancies.
Between 2022 and 2026, 25 of the city’s 42 gazetted beaches had to suspend lifeguard services at some point because of manpower shortages.
Eighteen beaches suspended services for an average of 92 days between June and August, including Cafeteria Old Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Clear Water Bay First Beach, Kiu Tsui Beach and Sam Sing Wan.
To ease the shortage, the department began outsourcing lifeguard and first-aid services at six smaller public swimming pools on a trial basis, making use of private contractors’ more flexible hiring arrangements.
In a written response, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui described the trial as “generally satisfactory,” saying all six pools had remained open and no facilities had been closed because of lifeguard shortages.
She said the arrangement would continue under a new three-year contract approved by the Central Tender Board following a fresh tender exercise.
The contract took effect on August 1, with an annual cost comparable to employing civil service and contract lifeguards, Law said.
She described outsourcing as one practical way to ease staffing pressure, but said any expansion would depend on factors including the size and facilities of individual pools, staffing requirements and labor market conditions.
The department will also consider financial implications, operational complexity and labor supply before extending the arrangement to other pools, she added.
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