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Friday, Mar 31, 2023
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Over half of Hongkongers won’t have kids in the next five years: survey
Over half of Hongkongers don’t plan to have kids in the next five years, citing reasons including personal health conditions and the financial burden, a latest survey has found.
The survey was conducted in February by the women’s affairs committee of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions.
Researchers collected questionnaires from 457 citizens on their intention to have children and their thoughts on government-run childcare services, but found 53.6 percent of respondents said they would not have kids in the next five years.
The number is followed by around one-fifth saying they probably won’t have kids, and only 7.4 percent of respondents say they will definitely have kids.
About half of the respondents noted that personal health conditions and financial burdens were the two primary reasons that affected their desire to have children. The great responsibility of educating and nurturing the children comes third, opted for by 45.9 percent of respondents.
About 60 percent of respondents believe prioritizing and arranging families with children to have public rental housing or subsidized housing units can better encourage citizens to have kids.
Other suggestions include introducing support measures like tuition fees and tax deductions and building more public rental housing units.
The survey also revealed that almost 90 percent of respondents have never used public or private childcare services and do not know much about them. Half of the respondents also say it’s hard for them to retrieve relevant information.
In a separate survey conducted by New People’s Party, lawmaker Judy Chan Ka-pui concluded three incentives for families to have “one more” kid.
They are husbands sharing the household chores, a tax deduction for hiring a foreign domestic helper, and a childbirth subsidy offered by the government.
She then referred to previous recommendations by the party that the government should release a HK$20,000 allowance for every newborn and a HK$50,000 subsidy for youngsters to have their sperm and eggs frozen.
Researchers collected questionnaires from 457 citizens on their intention to have children and their thoughts on government-run childcare services, but found 53.6 percent of respondents said they would not have kids in the next five years.
The number is followed by around one-fifth saying they probably won’t have kids, and only 7.4 percent of respondents say they will definitely have kids.
About half of the respondents noted that personal health conditions and financial burdens were the two primary reasons that affected their desire to have children. The great responsibility of educating and nurturing the children comes third, opted for by 45.9 percent of respondents.
About 60 percent of respondents believe prioritizing and arranging families with children to have public rental housing or subsidized housing units can better encourage citizens to have kids.
Other suggestions include introducing support measures like tuition fees and tax deductions and building more public rental housing units.
The survey also revealed that almost 90 percent of respondents have never used public or private childcare services and do not know much about them. Half of the respondents also say it’s hard for them to retrieve relevant information.
In a separate survey conducted by New People’s Party, lawmaker Judy Chan Ka-pui concluded three incentives for families to have “one more” kid.
They are husbands sharing the household chores, a tax deduction for hiring a foreign domestic helper, and a childbirth subsidy offered by the government.
She then referred to previous recommendations by the party that the government should release a HK$20,000 allowance for every newborn and a HK$50,000 subsidy for youngsters to have their sperm and eggs frozen.
