Tackling poverty in Hong Kong: measurement as a prelude to action

Abstract

Poverty in Hong Kong is high and rising. This has given rise to community concern and put the government under pressure. It responded by establishing a Commission on Poverty in 2012, which announced in 2013 that it had reached agreement on an official poverty line for Hong Kong — a decision that has since been endorsed by the government. This paper describes how the poverty line is constructed and summarises the key findings in a new report on poverty in Hong Kong. It highlights existing policy failings and examines the implications for policy reform and research.