The government apparently believes that solving the housing shortage problem would go a long way in making people happier. That wait has lengthened to five years or more from three. But many families have to put up with substandard living conditions while waiting for their turn for public housing. To be sure, about 50 percent of the families live in subsidized housing provided by the government. Hidden behind the facade of a glamorous metropolis is a tattered social fabric torn by a widening income inequality between the minority rich and the rest of the people worsening poverty, with a record 1.3 million citizens falling below the poverty line and a healthcare system stretched to the limit by a rapidly aging population.įurther fueling social discontent is the escalating cost of housing, making Hong Kong one of the most expensive cities to live in. Its excellent infrastructure facilities and a solid economic growth record, coupled with years of virtual full employment, apparently have failed to put a smile on many people’s faces.įor Hong Kong people, the result of the UN happiness survey may not be such a big surprise. Ranking among the middle of the pack is no consolation for a city that enjoys widely admired social and economic advantages that help secure its place as an international financial center and business hub in the world’s fastest-growing region.
The annual report is based on sample surveys of how happy citizens in each place perceive themselves to be. The UN’s World Happiness Report 2019, published in March, ranks Hong Kong at No 76, down five places from a year before, of the 156 territories surveyed. Many families have to put up with substandard living conditions while waiting for their turn for public housing.
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