Hong Kong's poverty rate may have fallen, but has people's quality of life risen?
Paul Yip says higher numbers of single elderly households and jobless youth mean many people are still struggling. To really help the needy,our education and social policies must change
The poverty rate - the proportion of households earning less than half the median household income - is a relative one. The increase in the number of older adults and single-parent households over the past decade has made it harder to reduce the poverty rate, as these households are often worse off than the general population.
For now, the government seems to be winning the battle to contain the spread of poverty but the war is far from over
In fact, the poverty gap has widened. While there are fewer people living in poverty compared with 2009, the funding needed to bridge the gap has risen by more than HK$3 billion over the same period.
The situation among the poor has got worse, partly as a result of the increasing number of unemployed young adults and single elderly. The poverty rate among the unemployed is eight times higher than for those with jobs, for example.
The government has rightly pointed out that continuous economic growth with a good employment market is the most effective way to improve people's livelihoods. However, to reduce poverty in a meaningful way, the benefits of growth need to be shared by every sector.
