40pc of Hongkongers have considered retiring abroad for financial reasons

Forty per cent of Hongkongers would consider leaving the city when they retire, believing they would be financially better off elsewhere, a survey has found.

And one scholar says the government's reluctance to bring in a universal pension scheme is partly to blame.

The survey is conducted every two years by the University of Hong Kong, and commissioned by insurer MassMutual Financial Group. Researchers polled 508 people aged 20 to 55 in April on their attitude to retirement.

Respondents gave an average rating of 5.5 out of 10 to the question of whether they were confident their life would be satisfactory in retirement. That was down from a rating of 6.1 two years ago.

And 40 per cent said they had considered retiring elsewhere. Of those, 27 per cent would consider mainland China, while 21 per cent were contemplating a move to Taiwan. Australia, Canada and Britain were also on the list.

The biggest worry in retirement was inflation, and having insufficient savings, with 61 per cent of respondents saying this was their main concern. Two years ago, this factor was the second biggest worry, after "uncertainty about the future".

About 50 per cent of respondents were also anxious about their health, while more than 20 per cent feared their lifespan would be unusually long.