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SCMP Reporter

Wan Chai is the richest of the 18 districts of Hong Kong and Sham Shui Po is the poorest, according to statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department yesterday.
The median monthly income of the city's families stood at HK$17,500 last year, up  from  HK$17,000 in 2006.
The figure for Wan Chai was HK$28,000 a month.
The report, based on data collected in the general household survey from January to December last year, analysed the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of residents in 18 districts.
Wan Chai overtook Central and Western as the richest district. The median income of Central and Western district families was HK$25,700 a month.
Central and Western district, which includes Mid-Levels, is usually considered the 'rich people's district'. In the 2006 report, it was the richest, with a monthly household income of HK$25,500.
In a separate wealth survey released last week by Citibank, Wan Chai was revealed to have the most millionaires, with one in 5.49 people having at least HK$1 million in liquid assets.
According to the census report, the median monthly family income in Sham Shui Po was HK$13,700, just HK$600 higher than in 2006. Other 'poor' districts included Kwai Tsing, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong with  incomes respectively of HK$14,600, HK$14,700 and HK$15,000.
Sze Lai-shan, a welfare worker at the grass-roots  Society for Community Organisation,  said she was not surprised  that Sham Shui Po was the poorest district.
'The income level could have been much lower if the department had not taken into account those better-off residents in Mei Foo Sun Chuen,' said Ms Sze, referring to the  affluent estate  at Mei Foo MTR station.
'It shows that government efforts to ease poverty do not work.'
Wan Chai residents are also the most highly educated, with 32.3 per cent having a degree, beating Central and Western district with  31.8 per cent.
Residents of Wong Tai Sin appeared to be the least educated.
Only 9.4 per cent of them had a degree and 32.3 per cent had received no schooling or below-primary education.
But Wan Chai is also the oldest district, with a median age of 42. It is followed by Eastern,  Sham Shui Po and Wong Tai Sin, where the median age was 41.
Sai Kung was the youngest district at 36, compared with 39 for the overall population.
Get smart
The percentage of households in Wan Chai with a monthly income of more than HK$30,000 : 45%
The percentage of households in Sham Shui Po with a monthly income of less than HK$10,000: 34%
The percentage of residents in Wan Chai who received no schooling or only attended primary school : 11.4%
The percentage of residents in Wong Tai Sin who received no schooling or only attended primary school:  27.8%
SOURCE: CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT



Wan Chai named richest, most educated and oldest district