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How an ageing society can be a Hong Kong success story – if it is planned for carefully and creatively
Bernard Chan says the government is already taking steps to accommodate Hong Kong’s ageing population, but there are opportunities for the private sector, too
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One of the biggest changes Hong Kong is facing is the ageing of our society. It is a very gradual process. But, if you could fast-forward 20 years, you would notice the difference: the number of people aged over 65 would have gone from 17 per cent of Hong Kong’s population to 31 per cent.
If you visit Japan, where over-65s are already 25 per cent of the population, you get a glimpse of this future. Japan’s experience shows that a developed society can adjust.
In Hong Kong, the government has been discussing the ageing population as a social and financial issue for many years. The current administration is focusing on new approaches to elderly care services. Officials are thinking ahead about how technology, building design and urban planning will need to change to meet the needs of an older community.
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For example, new public rental housing is being designed with features like wider corridors and doors, and non-slip floors. Older blocks are being modified where possible. One of the intentions is to allow older tenants to stay in their flats as they age.
Watch: Can Hong Kong’s elderly afford quality lifetime rental flats?
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