Hong Kong couples need more concrete support to remove barriers to having children. Financial incentives, strengthened social support for parents, free preschool education and improvement in the quality of education are some of the preferred measures. Photo: Roy Issa

Opinion

Paul Yip

Trend of low fertility in Hong Kong is here to stay, whatever the government may do

Paul Yip says the latest findings confirm the city’s intractable below-replacement birth rate. Yet, while efforts to raise the rate are likely to be futile, couples who want to raise kids should still be given the support they need

Paul Yip

Published: 7:31am, 8 Dec, 2018

Updated: 9:27am, 8 Dec, 2018

Hong Kong couples need more concrete support to remove barriers to having children. Financial incentives, strengthened social support for parents, free preschool education and improvement in the quality of education are some of the preferred measures. Photo: Roy Issa

READ FULL ARTICLE

Paul Yip

Paul Yip is the founding director of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong, and a professor at the university's Department of Social Work and Social Administration. His interests include suicide prevention, population health and poverty research. He serves as the secretary general of the Asian Population Association and the research chair of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong. He was a part-time member of the Central Policy Unit and a member of the Hong Kong government's Steering Committee on Population Policy.