Who is poor in Hong Kong? Chief secretary Carrie Lam's comment at poverty summit sparks debate over definition
A debate has been raised on whether to include a person's assets in calculating whether they fall under the poverty line, with experts saying their inclusion still might not fully reflect one's actual wealth.
Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor set off dialogue at the Commission on Poverty Summit on Saturday when she said the definition of the poverty line, which only considers a household's income but not its assets, could be seen as "exaggerating the poverty condition in Hong Kong", implying that owning property is a form of wealth.
The government's poverty line is drawn at half the median household income in Hong Kong and is adjusted by household size. Those who fall below it are considered poor.
According to official figures, the number of impoverished residents in the city fell by 1 per cent to 962,000 last year compared to 2013. However, the number of poor elderly people rose 3 per cent from 285,000 to 294,000.
"If elderly people take reverse mortgages on their property, they still earn income," Kwan said.