Exclusive | Hong Kong’s elderly ‘No 1 priority’ as welfare chief reveals new measures being studied amid string of tragedies

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun says government is looking at more ideas to support the elderly and their carers

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Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 9:00am, 23 Jun 2024

Hong Kong is considering new measures in a bid to tackle tragedies arising from the city’s fast-greying population, including recruiting community nannies to strengthen support for the elderly and their carers and offering local care workers a new career path, the welfare minister has revealed.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said in a wide-ranging interview with the Post that supporting the elderly was his top priority, pointing to an increase of roughly 50,000 residents aged 65 and above in the population annually.

“This is a very powerful demographic change, which means we have to work hard on elderly services to cater to their needs,” Sun said.

He said authorities were looking at more ideas to support the elderly and their carers, with plans to raise the number of care workers significantly and offer more options for residents willing to move across the border to mainland China, among other measures.

“[Supporting] the elderly is my No 1 priority.”

Hong Kong is now a “super-aged society”, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, where the elderly make up 21 per cent or more of the total population.

Around 1.68 million people aged 65 and above lived in Hong Kong last year, according to official statistics, accounting for 22.4 per cent of the 7.5 million population.