Poverty in Hong Kong hits decade high

Factoring in government subsidies and allowances, the number of poor people was still over a million. Photo: RTHK

Fernando Cheung

Hong Kong's poverty rate has reached a decade-high. Latest government figures show that more than 1.4 million people lived below the poverty line last year, bringing the poverty rate to over 20 per cent.



Factoring in government subsidies and allowances, the number of poor people was still over a million, and the poverty rate 14.9 percent.



Labour Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung, who sits on Legco's Welfare Panel, says the new figures are alarming.



"We're talking about last year's figure which really was not affected by the recent social discontent," he said. "We were having economic development last year."



Cheung said any economic downturn this year could also continue next year.



He said the figures show that the government's anti-poverty schemes have failed.