BackHong Kong construction worker delays having children due to financial strain

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SCMP Economy22 minutes agoBusiness1 min readChina

Hong Kong construction worker delays having children due to financial strain

hong kong construction worker subdivided flat

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Twenty-eight-year-old Hong Kong resident Fong, a construction worker earning HK$10,000 monthly, says he and his wife cannot afford to have a child due to high living costs, including HK$3,000 rent for a 100 sq ft subdivided flat in Prince Edward, while his wife awaits a one-way permit from Guangdong.

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Hong Kong is one of the world’s most expensive cities, with high housing costs and income inequality affecting young couples’ decisions about starting families.

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Twenty-eight-year-old Hong Kong resident Fong and his wife want to have a child but he knows they cannot afford one for now.

He earns about HK$10,000 (US$1,275) a month as a construction worker and lives in a subdivided flat in Prince Edward, paying roughly HK$3,000 a month for the 100 sq ft space. His mainland Chinese wife, 27, remains in Guangdong province as she waits for a one-way permit to be in Hong Kong with him.

With unstable working hours and wages, Fong said he struggled to make ends meet. The cost of raising a child in one of the world’s most expensive cities is too heavy a burden to bear for now.

“If you bring a child into the world, you have to raise them. It’s not something to be taken lightly,” he said.

“It requires real commitment and a good environment for the child to grow up in.”

Open Questions

When will Fong’s wife receive her one-way permit?
Are there any government subsidies or housing assistance available to subdivided flat residents?
What are the average costs of raising a child in Hong Kong?

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Hong Kong construction worker delays having children due to financial strain

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