Hong Kong equality watchdog sees disability discrimination complaints double

Complaints to Hong Kong’s equality watchdog about firings linked to suspected disability discrimination have more than doubled over the past five years, with concern groups attributing the rise to corporate restructuring and widespread lay-offs amid the economic downturn.

The South China Morning Post obtained figures from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) showing that the watchdog received 490 complaints of alleged disability discrimination in the employment field last year, up 72 per cent from 285 in 2021.

Of these, complaints involving dismissal more than doubled over the same period, increasing from 132 in 2021 to 282 in 2025.

An EOC spokesman said the increase in complaints was due to various factors, including greater public awareness and the reporting of discrimination incidents on social and mainstream media, encouraging more victims to come forward.

He said the proportion of disability-related complaints had remained steady over the years.

But, in terms of employment-related complaints, the figures showed that the EOC received 640 overall in 2021, with disability-related reports accounting for around 45 per cent. In 2025, such complaints made up about 55 per cent of the 896 filed last year.