HK releases research to tackle aging population

Hong Kong's Legislative Council (Legco) Secretariat on Thursday released a Research Brief on " Preparing for population aging" to study the overseas experience in tackling aging population.

According to the latest population projections by Hong Kong's Census and Statistics Department, the number of people aged 65 and above in Hong Kong will increase significantly from 1.02 million in 2013 to 2.56 million in 2041.

The research said challenges presented by an aging population are not unique to Hong Kong. The Brief highlights various policy measures introduced by other places like Singapore, Sweden, France, Finland and the United Kingdom on how to tackle the challenges of aging population.

The Brief suggested that the government should encourage more citizens to work such as recruiting more new workers including housewives, promoting mature workers to stay longer at work and importing more workers from other districts. In addition, the government should invest more in human capital and innovation to enhance productivity.