Youth membership in Hong Kong uniformed groups drops 8% over 5 years

Youth membership in Hong Kong's uniformed groups has dropped by 8% over the past five years, with several factors contributing to the decline, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. The trend is attributed to persistently low birth rates and an abundance of extracurricular activities for students. While lawmakers have called for introducing key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure prudent public spending, some organizations worry that linking funding to membership numbers could impede their development.

The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau provides recurrent subsidies to 11 uniformed youth groups, with a total subsidy of HK$86 million in the 2024-25 academic year. The largest drop in membership was seen in the Hong Kong Adventure Corps, which saw a 30% decline, followed by the Hong Kong Road Safety Patrol. Despite the decline in membership, the total recurrent funding for the 11 groups has remained stable, resulting in a higher per-member subsidy for each organization.

Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.