Former UN official says Hong Kong’s low fertility offers opportunity. Here’s how
Hong Kong’s low fertility rate is an opportunity rather than a challenge and gives the city a chance to become a global leader in building a child-friendly environment, a former UN resident coordinator in China has said. Siddharth Chatterjee, who held the role from 2021 until March this year, said Hong Kong could create a “pioneering blueprint” for others to follow if it could earn the status of…
Siddharth Chatterjee, the former UN resident coordinator in China, believes Hong Kong's low fertility rate presents an opportunity rather than a challenge. With just 0.73 births per woman in 2025, the city's fertility rate is the second-lowest in the world, according to UN data. Despite government efforts to encourage larger families, Hong Kong recorded fewer than 30,000 births in a year for the first time on record in August.
Chatterjee, now an honorary adviser to the Hong Kong Committee for Unicef, argues that Hong Kong can become a "pioneering blueprint" for other cities to follow if it can earn the status of a "Child Friendly City" under a UN initiative. He suggests that the city could create a model for balancing economic intensity with deep compassion for its youngest citizens in a hyper-dense, high-stress environment.
To become a Child Friendly City, Hong Kong would need to develop policies supporting children's rights in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, according to Unicef's Child Friendly Cities Initiative. The city could also benefit from providing at least 18 weeks of statutory maternity leave, introducing legislation to protect workplace breastfeeding rights, and expanding subsidised childcare places.
Chatterjee emphasized the importance of integrating child rights across urban planning and daily policy, as well as establishing a dedicated fund for child and adolescent mental health services.
Despite the challenges, Chatterjee remains optimistic that Hong Kong could gain recognition status under the initiative before 2030. He highlighted the city's potential to become an education hub for the world, drawing on the performance of its top universities and current geopolitical developments. Chatterjee also noted that the world is currently facing a "five-pronged interlocking crisis" of health, climate change, conflict, food insecurity, and rising inequality, and that the UN needs leadership to adapt to these challenges.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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