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…
Former UN official Siddharth Chatterjee has claimed that Hong Kong's low fertility rate could actually be an opportunity for the city to become a global leader in creating a child-friendly environment. With one of the lowest fertility rates in the world at 0.73 births per woman in 2025, Hong Kong could potentially create a "pioneering blueprint" for other cities to follow, according to Chatterjee.
The city currently has fewer than 30,000 births a year, despite government efforts to incentivize families to have children. While Hong Kong has never formally incorporated the UN's Child Friendly Cities Initiative into its governance, Chatterjee believes the city could gain recognition as the region's first Child Friendly City by 2030.
This would involve implementing measures such as providing at least 18 weeks of statutory maternity leave and protecting workplace breastfeeding rights. Chatterjee sees Hong Kong's strengths in big data, technology, and innovation as key assets in its potential to leapfrog other cities grappling with similar challenges.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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