Lawmaker floats cash lottery for newborns as baby bonus scheme extension set to cost HK$2.3bn

The Hong Kong government plans to extend the baby bonus scheme for an additional three years, costing around HK$2.3 billion, to encourage higher fertility rates and support families with young children. This extension comes after the first three years, during which the scheme provided HK$20,000 per newborn child. In the subsequent three years, firstborns will continue to receive HK$20,000, while second and later children will be given HK$30,000.

The policy aims to create a "conducive environment" for childbearing, as the fertility rate in Hong Kong is currently quite low at 0.73 in 2025. Between July 2025 and June 2026, fewer than 30,000 babies were born in Hong Kong, which is the lowest number on record. As of August 31, the government had already disbursed HK$1.55 billion in payouts to 77,709 applicants, with HK$732 million of the initial allocation still remaining unspent.

During a recent LegCo meeting, one lawmaker proposed the idea of a cash lottery where newborns could win a multi-million dollar prize, though the finance committee's Warner Cheuk indicated that such a large financial commitment would be challenging to implement.