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Hong Kong society
OpinionComment
Hua Guo
Victor Zheng
Hua GuoandVictor Zheng

Opinion | Rising liveability doesn’t herald Hong Kong’s return to pre-Covid normal

  • A recent survey suggests Hongkongers see the city as more liveable, but it’s doubtful this means a return to pre-pandemic normality
  • To establish a new normal amid challenging societal and political conditions, Hong Kong leaders must address issues such as housing and cost of living

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Mainland tourists visit Tsim Sha Tsui on September 28. Hong Kong dropping the last of its Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and removing the mask mandate were significant steps in returning a sense of normality to the city. Photo: Yik Yeung-man
Hua GuoandVictor Zheng
With tens of thousands of people crossing the border to or from Hong Kong during the holiday season, people in Hong Kong have been enjoying post-pandemic life for almost 10 months since the mask mandate was finally lifted at the beginning of March 2023.
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The city government has launched a series of campaigns such as “Hello Hong Kong” to boost tourism and “Happy Hong Kong” to lighten residents’ hearts as part of efforts to boost the city’s economy. Hong Kong is rising from the sickbed of Covid-19 and is ready to stand tall again.

The intent of Hong Kong’s leaders to bring back the vibrancy of business in the city is not in doubt. The question is whether Hong Kong will return to the kind of normality that prevailed before the pandemic.

Many indicators – such as those on attendance, traffic, spending and others – give clues to a business rebound, but they shed little light on what people are thinking. The Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, a research arm of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, has been tracking residents’ ratings on Hong Kong’s liveability every year since 2017.

Respondents are asked in a phone survey to rate how suitable Hong Kong is for living on a scale from 0 to 100, with 50 as the pass mark. As a subjective measurement of overall living conditions, nothing could say more about people’s perceptions of normality than a comparison of differences in the ratings over the years.

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In September 2019, shortly before the pandemic, the average rating on livability was 54.4. It should be remembered that for most of 2019, Hong Kong was caught up in the anti-extradition bill movement. Confrontations after protests ended in chaos and violence. Those dark days are still painful for many to recall.
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