Youth mental wellness has emerged as an important public health concern, particularly given the worrying rise in Hong Kong’s youth suicide rate between 2019 and 2022. A slight rise in the rate year on year was recorded in 2023. Over half of suicides among Hongkongers under 15 years were linked to broken families, underscoring the impact of an unstable environment on children’s well-being.
In Hong Kong,
youth suicide notes have revealed a troubling sense of hopelessness, reflecting the disenchantment of the city’s young people. The younger generation faces challenges in adapting to the rapid social and economic changes in recent years, which have diminished their prospects for upward mobility and
home ownership, and added to a
sense of aimlessness.
The alarming rise in
youth disenchantment necessitates an urgent intervention. In response, the government has enacted policy measures to address these interconnected issues.
In his latest policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu outlined a range of initiatives to meet the diverse needs of young Hongkongers, including talent cultivation, provision of more living space, digital engagement, creative skills development, life planning and employment support.
While commendable, these policies depend on public funding and this imposes a significant financial burden, particularly as Hong Kong’s post-pandemic economic challenges have left fiscal reserves at their
lowest in a decade. Public expenditure in the last financial year, at HK$760 billion (US$97.76 billion), has grown nearly
three times faster than government revenue, and cost controls have become necessary.
The government has already restructured its commissions and bureaus to better address youth needs. Importantly, the Home Affairs Bureau was converted into the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau in 2022 to provide a one-stop platform for youth policy initiatives. The coordination function of the
Youth Development Commission has also been improved to emphasise cross-bureau, cross-departmental and cross-sectoral cooperation.
