Fewer than half of local women want babies: survey

Most Hong Kong women don’t want to give birth, a non-profit group said on Monday, with respondents to its survey saying they didn’t have enough money, space or time to raise a child.

A survey from the Hong Kong Women Development Association found that 56 percent of 1,200 respondents do not want to have a baby – the second highest proportion since their annual survey started in 2014.

The association found that only 16 percent of women aged between 20 and 29 years old were willing to give birth, and only 7 percent of all respondents believed the government has done enough to support families with children.

The association’s vice-chairwoman, Auyeung Po-chun, called on the government to put more resources into policies related to family welfare.

She said companies could be asked to provide child-care services, and respondents to their survey also expressed interest in greater subsidies for children’s education.

Auyeung said there should be a law on standard working hours, as this will help foster a more harmonious family relationship.

The association also urged the government to build more public housing, and prioritise families with children on its waiting list, as a way to encourage people to give birth.