//vol.14-3 On the agenda
HKFYG’s Youth Research Centre has released a new study about Hong Kong youth’s hopes. The study took place between March and May 2022, during the ongoing pandemic and nearly three years since serious social unrest. Sentiments expressed provide insight into their top concerns.
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups’ Youth Research Centre released a new set of studies on what Hong Kong youth would like to look forward to in Hong Kong, three years after a spate of social chaos and unabated COVID-19 pandemic. The sentiments from the 1,054 respondents surveyed in May 2022 provided insights on some of their top concerns.
Out of the concerns prioritised by the respondents aged 15-34 years old, the findings are revealed as follow:
Top three priorities that are of utmost concern to Hong Kong youth would be solving their housing problems (45%); listening to them (35.3%), and mending ties with them (27.5%).
45% Housing Problems
35% Listening To Them
28% Mending Ties with Them
Most expect to see Hong Kong in the following order of attributes as a city in the next 10 years:
38.3% Free
32.4% Prosperous, Stable
25.2% Liveable
47% are pessimistic about Hong Kong’s future development, while only 18% are optimistic.
46.9% Tend to be pessimistic
17.5% Tend to be optimistic
35.7% Uncertain
On a personal level, 38% are optimistic about their future development, while 18% are pessimistic. 45% say they are uncertain about this.
17.6% Tend to be pessimistic
37.9% Tend to be optimistic
44.6% Uncertain
67% of the respondents do not think the government trusts them, 51% do not think the public trust them; 64% do not think they trust the government.
Community trust in youth
33.1% Agree
51.3% Disagree
15.6% Uncertain
Youth’s trust on government
20.3% Agree
63.6% Disagree
16.1% Uncertain
Government’s trust on youth
16.9% Agree
66.6% Disagree
16.5% Uncertain
60% agree they have a stake in the building of Hong Kong’s future.
59.3% Agree
27.6% Disagree
13.1% Uncertain
Here are other remarks made by our Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members who also participated in the study:
The social unrest of recent years and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have brought unprecedented challenges for the government. While Hong Kong is entering a new chapter with a newly elected Chief Executive, the new officials should seize the opportunity to create a vision for society and bring new hope for Hong Kong youth, its other citizens and the city in general.
– Eric Lam, convener of the governance group
The new administration raises youth affairs to the bureau level. The newly-established Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) should take all efforts that could help rebuild mutual trust between young people and the HKSAR Government; build confidence of young people towards their personal development aspirations; and build a belief among youngsters that Hong Kong can excel to be better.
– Alan Yip, fellow group member
Different sectors in Hong Kong should promote youth-led community building projects with collaboration and actual actions, so as to empower the younger generation actualizing their ideal community blueprint. This could also help enhance intergenerational interaction, forging new ways for better understanding of different generations in the long run.
– Tony Tsui, fellow group member
The new administration has attached great importance to its KPIs (Key Performance Indices), which should involve youth participation in the formulation and evaluation of these KPIs. Hong Kong’s youth are innovative. Goals would be better set based on inputs from these young people and their strengths. In the long run, it could open up new avenues for social participation from the Hong Kong youth, as well as make the government’s KPI more realistic.
– Oswis Wong, fellow group member
Report No.69 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Governance group
Published title What Young People Want for Hong Kong
Survey respondents 1,054 young people aged 15-34 years old (online survey)
Parallel interviews with 15 youth and 4 experts or academics
Date March to May 2022 (period for data collection)
More details [in Chinese] https://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2022/07/04/yi069/
Enquiries Sharon Cheung 3755 7039