The Story

Most of my friends in Hong Kong say they don’t want kids.

I hadn’t realised this was a Hong Kong-specific phenomenon until I asked my friends in London the same question - almost all of them said they wanted a family.

During my two months freelancing at the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, I proposed this topic as the first unit of a special topic series. After researching and designing the survey questions, I visualised the processed data for the centre’s social media accounts.

Findings

▍ As Hong Kong’s fertility rate fell below South Korea’s in 2022, becoming the lowest in the world, this poll revealed that over 60% of respondents did not want children. The top reasons cited were the “education system,” “political environment,” and “limited living space.” In contrast, fewer than a quarter of respondents pointed to “career development” or “personal preferences on family matters” as key factors.

▍ The study found that Hongkongers with little relationship experience are significantly less likely to want children. 17% of Hong Kong adults have never dated. This includes 15% of women and nearly 20% of men. Among this group, only 2% still expressed a desire to have children.

▍ The results also highlighted generational differences in how Hongkongers meet their partners. Those born in the ‘60s mainly met their partners through work, while those from the ‘70s and ‘80s relied more on introductions from others. In contrast, the youngest generations—those born in the ‘90s and ‘00s—are more likely to meet through school or dating apps.

▍ A survey by Stanford University showed that the proportion of Americans meeting their partners through dating apps jumped from 2% in 1995 to 39% in 2017, making it the most common way for Americans to find a partner - a much higher rate than among young people in Hong Kong. While the two studies aren’t directly comparable, the findings suggest that Hongkongers still largely rely on traditional methods such as school, work, or introductions from others to meet their partners.