Intergenerational poverty

In an increasingly competitive world, upward social mobility is becoming harder to attain. In Hong Kong, concerns are growing over children from low socioeconomic families not having adequate opportunities to learn, move up the social ladder and break the poverty cycle.

With the overall poverty rate in Hong Kong rising—from 18.3% in 2019 to 20% in early 2023—the number of children living in poverty has also been growing. There were 222,600 people below the age of 18 living in poverty in 2023, a sharp increase to the 181,200 people recorded in 2019.

Poverty and lack of access to economic and educational opportunities are often passed on to the next generation, and the impact on children being raised in low socioeconomic families can be enduring. Researchers found that pre-teens from an underprivileged background have lower academic performance and display more depressive symptoms when compared to those from high socioeconomic families. Likewise, young adults from poor families are less likely to go to university than their better-off counterparts. Living in tiny spaces, they may also be more easily exposed to domestic conflict.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club believes that one of the keys to fighting intergenerational poverty is to provide holistic support that empowers not only underprivileged youths but also their families. We are dedicated to helping poor households ease poverty risks and eventually break out of the poverty trap.

Support takes different forms, such as a cross-sectoral platform on career and life development, scholarships, financial aid, all-round intervention to children through multidisciplinary collaboration, and comprehensive support for families residing in subdivided units. These initiatives help participants ease their financial burden and develop a sustainable livelihood, encourage them to engage with the wider community, and improve their employment prospects so to increase their social mobility. Tens of thousands of individuals have benefited as a result.