Hong Kong gov’t should display baby photos in offices to encourage civil servants to have children, lawmaker says
Hong Kong Free Press
The Hong Kong government should display baby photos in its offices to create an “atmosphere” that would encourage civil servants to have children, a lawmaker has suggested.
Hong Kong authorities should combat the city’s record-low birth rate by boosting the birth-giving sentiment among government employees, legislator Bill Tang said at the Subcommittee to Study Population Policy and Initiatives meeting in the legislature on Monday.
The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker suggested that government should promote the idea that “babies are cute” and look like “mini” versions of their parents by showing images of infants around government offices.
“[C]ould the government add more baby photos as decorations for all offices? So that civil servants can see babies when they go to work, which will stop them from wanting to work overtime and instead go home to be with their wives,” he said in Cantonese.
Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare Jonathan Ho Kai-ming, responded by saying Tang’s recommendation was “very innovative.” He would discuss with the Civil Service Bureau to see if more baby photos could be displayed, the official said.
According to World Bank data in 2022, each Hong Kong couple had 0.7 children on average, making its birth rate the lowest worldwide, just below South Korea’s, which was 0.8. Only 33,200 births were recorded last year in the city, which is also confronting an ageing population.
A survey conducted by Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute last month found that respondents cited the city’s education system and political situation as among the main reasons why they did not have children.
Last year, Chief Executive John Lee rolled out a one-off HK$20,000 allowance to families in which at least one parent is a Hong Kong permanent resident, and whose babies are born between last October and October 2026. It was one of various measures introduced by Lee’s administration in the hope of boosting the city’s birth rate.
The Hong Kong government announced in October that around HK$520 million was handed out under the scheme. A total of 26,948 applications were received from last October to the end of September and the bonus had been disbursed to more than 95 per cent of applicants.
Between June and September, a total of 11,807 infants were born in Hong Kong, marking a 9.8 per cent increase compared to figures from the same period last year. The increase may not be completely attributed to the newborn bonus, Ho said, as the birth rate might have been affected by the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and the “change in social atmosphere.”
The government also announced in the latest Policy Address that government staff with children aged under three would receive childcare leave from April 2025. The measure will be tested in the Civil Service Bureau first, before it is expanded to other departments and the wider society, Ho said.
Lawmaker Doreen Kong said on Monday that Hongkongers who had frozen their eggs and sperm ultimately would want to have children. She asked if the government would consider extending the 10-year time limit, regulated under the Human Reproductive Technology (Licensing) Regulation, for the storage of gamete that was not for medical reasons.
Raymond Cheung of the Hospital Authority said specialists had discussed the issue before and they would need to review the latest scientific development to decide if any legislative amendment should be made.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title {
font-size: 1.2em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
align-items: center;
margin-top: 0.5em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta {
font-size: 0.8em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar {
height: 25px;
width: 25px;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail{
margin: 0;
margin-bottom: 0.25em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail img {
height: auto;
width: 100%;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail figcaption {
margin-bottom: 0.5em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles p {
margin: 0.5em 0;
}
HKFP has an impartial stance, transparent funding, and balanced coverage guided by an Ethics Code and Corrections Policy.
Support press freedom & help us surpass 1,000 monthly Patrons: 100% independent, governed by an ethics code & not-for-profit.