More HK residents live in poverty: study

Despite booming economy, more than 20 percent of people in Hong Kong are living in poverty, more than double what it was two decades ago, according to a study released yesterday.

Chua Hoi-wai (蔡海偉), director of the Hong Kong Council for Social Services which commissioned the report, said he was worried about the widening wealth gap, notably among people aged 45 to 64.

"Most of the people in this age group are low-skilled workers. They either don't have a job or are on a very low salary," he said.

"The most worrying thing is that these people are usually the ones who support the whole family. If they were on low income and unemployed, the whole family would suffer," Chua said.

"Although we have seen an economic recovery here, people at the grassroots are not benefiting from it," he said.

The report found 1.33 million of the nearly 7 million who live in the territory earned as little as HK$3,000 (US$384) per month last year.

That was up 112 percent on the 1986 figure, a huge rise even after taking into account that Hong Kong's overall population has increased by a quarter since then.

Those aged 45-64 and living under the poverty line recorded the biggest growth in the past five years, up 34 percent, while pensioners in the same category grew 19.5 percent.