HK$1.4 billion given to parents with newborns, but Hong Kong birth rate fell to record low in 2025

Hong Kong's government has disbursed more than HK$1.4 billion in cash bonuses to parents of newborns since launching a scheme three years ago, yet the city's birth rate has plunged to a record low. Welfare minister Chris Sun reported that 71,886 applicants received the HK$20,000 bonus, part of an initiative aimed at encouraging childbirth.

Despite the financial incentives and additional perks like priority for public housing and tax benefits, the number of registered births in 2025 dropped to 31,072. This figure is lower than the previous record low of 32,501 set in 2022 and continues a concerning trend observed in 2023 and 2024. The scheme, introduced in October 2023, is currently under review.

To further address the declining birth rate, the government has implemented housing and tax policies. The Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme has reduced wait times for public housing and allocated apartments to thousands of families. Additionally, a tax allowance for having a child is set to take effect in the 2026-27 assessment year. The Hospital Authority is also working to increase quotas for in-vitro fertilisation treatments.

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The two schemes aim at reducing the obstacles arising from housing needs to childbearing, thereby achieving the objective of encouraging fertility.