Stage 2
The reason why the poverty of Hong Kong is increasing
1. Insufficient government policies
- No minimum wages protection to protect unskilled labour. For those unskilled labours, they cannot find a job with reasonable wages for them.
- Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme was only implemented in December 2000. The people have to rely on their own savings after retirement.
2. Too many low income earners (working poor)
- There were altogether 517,000 persons aged 0-59 living in households with income below Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) payment in 2008.
- Persons aged 15-59 living in households with income below average CSSA payment amounted to 380,500 in 2008.
3. Unemployed people – they cannot find a good job (or even a job) with various reasons
- Some poor may have some unfavourable identity which the society dislikes, such as pregnant women, new immigrants to Hong Kong, the workless, single parent etc. This cause they cannot find a job, and thus they can’t get out of their poor condition.
- The number of unemployed persons aged 15-59 amounted to 127,400 in 2008. There were a total of 244,900 persons aged 15-59 living in households in 2008.
- Persons unemployed for 6 months or longer – 27,200 in 2008.
- Persons unemployed for 12 months or longer – 14,300 in 2008.
4. Some people have to rely on CSSA. For instance, they have to take care of their children or family and cannot work. Then, they cannot improve their living standard.
- The total number of CSSA recipients across all case categories was at 475,600 at end of 2008 (6.8% of the total population).
- The reason for the above point is that the CSSA isn’t enough and thus, the poor is difficult to get out of the poor condition.
5. Discrimination on some people, such as the old & the disabled
- Persons with permanent disability/temporary disability/ill health and relying on CSSA
- 52,500 persons in 2008
- Some organization of disability said that many of the disabled want to have a job, but the employers wouldn’t like to interview them. Although, there are some lucky ones, they only get some simple and low-waged job!
- Old aged persons without savings and have to rely on CSSA
- There were 185,000 persons in 2008.
By H.Y.Leung, Joe
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Liberal Studies Project Stage 2 ***
Liberal Studies Stage 1
貧窮人口高逾123萬人，較去年底急升逾2萬人，當中有27萬人是長者，貧窮率達32%，青年貧窮率亦有顯著上升。二零零九年上半年本港共有123萬6 千人生活於貧窮家庭，貧窮率達17.9%；對比去年底，本港的貧窮人口急增了2萬4千多人。
當中尤其以青年貧窮問題顯著惡化，青年貧窮率由1999 年的15.4%升至2009 年的20%，人數達到18 萬人。至於中年貧窮問題，受到人口結構改變影響，中年貧窮人口也由1999 年的
23 萬人升至2009 年的34 萬人。
按年齡組別劃分，發現65歲或以上長者的貧窮問題最嚴重，多達32%的長者，即近27萬人為貧窮人口；其次是15至24歲青年，貧窮率為20%。而青年貧窮人口亦有顯著上升，十年內由14萬4千人，激增20%至17萬6千人。
香港貧窮問題持續嚴峻，貧窮人口超過123 萬，而聯合國《2008/2009 年度世界城市狀況：和諧城市》報告亦指岀，香港是亞洲貧富懸殊最嚴重的城市，堅尼系數達0.53，遠高於警戒線
的0.4。
09 年上半年：
貧窮人口：124 萬貧窮率：17.9%
| 年齡組別 | 人數(2009) | 比率 |
| 兒童 | 21萬 | 24.5% |
| 青年 | 18萬 | 20.0% |
| 成人 | 23萬 | 10.6% |
| 中年 | 34萬 | 17.0% |
| 老人 | 27萬 | 32.1% |
| 年份 | 人數 | 比率 | |
| 1999 | 1,130,000 | 17.2% | |
| 2000 | 1,214,000 | 18.3% | |
| 2001 | 1,187,000 | 17.8% | |
| 2002 | 1,186,000 | 17.7% | |
| 2003 | 1,166,000 | 17.4% | |
| 2004 | 1,186,000 | 17.6% | |
| 2005 | 1,161,000 | 17.2% | |
| 2006 | 1,206,000 | 17.8% | |
| 2007 | 1,223,000 | 17.9% | |
| 2008 | 1,212,000 | 17.6% | |
| 2009 | 1,236,000 | 17.9% | |
| |
| ||
| 區議會 | 低收入人數比率 |
| 深水埗 | 25.8% |
| 元朗 | 25.8% |
| 葵青 | 25.1% |
| 觀塘 | 25.0% |
| 離島及水上 | 24.8% |
| 黃大仙 | 24.4% |
| 北區 | 22.5% |
| 屯門 | 22.1% |
| 大埔 | 19.7% |
| 油尖旺 | 18.3% |
| 沙田 | 17.0% |
| 荃灣 | 16.8% |
| 九龍城 | 16.5% |
| 西貢 | 15.5% |
| 南區 | 15.2% |
| 東區 | 15.0% |
| 中西區 | 11.7% |
| 灣仔 | 11.3% |
Source from www.hkcss.org.hk & www.chinareviewnews.com