Subsistence Life and Aging Agony: A Case of Cultural Affluence in Hong Kong

Abstract

This article aims to review the development of aging policy of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), China by analyzing cases of 50 older people collected randomly from newspapers from 1997–2017. Under the law, Hong Kong is required to have a balanced fiscal budget. Restrictions on social welfare spending result in making provisions basic and minimal. The severe shortfall of formal welfare provision has left the family to take care of their own older and vulnerable members, akin of an informal security welfare regime of the global south. The cumulative effect of the lack of provision, poor policy performance, and the increasing age and frailty of older caregiver undermines the sustainability of informal security welfare regime. The Hong Kong experience is especially relevant in the understanding of fiscal austerity governance in both global north and south.