May 2026
11May

Hong Kong may broaden at-risk elderly support after recent deaths, minister says

Hong Kong authorities may widen support to cover more younger elderly residents to bolster protection, the welfare minister has said, calling current efforts to identify at-risk seniors “just the beginning” as the city reels from two tragedies in a week. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han told the South China Morning Post that the government was mobilising all available resources to strengthen support for the elderly, but he noted the process would take time given the city’s large...

May 11, 2026
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March 2026
31Mar

Hong Kong Considers 33% MPF Contribution Hike To Match Rising Cost Of Living

Earlier this month, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority ("MPFA") announced that it is reviewing the maximum and minimum income levels for MPF contributions, which have remained the same for the last 13 years. The review follows consultation with over 30 stakeholder groups, including labour organisations, chambers of commerce, employer representatives and professional bodies. A review report is expected to be submitted to the government by mid-2026. According to the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, one of the city's largest...

March 31, 2026
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12Mar

Raising MPF contribution levels a tricky but necessary step for Hong Kong

People have long complained their mandatory pensions will never be enough to retire on. That is true, but the flip side is that by contributing less than many comparable pension schemes overseas, local workers have more spending power in the present. There is always a trade-off. Perhaps the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme should be seen more as a financial cushion for a person at the end of their working life, rather than a nest egg. Still, the scheme needs...

March 12, 2026
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10Mar

Hong Kong Regulators Widen GenA.I. Sandbox Across Financial Services

Hong Kong’s financial regulators have widened a regulatory sandbox for generative artificial intelligence, extending the programme beyond banking to cover securities, asset and wealth management, insurance, pensions and stored-value facilities as authorities push to position the city as a hub for responsible AI use in finance. The new initiative, called GenA.I. Sandbox++, was launched on March 5 by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Insurance Authority and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, in collaboration with Cyberport. It builds on the original GenA.I....

March 10, 2026
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September 2025
26Sep

Extended lifespans create retirement crisis fears among Hongkongers

Hongkongers live longer than almost anyone else on earth. The latest census confirms that women can now expect to reach an extraordinary 88.4 years, while men live on average 82.8 years. These are statistics that health officials applaud, a testament to medical advances, hygiene, social discipline and decades of investment in public healthcare. Yet this same triumph of longevity has delivered an uncomfortable paradox i.e. for many it feels less like a blessing, more like a curse. A new...

September 26, 2025
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July 2025
24Jul

HSBC highlights trends shaping longevity economy, reveals factors driving wealth creation

HSBC hosted a Future Wealth Conference at The Rosewood Hong Kong earlier this month, bringing together industry leaders, financial experts and high-net-worth individuals to explore the forces reshaping wealth in an era of rapid change. The conference was an exclusive event for the bank’s Premier Elite clients. The conference, themed “Unpacking Trends, Unlocking Opportunities”, focused on three critical areas: the opportunities and challenges of extended lifespans, the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI), and the shifts seen in consumer behaviour,...

July 24, 2025
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June 2025
13Jun

Hong Kong’s gig economy workers want industry regulated. Can city deliver?

Hong Kong food delivery rider John Lam* cannot afford to make a single mistake while working. The 40-year-old takes extreme care while delivering orders on his motorcycle, knowing that if he has a work-related accident he will receive few employment benefits and minimal compensation. “I understand that being highly responsive to my phone can lead to more orders. But for safety reasons, I only handle my phone when my vehicle has completely stopped,” said Lam, who delivers food for the city’s...

June 13, 2025
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May 2025
28May

Hong Kong regulator prods pension funds on US rating downgrade implications

Hong Kong's pensions regulator has told the city's pension funds they may need to adjust their investment portfolios to reflect the impact of a downgrade to the U.S. sovereign credit rating, according to a statement. Ratings agency Moody's cut America's pristine sovereign credit rating by one notch earlier this month, the last of the major ratings agencies to downgrade the country, citing concerns about the nation's growing $36 trillion debt pile. Pension funds regulated by Hong Kong's Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Schemes...

May 28, 2025
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02May

Pension Systems Must Evolve as Asia Pacific Ages

By 2050, more than 25% of Asia-Pacific's population will be over 60, creating unprecedented challenges for pension systems already struggling with sustainability, according to a leading academic in actuarial science. Professor Johnny Li, Tan Bingzhao Professor of Actuarial Science at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, outlined the gravity of the situation at the Economist Impact’s 4th annual Sustainability Week Asia held in Bangkok in March. "Across the Asia-Pacific region, life expectancy has increased by an average of...

May 2, 2025
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March 2025
14Mar

ETFs set to be high on the menu for Hong Kong pension funds

Asset managers in Hong Kong could have a greater incentive to launch lower-cost passive solutions following the rollout of the digital platform for the local pensions sector, industry experts tell Ignites Asia. The eMPF, a digital version of the territory’s Mandatory Provident Fund retirement scheme launched in June 2024 after years of development, with all of Hong Kong’s 24 retirement saving schemes scheduled to join the platform by the end of 2025. The new platform looks to address long-standing criticisms of...

March 14, 2025
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