Young professionals are leaving Hong Kong in droves in search of better lives where family, friends, and fun comes first

Young professionals are leaving Hong Kong in droves in search of better lives where family, friends, and fun comes first

"“Life in Iceland is certainly not as luxurious and eventful as it could be at home. And sometimes I do feel bored, but I’ve also learned to enjoy the simplicity here. In Iceland, no one will force you to do extra work, and my boss gives me freedom to practise different ways of doing my job.”

The number of locals leaving for countries hit a five-year high of about 24,300 last year, according to government data. The upwards trend is continuing this year, with one migration consultancy saying it has seen a 15 per cent increase in business compared with last year...

A small but growing number of young adults are moving to Iceland, New Zealand and Taiwan. The number for Iceland is not available, but Lau estimates there are about a dozen Hongkongers living there. For New Zealand, the number of the city’s residents moving there saw a 67 per cent increase in 10 years, while Taiwan saw a 50 per cent increase in five years.

Significantly, the United States is no longer the top choice for emigrants. The number of applications dropped by half compared with 10 years ago. Canada and Australia remain the most popular countries for Hongkongers to move to.

Experts cite a mix of reasons people are leaving: the stressful lifestyle, unaffordable housing, high cost of living, lack of political freedom, and a rigid education system.

Aside from the rising number leaving, Hong Kong is seeing fewer arrivals from the mainland too...

What is noticeable about those leaving Hong Kong is that professionals are not seeking better prospects for career and salary, but a more leisurely lifestyle that involves shorter office hours and more time for their family...

“The belief in Hong Kong that you’re only successful if you make a lot of money is overrated. This is something I want to steer my child away from”...

[In Australia] Choi started her own marketing business, while her husband works as a part-time delivery man.

“That’s the beauty of life here, no one will judge you by your job or family roles”...

“Most of them have lost hope for the city’s future, and they’re seeking to leave this place because they are not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel,” Hu says, referring to the high property prices, limited personal space, poor quality of life, and rigid education.

“It doesn’t matter to them if they won’t make as much money, or will not be able to climb up the [social] ladder at all”...

When blogger Lau arrived in Iceland, she was amazed by the totally different approach to work and lifestyle there compared to her homeland.

She has a flexible working schedule, spending just 7.5 hours in the office each day, and has time to explore the mountains and waterfalls close to her home...

She has found Icelanders to be more friendly to strangers in daily life, whereas Hongkongers tend to be more wary of others...

A Chinese University survey in September 2016 found that nearly two in five Hongkongers would leave the city if given the chance.

Last year, some 24,300 locals left Hong Kong – a five-year high...

He decided to move to Taipei in 2016, giving up his computer programming job in Hong Kong to become a bartender.

His monthly income is about HK$11,000, much less than the desk job salary of about HK$20,000.

“I do not want to make big money,” Chan says. “In Taiwan, we can enjoy a very simple life by earning much less money, at the same time there are plenty of cultural activities to enjoy.”...

“Youngsters have come to me expressing how they would rather make less money elsewhere than spend more than half of their paychecks on a mortgage,” Chung says. “They say it’s not worth it.”

Although the official data did not record the age group of those who emigrate, Chung says those leaving Hong Kong in recent years appear to be much younger than in the past...

He warned the impact might be worse than the mass migration before the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997.

“Previously, emigration was mainly an option for those in the middle class, wanting to move their whole family to a foreign country. But now, young people fresh out of college are the ones seeking to migrate”"


From 2018, no less