LCQ16: Measures to promote fertility
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Question:
The birth rate in Hong Kong has persistently remained at an extremely low level. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) given that in its earlier reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council in the examination of the Estimates of Expenditure 2026-2027, the Administration indicated that it was conducting a detailed review on the Newborn Baby Bonus Scheme (the Scheme), of the current progress of the review; the respective numbers of applications received and approved to date since the launch of the Scheme in 2023, as well as the cumulative total amount of bonus disbursed; whether the authorities will consider continuing to implement the Scheme after it expires at the end of October 2026, or introducing enhancement measures (e.g. adjusting the bonus amount, or changing to a phased disbursement of the bonus); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) whether the authorities have reviewed afresh the effectiveness of the various existing measures to promote fertility (including tax concessions, the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme for public rental housing, the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme for Home Ownership Scheme, providing additional places for child care services, and increasing the quota for assisted reproductive service, etc) in encouraging fertility; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) whether the authorities have assessed the latest trends in Hong Kong's fertility rate; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) given that in planning for childbirth, families will take into account such aspects as housing, education, employment, and child care support in addition to financial considerations, whether the authorities have conducted a systematic assessment of each of the aforesaid aspects and provided targeted policy support; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) in order to promote fertility and attract young families to relocate to Hong Kong, whether the authorities have plans to further enhance their support in education, such as strengthening STEAM and artificial intelligence education, enhancing support for children with special educational needs, and strengthening gifted education and values education; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Our reply to the question raised by the Hon Chu Lap-wai is as follows:
(1) and (3) The Government announced in the 2023 Policy Address a series of measures to promote fertility, which include providing a cash reward of $20,000 to eligible parents for each baby born on or after October 25, 2023, (i.e. the Newborn Baby Bonus). The implementation period of this initiative is 3 years (i.e. from October 25, 2023, to October 24, 2026). Starting from October 25, 2023, when registering births and applying for birth certificates, parents can at the same time submit application for the Newborn Baby Bonus. As at May 31, 2026, the Government has received a total of 72 267 eligible applications and the bonus has been distributed to 71 886 applicants, at a total amount of about $1.44 billion. The relevant figures are tabulated below:
| Number of birth registration* | Number of eligible applications for the Bonus | Number of Bonus disbursed | Amount involved ($) | |
| 25.10.2023 -31.12.2023 | 6 731 | 3 907 | 0 (See #) | 0 |
| 1.1.2024 - 31.12.2024 |
36 767 | 31 708 | 34 836 | 696,720,000 |
| 1.1.2025 - 31.12.2025 |
31 714 | 26 610 | 26 922 | 538,440,000 |
| 1.1.2026 - 31.5.2026 |
12 165 | 10 042 | 10 128 | 202,560,000 |
| Total | 87 377 | 72 267 | 71 886 | 1,437,720,000 |
# After obtaining funding approval for implementing the Bonus from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council on January 19, 2024, the Government then disbursed the one-off Newborn Baby Bonus of $20,000 to eligible parents after completing the required internal procedures.
The review of the Newborn Baby Bonus Scheme is still undergoing, which involves analysing data and conducting in-depth analysis and consideration of related issues. The Government will take into account the views and suggestions of Legislative Council Members and the general public on the Scheme.
(2) and (4) The issue of promoting fertility straddles across a number of policy areas and bureaux. A consolidated reply by the relevant office and bureaux (including the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration's Private Office, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, Housing Bureau, Labour and Welfare Bureau, Health Bureau and Education Bureau) on measures to promote fertility is as follows:
For the Newborn Baby Bonus Scheme, please see part (1) and (3) of the reply.
Tax measures
In terms of tax measures, the Chief Executive proposed in the 2023 Policy Address to raise the accommodation-related tax deduction ceiling. Starting from the year of assessment (YA) 2024/25, for taxpayers who live with their children born on or after October 25, 2023, and meet the prescribed conditions, the deduction ceiling for home loan interest or domestic rents would be raised from $100,000 to $120,000 for a maximum of 19 YAs. Accordingly, 2 500 and 700 taxpayers had their tax deduction ceilings for home loan interest and domestic rents increased for YA 2024/25, according to statistics of the Inland Revenue Department.
As for other tax measures to encourage childbirth, including the extension of claim period of the additional child allowance for newborns proposed in the 2025 Policy Address, and the increase of basic and additional child allowances to $140,000 proposed in the 2026-27 Budget, these measures will be implemented starting from YA 2026/27.
Housing measures
In the 2023 Policy Address, the Government announced a series of measures to encourage childbearing. These include the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme and the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme under which the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) offers incentives to applicants of public rental housing (PRH) and Subsidised Sale Flats (SSF), with a view to achieving the policy objective of encouraging childbearing.
The HKHA has implemented the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme since April 1, 2024. PRH family applicants with babies born on or after October 25, 2023, and aged one or below will be credited with a waiting time of one year. As at end May 2026, about 7 400 PRH applications had their waiting time reduced by one year under the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme, among which about 1 300 families have already been successfully housed to PRH.
Meanwhile, the HKHA has launched the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme staring from the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2024 (HOS 2024). A quota of about 40 per cent of flats is set for balloting and flat selection priority for eligible applicants under the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme and the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members. Family applicants under the SSF sales exercise with babies born on or after October 25, 2023, are eligible until the children reach the age of three on the closing date of application. Since the implementation of Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme, over 800 families with newborns purchased their flats under the HOS 2024 and the Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2024. With regard to the HOS 2025 and the Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025, the HKHA received a total of around 100 000 applications (applications are being processed, the HKHA will announce the final application figures after balloting). Among all the applications received, over 40 000 were from family applicants and 4 000 of which were submitted under the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme, accounting for about 10 per cent of all family applications. This reflects that the scheme is popular among family applicants.
The HKHA will continue to implement the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme and the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme to align with the Government's policy objectives of encouraging childbearing. The two schemes aim at reducing the obstacles arising from housing needs to childbearing, thereby achieving the objective of encouraging fertility. Nevertheless, in formulating housing measures to enhance fertility, we need to carefully strike a balance between providing sufficient incentives for families considering childbearing and limiting the negative impact on other applicants. As such, we consider the current arrangements of the two schemes appropriate.
Support for working families in childbearing
To strengthen support for working families in childbearing and to release family labour force, the Government has been continuously introducing multi-pronged measures to promote fertility since the 2023 Policy Address, including increasing additional child care service places, from 15 aided standalone child care centres in 2022-23 to a total of 36 by the end of 2029, and almost tripling the number of service places from about 1 000 to about 3 000, which helps encourage childbirth and support working families in childbearing.
Healthcare services/assisted reproductive services
To strengthen support for assisted reproductive (AR) services, the Hospital Authority (HA) has been gradually increasing the annual service quotas of AR services for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment from 1 100 to 1 800 over the course of five years since 2024/25.
The HA provided 100 additional quotas for AR service for IVF at Kwong Wah Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital in 2024-25, raising the total number of quotas in these two hospitals to 600. A further 300 quotas in total were added at the two hospitals in 2025-26, increasing the total number of quotas to 900. In addition, Queen Mary Hospital provided 600 quotas in each of 2024-25 and 2025-26. The HA plans to provide an additional 100 quotas at Queen Mary Hospital in 2026-27, expanding the number of quotas to 700. The total number of quotas available across Hong Kong in 2026-27 will be 1 600.
Following the increase in service quotas, the waiting time for AR services, from submission of referral letter to first assessment, has been shortened from 24 to 36 weeks in 2024 to 12 to 24 weeks in 2026. In both 2024-25 and 2025-26, the AR service quotas in Kwong Wah Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital of 850, 650 and 1 200 respectively were fully utilised, and the number of successful pregnancy cases recorded in the two years were 472, 436 and 666 respectively, with some cases still under follow-up treatment.
The HA will continue to closely monitor the progress of AR services to ensure that the increase in service quotas can be achieved as scheduled, so that couples in need of AR services can receive timely support.
Education measures
Hong Kong's education system values equity and diversity. The Government provides 12 years' free primary and secondary education through public sector schools, and ensures the provision of sufficient public sector school places for students eligible for receiving education in Hong Kong. Regardless of students' backgrounds, all are given access to quality education. Diversified support mechanisms are in place to cater to individual differences and promote whole-person development. Our competitive edge is clearly reflected in the excellent performance of Hong Kong students in international studies and assessments. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 results underscore Hong Kong's outstanding performance in educational equity. Hong Kong ranked among the top among countries or economies with high academic achievements, indicating that the family socio-economic status of Hong Kong students, including occupation and education level of their parents, had minimal bearing on their performance. This demonstrates that, under our education system, schools are able to provide ample and appropriate education support services for students with different socio-economic backgrounds. The results reaffirmed the merits of the Hong Kong education system in providing all students with quality and equal education opportunities, thereby facilitating social mobility.
In addition, the Government has implemented the Kindergarten (KG) Education Scheme since the 2017/18 school year with the objectives of providing good quality and highly affordable KG education, and enhancing the accessibility of students to different modes of services that suit their specific needs. Currently, around 90 per cent of half-day programmes offered by KGs joining the Scheme are free of charge, while the school fees for whole-day programmes are maintained at a low level. Families with financial needs may apply for fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme (KCFRS). At present, eligible parents can receive up to full fee remission under the KCFRS.
Family-friendly practices
As regards employment support, the Labour Department (LD) provides diversified employment services and implements employment programmes to assist job seekers to secure employment. To promote flexible employment addressing job seekers' family needs, the LD from time to time organises district-based job fairs on part-time jobs and has set up the Dedicated Webpage on Part-time Vacancies on Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk) to facilitate job seekers in searching for relevant vacancies. In addition, both the Employment Programme for the Ederly and Middle-aged and the Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme implemented by the LD cover full-time jobs and part-time jobs. Besides, the LD stages promotional activities, including organising the Good Employer Charter, to encourage employers to implement family-friendly employment practices, enabling employees to balance the needs of taking care of their family.
(5) The Government has all along attached great importance to education, implementing various policy measures to empower schools and teachers in delivering high-quality education to students. In terms of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) and AI education, the Education Bureau continues to promote the digital transformation of primary and secondary education while further reinforcing AI education. Support measures include optimising curricula, strengthening professional training for teachers, and optimising infrastructure, with a view to enhancing students' digital literacy, promoting pedagogical innovation, and advancing the quality of education.
Besides, the Government has all along been committed to promoting the implementation of gifted education in schools through the Three-tier Implementation Model, with an aim of identifying and developing the potential of gifted students, as well as providing them with opportunities to receive education at appropriate levels. The Government allocates over $70 million annually to support the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education to take forward more and wider activities for the gifted, including collaboration with various organisations to organise, train or send representatives to participate in more territory-wide/ cross-territory/ national/ international competitions and activities related to science and innovation and technology, and to offer more advanced programmes specific to STEAM and AI; the Government has also been subsidising various organisations to provide Off-school Advanced Learning Programmes for exceptionally gifted primary and secondary students, so that gifted students have more opportunities to showcase their talents and unleash their full potential.
Furthermore, the Government attaches importance to fostering students' proper values, instilling in them positive attitudes towards life, and practising appropriate behaviour. Values education permeates into different subjects and cross-curricular domains, in which the learning elements related to moral education complement family education, helping create an environment for young families to take root and develop in Hong Kong.
As regards the support to students with special educational needs (SEN), the Government has continuously increased resources in recent years to enhance the quality of integrated education and special education services, thereby providing diversified and comprehensive learning support for students with SEN. The Government, on top of regular subvention, has been providing public sector schools with additional resources, professional support, and teacher training, etc to further assist public sector schools in catering for students with SEN.
Ends/Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:18
Issued at HKT 15:18
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