Opinion | People’s perceptions of life in Hong Kong are changing for the better. Could this be a turning point?
- While Hong Kong has dropped down the liveability rankings compared to other global cities, recent events suggest that trend could soon reverse itself
- A small but significant change of direction in ‘perceived liveability’ and greater trust in government are welcome news
In the following years, the EIU’s ranking returned to its original five categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. After the change in methodology, Hong Kong not only lost the top spot but has also continued to slide down the liveability ranking.
The EIU’s index is based on experiences that underline state-of-the-art infrastructure and up-to-the-minute services. Liveability, in this sense, encompasses reasons to come to the city. Given that unaffordable housing prices and a cramped living environment are well-known aspects of life in Hong Kong, a drop in the ranking is not a welcome sign.
However, liveability should also take into account local people’s perceptions. Thus, “perceived liveability” can give more of an indication about the reasons for residents to stay in a city. Different from the EIU’s index, the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies has been tracking perceived liveability in Hong Kong since 2017.
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The annual perceived liveability index asks respondents to evaluate the liveability of Hong Kong on a range of 0 to 100, with 50 being a pass. In the first two years of the survey, the average of the scores were above 60 and did not change much.
