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[1] The number of babies born in Hong Kong reached 36,700 last year, an 11 per cent jump from 2023, following the introduction of a government scheme that gives parents a HK$20,000 (US$2,570) cash handout for each newborn. The number of births grew for the second year in a row after an uptick in 2023. Still, the level was the third-lowest since data was first made available in 1961.
[2] The Census and Statistics Department announced that the city’s population rose by 0.1 per cent to just over 7.53 million. A government spokesman said the population grew for the third consecutive year.
[3] Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled the baby bonus scheme in his policy address in October 2023 as part of measures to tackle the low birth rate and encourage childbearing. The number of births fell to its lowest level in 2022, hitting 32,500, before climbing slightly to 33,200 births the following year.
[4] Authorities earlier estimated that the annual number of births in the second and third financial years, 2024-25 and 2025-26, after the implementation of the scheme could reach 39,000 – a 20 per cent jump from 2022. The three-year scheme awards HK$20,000 in cash to all parents having babies from October 25, 2023, to October 24, 2026.
[5] Population expert Paul Yip Siu-fai, chair professor of population health at the department of social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong, said the number of births last year would have fallen if the government had not provided any incentives. But it would be optimistic to expect the rise to continue this year, he argued.
[6] “The uptick of the figure last year was also related to the effect of the Year of the Dragon. Some people [may even have had] babies earlier than they planned,” he said. “In the past, the number of births in the Year of Snake was fewer than the number in the Year of Dragon.”
[7] In Chinese culture, the Year of the Dragon is regarded as the most auspicious for childbirth because the mythical creature symbolises might and intelligence. The Year of the Snake follows the Year of Dragon. From 1961 to 2023, Hong Kong experienced five Dragon Years. In four of the five, the number of births in the Year of the Snake was lower.
Source: South China Morning Post, February 18
Questions
1. Find three words in paragraph 1 that have a similar meaning to “increase”. (3 marks)
2. What is the purpose of the baby bonus scheme mentioned in paragraph 3?
3. According to paragraph 4, when does the baby bonus scheme end?
4. According to paragraph 5, the number of births last year would have … without government incentives.
A. stayed the same
B. increased significantly
C. experienced a decline
D. been inconsistent
5. Why do people choose to give birth during the Year of the Dragon?
6. Combine these sentences into one using the word “despite”.
(i) The number of births increased by 11 per cent in 2024. The birth rate was still the third-lowest since 1961.
(ii) Cash incentives were provided. Yip argued that a continued increase in the birth rate is not guaranteed.
Answers
1. jump; grew; uptick
2. to tackle the low birth rate and encourage childbearing
3. October 24, 2026
4. C
5. because the mythical creature symbolises might and intelligence
6. (i) Despite the 11 per cent increase in births in 2024, the birth rate was still the third-lowest since 1961; (ii) Despite the provision of cash incentives, Yip argued that a continued increase in the birth rate is not guaranteed.
