Spark Deep Dive: How low-income Hongkongers deal with food insecurity

Hong Kong homemaker Fion Chan skips meals when she has to save money. She said her husband’s unstable income of about HK$20,000 (US$2,570) a month was barely enough for their family of five. Almost a quarter of his earnings goes toward rent for their public flat in Kwai Chung.

“We have to be very careful with money,” the 46-year-old said.

To cut her food bill, she chooses cheaper frozen meat and vegetables sold at bargain prices near closing time at the wet market. She learned to stretch 300g of pork over three meals by serving it minced.

Despite her best efforts, Chan, her husband, and their three daughters, aged 20, 18, and 10, sometimes do not have enough food.

“I worry about the impact of the lack of nutrition on my daughters’ growth. I would rather not eat myself to make sure they have enough,” she said.

The family is among poor Hongkongers struggling to cope with the costs of basic necessities such as food.

Also struggling is retiree Wong Oi-lin, 72. She waited in line for an hour before the promotions began at a store selling meat and vegetables. If she bought three packages of vegetables, she would get one more free. She chose choy sum and potatoes, which last longer.

Wong is widowed and living alone in a transitional housing unit. She gets by on elderly welfare allowances of about HK$4,000 a month, of which HK$1,480 goes toward rent. She also receives items such as rice, frozen meat, biscuits, vegetables and fruit from two food programmes.

Wong, as well as Chan’s family, struggles with food insecurity, an issue that has attracted public concern after a recent survey by the NGO Food Grace. The survey found that more than two-fifths of Hong Kong’s low-income residents were going hungry. About a third skipped meals to save money.

According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, people are considered food insecure if they lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth, development and a healthy life.

Concern groups and experts in Hong Kong have criticised the government’s piecemeal support measures and lack of comprehensive policies. They agreed that poverty was the root of many food woes and called for more targeted help.

Staff writers

1. Which of the following statements are true based on the article?

(1) Chan saves money on her food bill by buying fresh meat and vegetables when the wet market opens.
(2) Wong stood in line for an hour to get discounts on meat and vegetables.
(3) Experts say that poverty is the root of food insecurity for some families in Hong Kong.
(4) Around a quarter of low-income people skip meals to save money, according to a recent survey by Food Grace.

A. (1), (2) only
B. (1), (3) only
C. (2), (3) only
D. (2), (4) only

2. Using the news, explain TWO ways low-income families cope with food insecurity.

3. Based on the information in the article, what is the primary cause of food insecurity, and how is this demonstrated in the cases of Wong and Chan?

1. Based on the graph, give TWO observations about poverty rates in Hong Kong from 2019 to the start of 2023.

2. What does the median monthly income chart say about wealth distribution in Hong Kong?

elderly welfare allowances: money from the government given to Hong Kong residents aged 65 or older or those classified as severely disabled.

food insecurity: lacking steady access to enough affordable, nutritious food. Often, people may not know where their next meal will come from or if they will have to skip meals.

piecemeal: done in small parts and often slowly, at different times and in different ways

1. C

2. Chan gets meat and vegetables at bargain prices by strategically going to the wet markets near closing. She can also stretch out meat based on how she prepares it.

Wong’s tactic is to wait for promotions and buy foods with a longer shelf life, like potatoes and choy sum. She also benefits from food programmes, where she gets rice, frozen meat, biscuits, vegetables, and fruit.

3. Chan has to feed a family of five, including three growing daughters, on her husband’s salary of around HK$20,000. Realistically, only three-quarters of this, around HK$15,000, can go to food and other necessities, as the family spends one-quarter of his salary on rent.

Wong benefits from elderly welfare allowances, though she is only left with HK$2,520 per month after paying rent. This is a small amount for a person to live on, especially in an expensive city like Hong Kong.

1. Poverty rates in Hong Kong are the highest among economically inactive residents, while the working population has lower poverty rates.

The graph also shows that poverty rates for the working population have slightly decreased since 2019, while those for economically inactive residents have slightly increased.

2. The graph shows the huge wealth gap present in Hong Kong. At the bottom are people who make just above HK$2,000 per month, while those at the top make nearly 54 times that amount.

The graph also indicates that the monthly incomes of those making HK$19,200 or less have dropped since 2019, while the incomes of those making more have increased, meaning the wealth gap is expanding over time. Shockingly, the lowest earners saw a 34.3 per cent decline in income, the biggest jump in percentages. The second-highest difference was among the top earners, though they saw a 10.5 per cent in medium monthly income.