Experts have called for more support measures to cope with the rising trend of single-person households in Hong Kong, with reviews on existing policies to better cater for their needs. The proportion of one-person households in the SAR rose from around 13 percent in 2000 to 20 percent last year. Vivian Lou, professor of social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong, said society had generally become more accepting towards those living alone. "Some of our policies, programmes, and economic activities are not biased towards multi-persons families. If you are single, you can still enjoy, participate and contribute," she said on the sidelines of the Asian Family Summit 2024. "For part of the policies or care systems, we do need to critically review and identify the blocks; what blocks the one-person households from enjoying, asserting their choices, and participating wholly in society." Srinivas Tata, the social development division director of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, said single-person households mostly consisted of two groups of people – young people and elderly individuals. He said support was needed to prevent singletons, in particular those from the older generation, suffering from emotional distress. "Sometimes the prescriptions are social prescriptions. It means more interactions, it means more emotional support, it means having the opportunity to interact with people," Tata said. Promoting intergenerational interactions and government policies for children to support parents are key to strengthening support for those living alone, Tata added.
