Abstract
Income inequality is often regarded as a serious issue in Hong Kong. However, important discussions about inequality are restricted to the region-wide trend and the extent of reduction achieved by government welfare. A key limitation of the current discussions is the lack of more fine-tuned data that emphasize the change in overall levels of inequality. In particular, this project examines group-based inequality, that is, inequality within each and between social groups. The rationale behind this investigation is the gradual change in the profile of immigrants, who are no longer solely considered as low-skilled people dependent on welfare but now also include a sizable group of wealthy and educated elites because of new immigration schemes. For example, Hong Kong’s residents hold a common impression that people from the Mainland (immigrants or investors) are wealthy, and this impression has contributed to the rise in property prices. Has inequality widened within the group of immigrants? How do these immigrants compare with local residents in terms of income gap? These subtle group-based dynamics may be important in understanding the tensions between social groups as well as political stability and social harmony. However, no systematic way of exploring these possibilities currently exists because of the overwhelming focus on region-wide levels of inequality in public discussion.
In view of this gap, this project uses data from census surveys to create a new group based income inequality dataset that can provide estimates of inequality within each and between social groups over time. Besides making the dataset available for public use, this project will also test if the changing trends of group-based inequality are associated with a range of social, political, and policy outcomes. The project aims to contribute to our understanding on welfare, redistribution, immigration policies, and their impact.
收入不平等(貧富懸殊)是香港社會嚴重問題之一,然而其討論局限於全港趨勢或政府扶貧政策,其中一個限制在於缺少更精細數據。本研究著重群體的不平等,即每一群體內部、或群體之間的不平等。這一研究視角與香港社會的移民群體變化有關:他們已經不再單純由依賴福利的低技能人士組成,而是包含了相當數量經移民計劃進入香港的富有、受過教育的精英。今天香港大眾對於內地人士(包括移民/投資者)推高樓價的印象反映上述變化。移民之間不平等有否加劇?他們與本地居民收入差距為何?這些微妙變化對理解群體間的矛盾、社會穩定及和諧有重要意義。然而,基於公共聚焦於全港性數字,我們無法對問題進行系統性的討論。
本研究將使用政府人口普查數據建立一個新的社會群體收入不平等數據集,對群體內部及社群之間不平等現象做出跨時間估算。除了將數據集開放使用之外,研究也將檢視有關變化與社會、政治與政策的關聯性,加深我們對於福利、再分配、移民政策的理解。Copyright © 2019 Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office.
In view of this gap, this project uses data from census surveys to create a new group based income inequality dataset that can provide estimates of inequality within each and between social groups over time. Besides making the dataset available for public use, this project will also test if the changing trends of group-based inequality are associated with a range of social, political, and policy outcomes. The project aims to contribute to our understanding on welfare, redistribution, immigration policies, and their impact.
收入不平等(貧富懸殊)是香港社會嚴重問題之一,然而其討論局限於全港趨勢或政府扶貧政策,其中一個限制在於缺少更精細數據。本研究著重群體的不平等,即每一群體內部、或群體之間的不平等。這一研究視角與香港社會的移民群體變化有關:他們已經不再單純由依賴福利的低技能人士組成,而是包含了相當數量經移民計劃進入香港的富有、受過教育的精英。今天香港大眾對於內地人士(包括移民/投資者)推高樓價的印象反映上述變化。移民之間不平等有否加劇?他們與本地居民收入差距為何?這些微妙變化對理解群體間的矛盾、社會穩定及和諧有重要意義。然而,基於公共聚焦於全港性數字,我們無法對問題進行系統性的討論。
本研究將使用政府人口普查數據建立一個新的社會群體收入不平等數據集,對群體內部及社群之間不平等現象做出跨時間估算。除了將數據集開放使用之外,研究也將檢視有關變化與社會、政治與政策的關聯性,加深我們對於福利、再分配、移民政策的理解。Copyright © 2019 Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Publisher | Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office |
Place of Publication | Hong Kong |
Publication status | Published - 2019 |
Citation
Wong, Y. H. M. (2019). Decomposing between- and within-group income inequality in Hong Kong: Politics, welfare, and identity. (Public Policy Research Funding Scheme Project 2019.A5.060.19C). Hong Kong: Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office.Keywords
- Alt. title: 解構香港群體間與群體內的收入不平等:政治、福利與身份認同