HK Youth Values Survey: 80% Affirm Self-Worth, Nearly 60% Pessimistic on Upward Mobility
Bastillepost · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups' Youth Research Centre released its annual Youth Values Index 2025 on Tuesday, unveiling a paradox among Hong Kong's youth: while showing strong confidence in personal abilities, they harbor deepening pessimism about future prospects. The survey of 528 young people aged 15-39 found that 80.3% considered themselves useful people, yet 59.7% expressed pessimism about upward social mobility—a 10-year high. Trust in the government dropped sharply from 53.9% in 2024 to 42.2% in 2025.
Key Points
- Survey conducted November 21 to December 16, 2025, interviewed 528 youth aged 15-39 via random telephone sampling, with a response rate of 50.1%
- 80.3% of respondents identified as useful people and expressed confidence in trilingual abilities, with 84.8% satisfied with Chinese, 60.4% with Mandarin, and 60.2% with English
- 59.7% expressed pessimism about upward social mobility, the highest rate since the survey began tracking this metric in 2015
- Only 42.2% considered the government trustworthy, down from 53.9% in 2024, while 55.4% viewed the government as corruption-free, down from 65.7%
- 71.4% identified as Chinese, a significant increase from 49.8% in 2019, with 67.2% following national development news
Why It Matters
The widening gap between youth confidence in personal abilities and their pessimism about structural opportunities signals a growing anxiety that could affect Hong Kong's long-term social stability and talent retention. With over half of young people surveyed expressing intention to emigrate, the findings underscore an urgent need for policies that translate individual capability into meaningful societal advancement and renewed confidence in governance .
The widening gap between youth confidence in personal abilities and their pessimism about structural opportunities signals a growing anxiety that could affect Hong Kong's long-term social stability and talent retention. With over half of young people surveyed expressing intention to emigrate, the findings underscore an urgent need for policies that translate individual capability into meaningful societal advancement and renewed confidence in governance .