LCQ16: Measures to promote fertility

On 17 Jun 2026, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Mr Chris Sun responded to Hon Chu Lap-wai in the Legislative Council concerning measures to promote fertility. Pursuant to the 2023 Policy Address, the Government introduced a Newborn Baby Bonus of $20,000 for eligible parents of children born on or after October 25, 2023, with an implementation period spanning three years from October 25, 2023, to October 24, 2026. Currently, the review of this Scheme remains ongoing.

Financial Incentives and Disbursement Statistics

As at May 31, 2026, the Government has received a total of 72,267 eligible applications and the bonus has been distributed to 71,886 applicants, at a total amount of about $1.44 billion. The relevant figures are tabulated below: • 25.10.2023 -31.12.2023: Number of birth registration 6,731, Number of eligible applications for the Bonus 3,907, Number of Bonus disbursed 0, Amount involved ($) 0. • 1.1.2024 -31.12.2024: Number of birth registration 36,767, Number of eligible applications for the Bonus 31,708, Number of Bonus disbursed 34,836, Amount involved ($) 696,720,000. • 1.1.2025 -31.12.2025: Number of birth registration 31,714, Number of eligible applications for the Bonus 26,610, Number of Bonus disbursed 26,922, Amount involved ($) 538,440,000. • 1.1.2026 -31.5.2026: Number of birth registration 12,165, Number of eligible applications for the Bonus 10,042, Number of Bonus disbursed 10,128, Amount involved ($) 202,560,000. • Total: Number of birth registration 87,377, Number of eligible applications for the Bonus 72,267, Number of Bonus disbursed 71,886, Amount involved ($) 1,437,720,000. Figures includes babies born before October 25, 2023. After obtaining funding approval for implementing the Bonus from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council on January 19, 2024, the Government then disbursed the one-off Newborn Baby Bonus of $20,000 to eligible parents after completing the required internal procedures.

Taxation Measures and Incentives

In terms of tax measures, the Chief Executive proposed in the 2023 Policy Address to raise the accommodation-related tax deduction ceiling. Starting from the year of assessment ("YA") 2024/25, for taxpayers who live with their children born on or after October 25, 2023, and meet the prescribed conditions, the deduction ceiling for home loan interest or domestic rents would be raised from $100,000 to $120,000 for a maximum of 19 YAs. Accordingly, 2,500 and 700 taxpayers had their tax deduction ceilings for home loan interest and domestic rents increased for YA 2024/25. As for other tax measures to encourage childbirth, including the extension of claim period of the additional child allowance for newborns proposed in the 2025 Policy Address, and the increase of basic and additional child allowances to $140,000 proposed in the 2026-27 Budget, these measures will be implemented starting from YA 2026/27.

Housing Allocation and Selection Priority

The HKHA has implemented the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme since April 1, 2024. PRH family applicants with babies born on or after October 25, 2023, and aged one or below will be credited with a waiting time of one year. As at end May 2026, about 7,400 PRH applications had their waiting time reduced by one year under the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme, among which about 1,300 families have already been successfully housed to PRH. Meanwhile, the HKHA has launched the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme staring from the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2024 ("HOS 2024"). A quota of about 40 per cent of flats is set for balloting and flat selection priority for eligible applicants under the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme and the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members. Family applicants under the SSF sales exercise with babies born on or after October 25, 2023, are eligible until the children reach the age of three on the closing date of application. Since the implementation of Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme, over 800 families with newborns purchased their flats under the HOS 2024 and the Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2024. With regard to the HOS 2025 and the Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025, the HKHA received a total of around 100,000 applications. Among all the applications received, over 40,000 were from family applicants and 4,000 of which were submitted under the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme, accounting for about 10 per cent of all family applications.

Healthcare, Childcare, and Education Support

To strengthen support for working families in childbearing, the Government has been continuously introducing multi-pronged measures to promote fertility since the 2023 Policy Address, including increasing additional child care service places, from 15 aided standalone child care centres in 2022-23 to a total of 36 by the end of 2029, and almost tripling the number of service places from about 1,000 to about 3,000. To strengthen support for assisted reproductive ("AR") services, the Hospital Authority ("HA") has been gradually increasing the annual service quotas of AR services for in-vitro fertilisation ("IVF") treatment from 1,100 to 1,800 over the course of five years since 2024/25. The HA provided 100 additional quotas for AR service for IVF at Kwong Wah Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital in 2024-25, raising the total number of quotas in these two hospitals to 600. A further 300 quotas in total were added at the two hospitals in 2025-26, increasing the total number of quotas to 900. In addition, Queen Mary Hospital provided 600 quotas in each of 2024-25 and 2025-26. The HA plans to provide an additional 100 quotas at Queen Mary Hospital in 2026-27, expanding the number of quotas to 700. The total number of quotas available across Hong Kong in 2026-27 will be 1,600. Following the increase in service quotas, the waiting time for AR services, from submission of referral letter to first assessment, has been shortened from 24 to 36 weeks in 2024 to 12 to 24 weeks in 2026. In both 2024-25 and 2025-26, the AR service quotas in Kwong Wah Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital of 850, 650 and 1,200 respectively were fully utilised, and the number of successful pregnancy cases recorded in the two years were 472, 436 and 666 respectively. Hong Kong's education system values equity and diversity. The Government provides 12 years' free primary and secondary education through public sector schools. The Programme for International Student Assessment ("PISA") 2022 results underscore Hong Kong's outstanding performance in educational equity. Hong Kong ranked among the top among countries or economies with high academic achievements. In addition, the Government has implemented the Kindergarten ("KG") Education Scheme since the 2017/18 school year. Currently, around 90 per cent of half-day programmes offered by KGs joining the Scheme are free of charge, while the school fees for whole-day programmes are maintained at a low level. Families with financial needs may apply for fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme ("KCFRS"). In terms of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) and AI education, the Education Bureau continues to promote the digital transformation of primary and secondary education. The Government allocates over $70 million annually to support the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education. As regards employment support, the Labour Department ("LD") provides diversified employment services and implements employment programmes to assist job seekers to secure employment. To promote flexible employment addressing job seekers' family needs, the LD from time to time organises district-based job fairs on part-time jobs and has set up the Dedicated Webpage on Part-time Vacancies on Interactive Employment Service website to facilitate job seekers in searching for relevant vacancies. In addition, both the Employment Programme for the Ederly and Middle-aged and the Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme implemented by the LD cover full-time jobs and part-time jobs. Besides, the LD stages promotional activities, including organising the Good Employer Charter, to encourage employers to implement family-friendly employment practices. The Government has all along attached great importance to education, implementing various policy measures to empower schools and teachers in delivering high-quality education to students. As regards the support to students with special educational needs ("SEN"), the Government has continuously increased resources in recent years to enhance the quality of integrated education and special education services.