Hong Kong Plummets in Liveability Ranking for Expatriates

A man walks along a waterfront next to Victoria Harbour as it rains in Hong Kong on March 23, 2022. (Dale De La Rey/AFP)

Hong Kong’s liveability ranking fell 15 places to 92nd in the world last year, mainly due to the impact of COVID restrictions and changes in the political environment, according to the latest survey published by ECA International.

Hong Kong also lags behind most major cities, such as Taipei, Tokyo, Sydney, London, Vancouver, and San Francisco, where many Hong Kong residents chose to move to in 2022.

(Source: ECA International)

Lee Quane, Asia regional director of ECA International, said Hong Kong is in a weaker position compared to other regions due to the impact of continuous quarantine measures, restrictions on leisure and entertainment activities, and other social distancing measures.

In addition, changes in Hong Kong’s political environment, such as the earlier Legislative Council and Chief Executive elections, also caused its drop in ranking.

The ranking is released in ECA International’s annual survey update. It ranks each city’s liveability based on various factors in 500 locations worldwide, such as its local health services, housing, infrastructure, personal safety, political tensions, and air quality.

(Source: ECA International)

According to the survey, Singapore continues to be the best place in the world in which to live for East Asian expatriates. In addition, its local COVID-19 restrictions were lifted earlier than other major regions in Asia, keeping Singapore at the top of the rankings.

All cities in mainland China dropped in the rankings due to massive COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns. Although Shanghai dropped 11 places to 128th, it is still the highest-ranked mainland city. Dalian is the city in China with the most significant drop in ranking, dropping 14 places to 161st.

Quane said that the rankings of all cities in China declined because of China’s Zero-COVID policy in 2022, and Shanghai’s decline in rankings fully reflects the impact of this policy. In addition, Shanghai was under a long-term lockdown in 2022, significantly impacting its liveability.

Withdrawal of Foreign Talent and Capital From Hong Kong

Hong Kong followed mainland China’s “Zero-COVID” policy and became one of the last places to lift quarantine restrictions during the three-year COVID outbreak. The restrictions led multinational banks and corporations to shift staff out of Hong Kong. Those reported in 2022 include Citigroup, Mandarin Oriental, and Societe Generale.

In May 2022, Societe Generale, with its Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong, made an arrangement with the Singapore government that allowed it to relocate at least a dozen Hong Kong bankers because the employees were eager to escape the Chinese territory’s tough pandemic restrictions.

According to a survey conducted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong between January and February 2022, around half of the companies interviewed were considering wholly or partially retreating from Hong Kong in 2023. In addition, 40 percent of the interviewees believed that the quarantine and traveling restrictions have made it difficult for businesses to attract overseas talent.

In contrast, major cities in other Asia-Pacific regions have risen significantly in the rankings due after their swifter relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Among them, the overall livability scores of Australian cities improved significantly, while Auckland, New Zealand, recorded the largest increase, rising 20 places to the fourth most livable city in the world.