Young adults in Hong Kong are experiencing suboptimal levels of poverty, the Society for Community Organisation (Soco) warned on Sunday.

The group said based on data obtained from the Census and Statistics Department, the poverty rate for those aged 15 to 24 in Hong Kong stood at 20.8 percent for the first quarter of 2023, which was relatively high compared to recent years.

Soco’s deputy director Sze Lai-Shan, suggested that more grassroots youths should participate in policy-making processes to ensure that youth policies better address their needs.

“The [Youth Development Commission] should involve those underprivileged youth. They should have some seats for the underprivileged youth,” Sze said.

“Also they can seek consultation through the social welfare agency, which serves many different underprivileged youth groups. They can have a focus group so they can involve their opinion in developing the [Youth Development Blueprint] and other youth policies.”

The Youth Development Blueprint unveiled by the government last December includes more than 160 initiatives with the overall aim of cultivating youth development and fostering a sense of belonging to the country.

But Sze said many youths are not aware of the policy, based on a survey conducted by the group among 84 youths aged 14 to 30.

“Actually half of them don't know about the blueprint. Even if they know, 60 percent of them have never read it,” she said, adding that the underprivileged youths barely have time or energy to care for society or national matters.

“For many youths they are striving for their survival. Some of them are from families receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme (CSSA) or are from low-income families.

“When [accepted] into college, their CSSA or low-income subsidy will be cut. So they need to work to support their living expenses and study expenditure. They have no time or no energy to concern themselves with other problems.

“Whether the society or even the country they seem to not have much energy for that,” she said.