An NGO has called for a shift in how people view “middle age”, proposing a new age range of 50 to 75 and the city’s retirement age be adjusted accordingly.

A recent survey it conducted of more than 400 people found that 90 percent were confident about their health at the age of 65.

Eighty percent believed they would be able to continue working after retirement and expressed a desire to remain engaged in some form of work, it added.

Dickey Tang from the group JCI City noted the "new middle age" concept was brought up by the United Nation in a 2019 report, saying as more people stay healthy and energetic in their 50s, there's a need to give middle age a new definition.

“We based upon the living age and the retiring age for Hong Kong citizens and we found that people aged 50 until 75 actually are still healthy, including mentally and physically," he said.

“And they found themselves capable of doing more work and to serve their cities instead of retiring like usual elderly people.

“So we define that from 50 to 75 years old, that's the new middle age for Hong Kong citizens.”

Tang suggested the city’s retirement age be delayed for 10 years.

But he said he believes it would take time for society to embrace the idea.

“The society, the commercial world, the people, and education is not quite following this topic. So the pushing of this policy and the people's beliefs is quite laid back and delayed,” he said.

Tang said the changes need to start with educating people that age 60 or 65 is not an automatic endpoint to their work life, while also stressed that businesses need to adjust their employment policies to allow people to stay in the workforce for longer.