Health is the priority for Hong Kong's middle class: survey

Health is better than wealth.

The middle class in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan place health above wealth and career, said a survey from AIA. The Survey on the Hopes and Aspirations of the Middle Class in Greater China found that 69% of respondents in Hong Kong; 56% of respondents in Mainland China and 62% in Taiwan cite being healthy as their top goal.

AIA said one of the most interesting findings in this study is that the majority of middle class respondents believe that attaining good health is the most important life goal. This runs counter to the perception that monetary wealth and career success drives the middle class in Hong Kong.

Health is the top-ranked life goal of the middle class in Hong Kong (56%), in Mainland China (69%) and Taiwan (62%). Almost one in two (45%) Hong Kong middle class cited "spending time with family" as the most important activity in life.

Owning a home is a higher priority in Hong Kong (18%) than it is in Mainland China (3%) and Taiwan (6%). Of the Hong Kong respondents, 94% believe their family's financial situation will improve or remain the same in the next five years.
A majority in all three markets, Hong Kong (76%), Mainland China (84%) and Taiwan (71%), feel financially secure.

Across the markets, the majority (over 90%) of the middle class believe that luck plays a role in achieving financial security.

Respondents in Hong Kong reported that to be considered financially secure means having total assets worth HK$15 million while they believe HK$30 million in total assets is needed to be considered wealthy.

Meanwhile, 50% of respondents in Hong Kong feel confident about saving enough for retirement. The other half, however is worried about having sufficient savings for a comfortable retirement.

Across all the three markets, among the respondents who currently do not have children but want them, achieving financial security is seen as a barrier to having children: Hong Kong (47%), Mainland China (33%) and Taiwan (59%).