Unequal Vulnerability to Social Risks: Analysis of Hong Kong’s Social Strata (1993–2013)

This chapter demonstrates the vulnerability to social risks of varying social strata in Hong Kong. We consolidate and compare the income, occupational statistics and employment conditions vis-à-vis key economic indicators from 1993 to 2013. The study period covers several global economic crises with which Hong Kong significantly afflicted since its handover to China—notably the Asian financial storm (1998), the epidemic crisis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) (2003), and the global financial tsunami (2008–09). Despite the recovery of Hong Kong’s economy since the aftermath of the financial tsunami, data show divergent employment conditions between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ throughout the study period. The findings are indicative of unequal vulnerability to social risks of different social strata. This study thus echoes to the scholarly dialogue surrounding risk society theory, in particular the unequal distribution of social risk to those with varying socio-economic conditions.