Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-12-2012
Abstract
The “Hong Kong Happiness Index Survey 2012” indicates a slight slip of Hong Kong people’s happiness index to 70.5, from 71.3 last year on a scale of 0-100. As before, females continue to command a premium over males in happiness, and older people tend to be happier.
Both work pressures, particularly excessively long hours, and financial pressures are important causes of unhappiness among Hong Kong people. According to the survey results, low-income families are generally less happy than those better off. The lowest happiness score, at 66.9, however, goes to the sandwich class with monthly income from HK$30,000-39,999 per month.
Satisfaction with public policy, and particularly the satisfaction with the public healthcare system, has improved. The former rose from 4.69 last year to 4.77 on a scale of 0-10, while the latter rose noticeably from 5.67 to 6.18 - a satisfactory level. However, respondents still considerthe quality of public policy, though improved, as slightly unsatisfactory (as their satisfaction score stays below 6).
Four key determinants of happiness, namely Love, Insight, Fortitude and Engagement (LIFE) were also surveyed. This year the scores for Insight and Engagement have slipped, Fortitude edgedand Love soared (Please see Table 1 in Appendix),suggesting that Hong Kong people are mostly loving and resilient, but may need more wisdom and a greater sense of purpose in their lives.
The Hong Kong Happiness Index Survey 2012is the eighthin the series. A total of 926respondents aged 21 or above were interviewed by telephone through random sampling on 8-13 November.
嶺南大學公共政策研究中心最新一期「香港快樂指數調查」結果顯示，港人快樂指數由去年的71.3分輕微下跌至70.5分（以0-100分計算）。一如以往，女性的快樂指數高於男性，而年長人士亦較年青組別快樂。
工作壓力（尤其是工時太長）和財政壓力，顯然是導致香港市民不快樂的主要原因。根據調查結果顯示，低收入家庭一般而言比收入較高者不快樂，但家庭月入港幣30,000至39,999元的夾心階層則例外；他們的快樂指數只有66.9，是眾多收入組別中最低。
今年市民對公共政策和公共醫療服務的滿意度有所上升，以0-10分計算，前者的分數由4.69分輕微上升至4.77分，而後者則由5.67分顯著跳升至6.18分；表示港人對政府整體施政稍為不滿（滿意度低於6）。
此外，調查也問及有關快樂程度的四大決定因素「LIFE」──即「關愛」（Love）、「智慧」（Insight）、「堅毅」（Fortitude）及「行動」（Engagement）。今年「智慧」和「行動」的得分稍跌，「堅毅」的得分微升，而「關愛」的得分則顯著上升（請參閱附錄的表一），顯示香港人具愛心和抗逆力，但在智慧和有生活目標方面仍有不足。
「香港快樂指數調查」連續第八年由嶺南大學公共政策研究中心設計及進行。是次調查於11月8日至13日期間，以隨機抽樣方式向926名21歲或以上人士進行電話訪問。
Recommended Citation
Ho, L. S. (2012). Hong Kong Happiness Index Survey 2012. Retrieved from http://commons.ln.edu.hk/hkhi/6/