Youth membership in Hong Kong uniformed groups drops 8% over 5 years
Low birth rates contribute to decline despite steady government funding, prompting some lawmakers to call for KPIs to ensure prudent spending
Youth membership in Hong Kong’s uniformed groups has declined by 8 per cent over the past five years despite steady government funding, the South China Morning Post has found, a trend attributed to persistently low birth rates and a wider array of extracurricular activities for students.
While several lawmakers have called for introducing key performance indicators (KPIs) for uniformed groups to ensure prudent public spending, some organisations are concerned that linking funding to membership numbers could hinder their development.
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau grants recurrent subsidies to 11 uniformed youth groups to promote positive values, all-round development, and national and ethnic identity.
Such groups received HK$86 million (US$11 million) worth of subsidies in the 2024-25 academic year.
According to the bureau’s figures, the total youth membership across the 11 groups fell from 117,671 in 2020-21 to 108,551 in 2024-25. Over the past decade, membership dropped by nearly 18 per cent, from 131,870 in 2013-14.
The Hong Kong Adventure Corps (HKAC), an army-oriented youth uniformed group that succeeded the British colonial-era Junior Leaders Corps, recorded the largest drop, with membership plunging by 30 per cent from 4,882 in 2020-21 to 3,403 in 2024-25.
It was followed by the Hong Kong Road Safety Patrol, whose membership declined by more than 22 per cent over the same period.