London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Hong Kong loses spot ‘as most enticing city in China’ for East Asian expats

Hong Kong loses spot ‘as most enticing city in China’ for East Asian expats

Hong Kong was placed 92 in 2022 ranking of more than 500 cities by global human resources consultancy, falling several spots below Taipei.
Hong Kong has lost its status as the most attractive city in China for East Asian expats, according to a ranking by a global human resources consultancy, which placed the financial hub at 92, several spots behind Taipei.

The city fell 15 places in the 2022 ranking of more than 500 locations, according to a study released by ECA International on Wednesday. The result marked the second year Hong Kong had dropped in the list.

Other cities in the region also featured in the ranking, including Taipei at 77, as well as Macau at 97 and Shanghai at 128.

The study ranks each city’s liveability based on various factors such as education, access to social networks, infrastructure, air quality, as well as personal safety and political tensions.

“Hong Kong’s maintenance of measures to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 during 2022 stood in contrast to peers both regionally and globally,” said Lee Quane, the consultancy’s regional director for Asia.

“Continued quarantine restrictions, the limitation of access to recreational activities and other social-distancing measures persisted throughout 2022 which put Hong Kong in a less favourable position compared with other locations.”

The city was previously in lockstep with mainland China’s zero-Covid strategy, with Hong Kong’s population at the end of June 2022 dropped 1.6 per cent to around 7.29 million from a year ago, amid a period of stringent anti-epidemic policies.


Hong Kong was ranked 77 in 2021 and 58 the year before that. The city’s worst score of 93rd place was in 2019, which featured a tense political climate resulting from anti-government protests.

ECA International said it expected the city would recover this year thanks to the rollback of coronavirus policies but warned a full return to pre-pandemic living conditions was unlikely.

Hong Kong was also likely to continue lagging behind regional rival Singapore, which held on to first place as the world’s most liveable location for overseas workers from East Asia for the 21st year in a row.

“Singapore relaxed social-distancing restrictions earlier than other locations, facilitating a return to pre-pandemic norms and contributing to the fact that it retained its position at the top of our rankings and increasing its lead over other places in terms of its liveability relative to other locations,” Quane said.

“Hong Kong’s fall was reflective of changes in the political environment witnessed through recent Legislative Council and the election for Hong Kong’s chief executive,” he said, adding the one-contender poll for the top job had highlighted the slow pace of democratisation in the city.

Tokyo came second in the 2022 after moving up one place from the year before and replacing Wellington, New Zealand, which fell to third place.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×