78% of low-income elderly Hongkongers report heat-related distress, survey finds

Nearly 80 per cent of low-income elderly people surveyed in Hong Kong reported physical or mental distress during periods of extreme heat, prompting calls for stronger government support and heat-prevention measures.

Data from the Department of Health cited by Greenpeace identified elderly people as the city’s demographic most at risk from extreme temperatures. The number of hospital discharges and deaths related to heatstroke among people aged 65 or above rose 16-fold between 2015 and 2024, from four to 68 – the sharpest increase among all age groups.

The city has been hit by sweltering weather this summer, with temperatures forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius (91 Fahrenheit) on Friday. Earlier this month, Hong Kong recorded a maximum temperature of 36.9 degrees, the highest since records began in 1884.

For its study, Greenpeace interviewed 127 residents aged 65 or above across seven districts with rapidly ageing populations, including Kwai Tsing, Wong Tai Sin and Kowloon City. More than half lived in public housing, while 35 per cent lived in inadequate housing.

About 78 per cent of respondents said they had experienced at least one form of physical discomfort because of high temperatures, including dizziness, headaches, vomiting, difficulty breathing and a racing heartbeat. Some also reported mood disturbances and poorer sleep quality.

A total of 5.5 per cent said they had been hospitalised for a heat-related illness in the previous year.