【明報專訊】The quality of life in a place reflects its wealth and its people's wellbeing. It is a yardstick against which to measure the level of satisfaction its people feel about their material and spiritual lives. Indices of quality of life include the United Nations' Human Development Index and the Economist Intelligence Unit's livability ranking, the latter of which contains 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

Inflation x Wealth Disparity

According to the Census and Statistics Department, in 2016, underlying inflation averaged 2.3%. Inflation affects poor people harder. Wealth disparity is serious in Hong Kong, as there were around 971,000 people living in poverty in 2015. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service says that, to have money they need to pay for their food, accommodation and transport, grass-roots families have to cut spending on other aspects like education and healthcare, which drives down living quality.

Cultural exchanges

The spiritual aspects of life, which include culture and arts, are also an important component of good living quality. In 1998 the government proposed the construction of a Cultural District in Western Kowloon, which would comprise an opera centre and an "M+ Museum". The project has yet to be completed.

Equal opportunities

In response to discussion of students who cross the border to study in Hong Kong, the Education Bureau implemented a "school net" dedicated to cross-border students in the primary one places allocation procedure in order to give local students priority. Still, on the 2015 allocation announcement day, some groups protested outside the Sheung Shui allocation centre. Some mainland parents, however, argued that their children had the right to study in Hong Kong.

Chan Chi-chuen, a Legislative Councillor, was once insulted on an MTR train by two female passengers for his sexual orientation. He lodged a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission, which subsequently said it was not in a position to take any action. Since the 1990s, there have been discussions in Hong Kong about adopting a "sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination bill" so as to protect people of different sexual orientations. However, the matter is controversial and such a bill has yet to be adopted.

Governance

The government's performance and its policies have a direct bearing on citizens' quality of life. The government's approval rating is one of the benchmarks of its popularity. People do not trust a government that has a low approval rating, and this may make them less satisfied, render the place harder to govern and further lower its people's quality of life. The media play one of the most important roles in monitoring the government. In the World Press Freedom Index published by the Reporters Without Borders, Hong Kong's press freedom was ranked 69th in 180 countries and regions in 2016. The report said that the independence of the Hong Kong media deserved attention. The Hong Kong media might be allowed to cover sensitive news stories concerning the SAR and central governments, but some journalists still have to fight for press freedom.