Hong Kong has a world-class healthcare system. The people of Hong Kong enjoy among the longest life expectancies in the world – 80.5 years for men and 86.7 years for women. The infant mortality rate was one of the world’s lowest in 2011, at 1.3 per 1 000 registered live births.

Overall health expenditure has been on the increase, given our ageing population, rising healthcare expectations and spiralling medical costs. But no one in Hong Kong is deprived of medical care because they cannot afford it.

The Government has pledged to increase healthcare spending from 15 per cent of recurrent expenditure in 2007-08 to 16.5 per cent or $39.9 billion (US$5.1 billion) by 2011-12.