Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Hong Kong has been the least affordable city in the world for 9 years running, and the housing crisis is one of the factors fueling the 12-week protests

Hong Kong has been the least affordable city in the world for 9 years running, and the housing crisis is one of the factors fueling the 12-week protests

The protests that have flooded the streets of Hong Kong for the past 12 weeks are taking a toll on the city's housing market.

 The protests that have flooded the streets of Hong Kong for the past 12 weeks are taking a toll on the city's housing market.

While the protests were sparked by a proposed extradition bill, the city's housing affordability crisis has also been adding fuel to the fire: Residents have said the exorbitant cost of housing is one of the reasons they are continuing to protest.

Bloomberg reported that in June, at the start of the protests, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RCIS) released a survey that forecasted a 3% jump in rents on the main island in the next year.

 Now, 12 weeks into the protests, the RCIS has released another survey that predicts those rents will drop 2% in the next year.

Hong Kong is home to one of the most expensive rental markets in the world. As Business Insider previously reported, it is the world's most expensive city to rent a two-bedroom apartment in — it costs, on average, $3,685 a month.

The housing situation in Hong Kong has, for years, been described in terms like " frenzy" and " crisis." About one in five people in the city live below the poverty line. Earlier this year, Business Insider's Harrison Jacobs reported that Hong Kong was ranked the least affordable city in the world for the ninth year in a row by the 15th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey.

 But the consequences of the city's lack of affordable housing don't end there.

In 2018, Business Insider reported that some of Hong Kong's homeless residents, dubbed McRefugees, have resorted to calling 24-hour fast-food restaurants home. Others are living in 20-foot "coffin homes" where the starting rent is around $180 a month. And for discounts of up to 20%, some locals are considering living in haunted homes which, in Hong Kong, is considered taboo.


It's not just Hong Kong's rental market that's feeling the heat.

Bloomberg has also reported that, according to Ricacorp Properties Ltd., the amount of residential property traded in Hong Kong in July saw a 35% year-over-year decrease.

 The protests appear to be pushing wealthy Hong Kong residents to invest their money in luxury real estate overseas.

Reuters reported that Juwai.com - a China-based international property website - revealed that in the past quarter, there was a 50% increase in Hong Kong enquiries for Australian properties. The report also reveals that there has been an uptick in interest in Australia's millionaires-only visa program.

"In the current environment, Australia appears as a safe harbor - both comfortably close and far from home," said Georg Chmiel, the executive chairman of Juwai.com.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×