Overcoming HK's economic woes

For three decades, Hong Kong has thrived economically along with the Chinese mainland. Now its economic future is at a crossroads. According to a poll conducted by South China Morning Post, Hong Kong residents are far more unhappy with life than those in cities on the mainland.

Usually, people feel happier when their living standards are better. In Hong Kong, the per capita GDP at purchasing power parity is $52,000. In the polled mainland cities, it is between $16,000 and $21,000, that is, only 30-40 percent that of Hong Kong. But instead of being twice as happy as their compatriots on the mainland, Hong Kong residents are unhappy. Why?

For all practical purposes, different reasons are responsible for the increasingly grim mood Hong Kong residents find themselves in. Some observers argue that it involves the "tumbling" popularity of the city's leader Leung Chun-ying. Others blame high property prices for the gloom. Some parents dislike the new education curriculum, while others complain there are not enough discretionary seats in primary schools.