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inequality
Aerial views of Hong Kong's 'cage' apartments
Hong Kong is statistically the least equal city in the developed world – and 100,000 of people live in these wood-partitioned cubicles and sub-divided apartments.
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OVER THE PAST few decades, Hong Kong has become one of the world’s most important cities and a global financial hub.
However, increased prosperity hasn’t trickled down to everyone. According to the Gini co-efficiency, which measures inequality, Hong Kong is the least equal city in the developed world.
Local advocacy group Society for Community Organisation says that hundreds of thousands of people are still living in caged homes and wood-partitioned cubicles. What’s worse, the number of people living this way appears to be increasing, as economic migrants arrive in the city from mainland China.
To highlight the struggle, SoCO took shots of the homes to show just how tight these living quarters are.
The apartments were so small that they had to be photographed from the ceiling to capture them.
Hong Kong has a shortage of public housing, meaning many on low wages must pay market rental rates.
In a city so densely populated, rents are extraordinarily high
€8-€9 per square foot per month is common
Due to this, many are forced to live in tiny caged homes or cubicles
SoCA says that at least 100,000 live in sub-divided units
These units average 40 square feet
This apartment is 28 square feet, with proportions of around 4ft x 7ft
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