Over 50 percent of Hong Kong residents have taken part in organized volunteer services, and they experience a 30 percent higher level of happiness compared to those who have not volunteered, according to a survey released on Thursday.
The survey also found that the economic output generated by voluntary work amounted to HK$10.9 billion ($1.4 billion), nearly double the figure reported in a similar survey in 2009. The total number of volunteer hours logged in the city last year reached 158 million, marking over-80-percent growth compared to 15 years ago.
To gather Hong Kong residents’ insights into volunteering, the Agency for Volunteer Service charity —commissioned the Department of Marketing of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, which surveyed 773 Hong Kong residents via street interviews in June.
The survey adopted a set of new indicators to measure people’s involvement in voluntary works, including their interest, input and impact.
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According to the survey results, 54.2 percent of respondents had participated in organized volunteer work within the past three years.
In terms of the channels chosen by residents to do volunteer work, 37.1 percent of respondents opted for charitable or non-profit organizations, 15.2 percent participated through educational institutions, while 13.1 percent engaged in volunteering through religious organizations.
The respondents who had volunteered in the past three years scored a happiness rating of 3.51 out of 5, which is nearly 30 percent higher than the score of 2.72 obtained by respondents who had not volunteered during the same period.
Moreover, 75 percent of the participants who had engaged in volunteering agreed that it could be a key factor contributing to personal happiness.
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The survey results also indicate that different age groups have varying motivations for participating in volunteering.
Among respondents aged 30 or below, 15.2 percent said they want to make new friends and expand their social circles through volunteering. For respondents aged 31 to 50, 12.5 percent mentioned their aspiration to gain recognition from the society or friends. And 14.5 percent of surveyed people aged 51 or above highlighted their intention to make good use of their spare time.
The survey also identified the main constraints that prevent respondents aged 30 or below from participating in volunteer work. The primary obstacle reported by this age group was the lack of time, accounting for 30.2 percent. Eighteen percent of respondents cited the absence of peers to volunteer with, while 11.4 percent mentioned the difficulty in finding suitable volunteer opportunities as significant reasons.
About 20 percent of the respondents expressed their willingness to volunteer in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.
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Melissa Pang, chairwoman of the Agency for Volunteer Service, suggested that this inclination might be associated with the recent trend of Hong Kong residents frequently traveling north on weekends. Also, the “one-hour living circle” of the GBA is also convenient for Hong Kong residents to engage in volunteer activities there.
Likie Lee Pui-ki, chief executive officer of the Agency for Volunteer Service, said the agency will create more opportunities for Hong Kong residents to volunteer in Chinese mainland.
The agency and the city’s Home and Youth Affairs Bureau co-organized the Hong Kong Volunteer Award from 2005 to recognize residents who make outstanding contributions in volunteering. The application period for the award this year opened.
