China | The Lantau row

Hong Kong wants to build massive artificial islands

More than 1m people could live on them. But they will cost a fortune

|HONG KONG

HONG KONGERS have less residential space than the people of any other big city: 15 square metres each. That is barely double the size of a standard prison cell in Hong Kong. The Chinese territory is also the world’s most expensive property market. The average price of a home is $1.2m, around 40% higher than the nearest competitor, Singapore. To be fair, 45% of Hong Kongers live in government-subsidised housing. But the average waiting time for such flats is five-and-a-half years.

This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “The Lantau row”

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