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Young Chinese Graduates Are Fueling Hong Kong's Property Boom

  • Mainland graduates staying in city add to housing pressure
  • CLSA’s Nicole Wong sees demand for 4,000 units in coming years
A student graduate poses for a photograph in front of residential homes at a public housing estate in Hong Kong on April 1, 2017.

A student graduate poses for a photograph in front of residential homes at a public housing estate in Hong Kong on April 1, 2017.

Photographer: DALE DE LA REY/AFP via Getty Images
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As Hong Kong struggles with the world’s priciest housing market, a shortage in supply is being exacerbated by mainland Chinese students who come to study and then decide to stay.

The graduates may help boost housing demand by 4,000 units a year in the medium term, estimates Nicole Wong, the regional head of property research at CLSA Ltd. in Hong Kong. That compares with 25,500 private residential units completed in 2016.