Public Opinion Project Unveils Latest Polls on the Hong Kong SAR Government and Related Issues
17 Aug 2026
The Public Opinion Research Project for Domestic and Overseas Hongkongers conducted an online survey from late August to mid-November on public opinion regarding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and related issues. After excluding incomplete questionnaires and automated responses, a total of 735 valid responses were received from respondents.
Although the sample size is substantial, because this was an online survey, the sample was not selected through random sampling and may therefore be subject to bias. Overall, the proportion of male respondents was higher, with approximately 70% male and 30% female; the educational level was relatively high, with 48% holding a post-secondary or bachelor's degree and 35% holding a master's degree or higher;the age distribution was concentrated in the 31–45 (30%) and 46–60 (39%) age groups; in terms of place of residence, the majority were based in the United Kingdom (41%) and Hong Kong (29%), followed by Canada (13%) and Australia (6%).
Overall speaking, respondents generally held low opinions of Hong Kong's principal officials, legislative and executive bodies, the SAR government, and various central government agencies stationed in Hong Kong. Taking Chief Executive John Lee as an example, his average approval rating was only 0.3 points (out of 10), and if a vote were held tomorrow to decide his fate, 95% of respondents said they would vote to remove him from office.Confidence in Hong Kong's future, China's future, and the "One Country, Two Systems" principle is also generally low, with as many as 98% of respondents stating they have "no confidence" in "One Country, Two Systems."
On the other hand, respondents generally expressed a high level of concern regarding Hong Kong's overall situation, as well as political, economic, and social issues. Among these, the political situation received the highest average score for importance, at 7.4 points; however, satisfaction ratings across all categories remained low, with the average satisfaction rating for the political situation standing at only 0.5 points.As for evaluations of the disciplined services and bureau secretaries, satisfaction and trust ratings were relatively high for the Fire Services Department and the Government Flying Service, but positive evaluations of most other departments and officials remained at a low level.
Cross-tabulation analysis shows that respondents of different genders, ages, educational levels, and places of residence tend to share similar views on most questions; however, differences are still evident on certain topics. For example, older respondents, those residing in Hong Kong or Canada, and those with higher educational attainment tend to rate certain institutions or public affairs issues slightly higher. The following report will explain the overall results and cross-tabulation findings question by question.