Why is death in Hong Kong stuck in a one-month queue?

Hong Kong, constrained by limited land and a dense population, faces a persistent shortage not only in developable land but also in the long-term supply of public and private columbarium niches. In recent years, some families have even been unable to properly inter their deceased due to the lack of available spaces, leading to the bizarre situation of having “no place for the dead to rest”. Unexpectedly, Hong Kong now faces yet another controversy — that of being “unable to afford dying”.

The controversy started when Hong Kong’s public hospitals, which have long provided free body storage services, announced that starting from New Year’s Day in 2026, they would begin charging for this service. Under the new fee structure, the first three days remain free of charge, but from the fourth day onwards, a daily charge of HK$100 (US$12.86) would apply, increasing to HK$200 from the 18th day and further to HK$550 from the 34th day.

According to calculations by Hong Kong media, with around 2,000 patients passing away in Hong Kong public hospitals in 2023, assuming an average storage time of 25 days and a cost of HK$3,000, the new measures could generate roughly HK$60 million in additional revenue for Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority annually.

The policy, which disrupts the longstanding free storage system in public hospital mortuaries, sparked public outcry upon its announcement, with those belonging to the funeral industry leading the criticism and decrying the policy as unreasonable.

Industry representatives have pointed out that, in accordance with current practice, even following standard procedures would often take three to four weeks for a body to be cremated; the new measures effectively force bereaved families to pay between HK$2,200 to HK$4,000.

Under mounting public pressure and criticism, the Hospital Authority announced on 8 November a revision to the plan: the initial free storage period has been extended from three to 28 days, with charges of HK$200 per day starting from the 29th day, and HK$550 per day from the 36th day.

The Hospital Authority insisted that the introduction of storage fees was not for the purpose of increasing government revenue, but was intended to ensure that the deceased are laid to rest as quickly as possible. In addition, public hospital mortuaries only provide refrigeration services, and prolonged storage could affect the condition of the bodies. The fee structure works on the principle that the “user copays, while those with means pay more”.

According to Hospital Authority statistics, about 80% of bodies could be claimed within four weeks, and some low-income families could be exempted from fees, which effectively means that under the new system, there could be fewer than 10% of cases that actually incur charges.

The authorities’ quick tweaking of the policy could lead to this controversy subsiding quickly. However, the underlying issues highlighted by this event deserve deeper reflection from all sectors of society.

Hong Kong’s healthcare system has long relied heavily on government subsidies, leaving public hospitals overwhelmed with drawn-out waiting times. This is something that Hong Kong residents have become accustomed to.

In response, the Hospital Authority recently announced a series of medical fee reforms, aiming to increase charges for a range of services under the principle that those with greater means should shoulder more of the costs, and that patients with minor conditions should contribute proportionately more. The goal is to achieve a fairer and more efficient allocation of medical resources. The transition from free to charged body storage is one such reform.

Many government-run mortuaries around the world charge for storing bodies, with free periods ranging from zero to 28 days and fees varying from tens to hundreds of dollars per day. Fairly speaking, mortuary operations and annual maintenance are costly, so charging a reasonable fee after a set period is justifiable and helps prevent misuse.

In fact, due to Hong Kong’s severe population ageing problem in recent years, the city’s mortality rate has been rising. In contrast, public hospital mortuaries have not kept pace over the past decades, failing to expand storage alongside rising mortality, resulting in a chronic shortage of space. Given the government’s severe fiscal deficit, it is understandable that measures to increase revenue and cut costs are being introduced.

But the strong public backlash is largely driven by Hong Kongers’ frustration that while the authorities stress a “user pays” principle, they have failed to provide sufficient public funeral resources, forcing citizens to pay extra storage fees.

According to industry insiders, public crematoria under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have long been inadequate. Booking a public cremation slot is like trying to secure concert tickets, with families having to reserve as soon as slots open. Even though the number of cremators has increased in recent years, it still falls short of demand.

Due to the severe shortage of funeral facilities, many bodies are forced to be stored for extended periods. When someone passes away in hospital, it usually takes over 20 days to arrange the cremation and funeral. Although the Hospital Authority has extended the free storage period to 28 days in response to public opinion, the move does not address the root problem. Many people hope the authorities will further improve arrangements so that families can cremate their loved ones without undue delay in future.

Furthermore, unlike private enterprises that operate for profit, Hong Kong’s public healthcare system has always been founded on serving the people rather than pursuing profit. Charging for storing bodies represents a major policy shift, and the lack of public consultation beforehand has left many deeply dissatisfied.

Hong Kong media revealed that the new policy was actually buried within a 2,000-word official press release titled “Optimising the Mechanism for Reducing and Waiving Medical Charges” (《优化医疗费用减免机制》). There was no explicit mention of “new charges”, just a remark made in passing about “mortuary fees” towards the end, with the actual details tucked away in the last line of a four-page appendix.

Public opinion in Hong Kong described this as a “shady” way of handling information, prompting questions over whether the Hospital Authority had deliberately kept the public in the dark, slipping the most sensitive fee item quietly into the gazette. Such conduct falls short of transparent governance and instead exemplifies a lack of integrity.

Over the past few years, the Hong Kong government had also faced strong opposition for introducing new policies in haste without fully understanding public sentiment. For example, the authorities had planned to implement a waste-charging scheme on 1 August last year, but it was eventually shelved after fierce public criticism due to a misreading of public opinion. The government should learn from such experiences and improve how it gauges public sentiment, ensuring smoother policy implementation in future.

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “殓房收费掀起争议”.

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