Hong Kongers are the world’s most dissatisfied people when it comes to air quality, according to a Gallup poll.

 

A Gallup survey of 153 countries over the past five years found 70% of Hong Kong adults were unhappy about the state of the city’s air. 

 

By contrast Singapore citizens ranked as the most content with air quality, with just 3% dissatisfied.

 

Hong Kong’s score was well ahead of all other economies and streets beyond comparable developed markets.

 

Second-highest in the poll was Chad, whose per capita income is 26 times lower than Hong Kong, with 59% dissatisfaction, followed by Lebanon (58%) and Malta (57%). Taiwan ranked 21^st, Israel 23^rd  and Italy in 68^th position.

 

Mainland China, despite having some of the world’s most polluted cities, came in at 67^th.

 

Christine Loh, head of NGO Civic Exchange, says it is likely Hong Kong people are more concerned than their mainland cousins because they are better informed about the issue.

 

However, with the level of Hong Kong’s wealth, “there are some aspects of its air emissions that are hard to understand,” she said in a recent column. 

 

“For example, it makes no sense that Hong Kong still has a highly polluting fleet of diesel vehicles. The key culprits are commercial trucks and franchised and non-franchised buses, such as tourist and school buses.”