Lifeguard vacancies surge, leaving 18 Hong Kong beaches short of full service
Hong Kong faces a worsening lifeguard shortage, with 272 civil service posts vacant in 2026. 18 beaches suspended services for an average of 92 days this summer. The government is trialling outsourcing at six pools as a potential solution.
Hong Kong’s lifeguard shortage has worsened sharply over the past five years, with 272 civil service posts left vacant this year, according to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The department reported that 1,226 civil service lifeguards were in post in 2026, compared with an establishment of 1,498.
The staffing pressure affects the department’s 46 public swimming pools, 42 gazetted beaches and five water sports centres. Between 2022 and 2026, 25 of the city’s 42 gazetted beaches had to suspend lifeguard services at some point because of manpower shortages.
Eighteen beaches suspended services for an average of 92 days between June and August, including Cafeteria Old Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Clear Water Bay First Beach, Kiu Tsui Beach and Sam Sing Wan.
To ease the shortage, the department began outsourcing lifeguard and first-aid services at six smaller public swimming pools on a trial basis, making use of private contractors’ more flexible hiring arrangements. In a written response, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui described the trial as “generally satisfactory,” saying all six pools had remained open and no facilities had been closed because of lifeguard shortages.
Law said the arrangement would continue under a new three-year contract approved by the Central Tender Board following a fresh tender exercise. The contract took effect on 1 August, with an annual cost comparable to employing civil service and contract lifeguards, she said. Law described outsourcing as one practical way to ease staffing pressure, but said any expansion would depend on factors including the size and facilities of individual pools, staffing requirements and labour market conditions. The department will also consider financial implications, operational complexity and labour supply before extending the arrangement to other pools, she added.