Continuity or rupture? The evolution of Hong Kong’s national identity

Purpose National identity has a profound impact on building a modern state, maintaining social stability and promoting economic development. Based on three waves of data collected from the World Values Survey (WVS) in Hong Kong between 2005 and 2018, this study aims to examine the changes in the national identity awareness of Hong Kongese over time. Design/methodology/approach The data used in this paper originate from the WVS. The WVS is a cross-country time-series survey that has been carried out in seven waves in 85 countries around the world, since 1981. There are three waves of data involving Hong Kong, which were obtained from the surveys in 2005, 2014 and 2018. Findings This study examined the changes in the national identity awareness of Hong Kongese over time and found that this has shown both continuity and rupture. Extreme groups lacking national identity have emerged and become more common over the decades and the elites’ national identity is much stronger than that of the lower and middle classes. It also shows that political trust, social capital, subjective well-being and possession of authoritarian personality have strong explanatory power for the changes in Hong Kongese national identity over time, but their explanatory strength varies across eras. Originality/value Based on three waves of surveys conducted by the WVS in Hong Kong in 2005, 2014 and 2018, respectively, this paper charts these changes over time and explores the differences in how they are influenced by political trust, social capital, subjective well-being and authoritarian personality.