At a Glance

In the 1990s, Indonesian helpers began arriving in Hong Kong in increasing numbers, driven by economic conditions back home and growing demand from Hong Kong families. Up until then, domestic helpers in Hong Kong had come primarily from the Philippines. While Indonesian helpers eventually grew to become Hong Kong’s largest population of domestic helpers as recently as 2010, changing government policies and a stronger Indonesian economy has led to a steady decline in the number of Indonesian helpers in the territory. As of 2014, Indonesian helpers make up 49 percent of Hong Kong’s 320,000 domestic helpers, narrowly behind Filipino helper’s 50 percent.

To meet the different demands of prospective employers, Indonesian helpers are provided Cantonese languages courses, and are typically better Cantonese speakers than their Filipino and Thai counterparts.