Prudential “Life Planning for Children Survey": Over 70% of Hong Kong parents yet to future-proof their kids despite challenges in the AI era

(Hong Kong, 13 January 2026) Prudential Hong Kong Limited (“Prudential”) today announced its brand-new Prudential "Life Planning for Children Survey", revealing that in the era of widespread artificial intelligence (AI), parents in China including Hong Kong, are underprepared for their children's future development. This is particularly apparent in education and long-term financial planning.

Parents recognise challenges of the AI era, but actions lag behind

Prudential recently commissioned Fudan University's International Institute of Finance to conduct the Prudential "Life Planning for Children Survey"¹ in key cities across China. The results indicate that with the rise of AI across various industries, Chinese parents are increasingly worried about their children's career prospects. Over two-thirds (68.4%) of surveyed parents believe it will become harder to predict and plan career paths, while 62.5% are concerned that AI will replace entry-level positions, creating significant hurdles for graduates in their job search. This reflects a deepening anxiety among parents over future uncertainties.

While 79.7% of parents believe that early preparation is essential for their children to navigate the AI era, nearly three-quarters (73.3%) have yet to take concrete steps, with the figure reaching 77.3% in Hong Kong. This highlights a significant gap between awareness and action among Chinese parents.

Ivan Choi, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer at Prudential Hong Kong Limited, said: "The survey reveals that while many parents are concerned about the potential challenges posed by AI in the future workplace, it is equally important to recognise the opportunities it offers. Success favours the prepared, and parents who aspire to build a solid foundation for their children should start long-term planning as early as possible."

High aspirations for overseas education among parents, yet funding falls short

In terms of education, more than half (56.8%) of parents intend to send their children abroad for studies or have made financial preparations to do so, with this figure rising to 80.4% in Hong Kong. However, among those who claim they have arranged finances for their children’s overseas education, a mere 14.3% have secured more than half of the required funds; in Hong Kong, this figure is only 17.4%. This stark contrast underscores a notable disparity between the aspiration for education and the reality of financial preparedness.

With gaps in mid-to-long term financial planning, strengthened wealth succession and professional support are needed

When it comes to mid-to-long term financial planning for their children, parents' preparations have fallen short of actual needs. For instance, the average funds allocated for supporting children's entrepreneurial ventures cover only approximately 31.2% of the required amount, while support for first-time home purchases and weddings stands at merely 29.1% and 28.9%, respectively. This reflects a clear disparity between the financial reserves of Chinese families and their actual needs. Furthermore, less than half (45.5%) of parents have made dedicated financial plans for wealth succession, underlining a pressing need to enhance awareness of long-term asset inheritance.

Prudential safeguards children’s wealth and life planning, unlocking limitless potential

Felix Fung, Chief Product Officer at Prudential Hong Kong Limited, said: “Our survey findings reveal that while parents are increasingly aware of the uncertainties the AI era poses to their children's future, gaps remain in taking tangible steps in areas like education, career planning, and wealth management. From academic preparation to long-term wealth inheritance planning, it is essential for parents to plan ahead. To bridge these gaps, Prudential launches the ‘Prudential Enlight Savings Insurance Series,’ the first of its kind in Hong Kong. Starting as early as pregnancy, it provides comprehensive protection for children, building a robust financial foundation and lifelong coverage to illuminate a brilliant future.”

The Prudential Enlight Savings Insurance Series provides guaranteed financial support and long-term potential growth for children alongside whole life protection. Its innovative features include:

Remark: Guaranteed cash coupon equivalent to 105% of the notional amount, guaranteed death benefit equivalent to 180% of the notional amount, where the notional amount is equal to the total standard annual premiums.

Prudential has also upgraded the "Prudential Entrust Multi-Currency Plan" launched last year, which is expected to deliver a projected total return of more than four times² the total premiums paid. The plan now offers enhanced trust-like features³, including the addition of Interim Owner Option and the refined FlexLegacy Option which offers greater flexibility for arranging death benefits based on significant life events. Furthermore, under the FlexIncome Option, additional designated receiving organisations have been added, including elderly care homes and special needs care providers in Hong Kong, Macau, and Chinese Mainland, as well as universities worldwide, to better meet the needs of families.

The launch of the "Prudential Enlight Savings Insurance Series" further strengthens Prudential's product offerings tailored to the needs of families. Together with the upgraded "Prudential Entrust Multi-Currency Plan," these solutions offer comprehensive wealth planning solutions for parents and children, from education savings to legacy planning, building a secure foundation to safeguard a fulfilling future for the next generation.

From now until 31 March 2026, customers who successfully enrol in any plan under the "Prudential Enlight Savings Insurance Series" with an annual payment mode and prepay the full 5-year premium in one lump sum can enjoy a limited-time reward of up to 58% of the first-year annual premium. Additionally, the guaranteed cash coupon will immediately increase to 118.8% of the total premiums on the 18th policy anniversary.

For more details about the plan and promotional offers, please refer to the product brochure and promotion flyer on Prudential’s official website.

In addition, Prudential has enhanced its value-added service platform, "PruNextGen," to provide even more comprehensive family support. With an expanded network of partners, new professional courses, and exclusive offers, the platform delivers tailored services from pregnancy through a child’s teenage years, ensuring parents have access to premium support at every pivotal stage of their child’s development.

We base our statement about the feature of our plan being “first-in-market” on our understanding and interpretation of current market information, by comparing with other publicly available non-critical illness whole life insurance plans issued by major Hong Kong life insurance companies for individual customers as at 24 December 2025.

The above description of “highest-in-market” refers to the total guaranteed cash coupon payout as of the 18th policy anniversary. We base our statement on our understanding and interpretation of current market information, by comparing with other publicly available whole life savings plans with cash payment issued by major Hong Kong life insurance companies for individual customers as at 24 December 2025. The above explanation is based on a 5-year payment term, a USD policy with a total premium of USD 50,000, and assumes no policy changes have been made.

Our statement about the plan’s Interim Owner Option being "the most comprehensive solution" refers specifically to its feature allowing an interim owner temporarily manages the policy for the minor succeeding owner or designated owner if the policyholder passes away or becomes incapacitated, while also enabling succession at a specified date, specified age, or occurrence of designated life event. We base the statement on our understanding and interpretation of current market information regarding other publicly available savings and life insurance plans issued by major Hong Kong life insurance companies for individual customers as at 24 December 2025.

Disclaimer

Prudential Enlight Savings Insurance Series and Prudential Entrust Multi-Currency Plan are underwritten by Prudential Hong Kong Limited. This document does not contain the full terms and conditions of this plan and is for reference only. For further details and the terms and conditions of this plan, customers can ask Prudential for a sample of the policy document. This document is for distribution in Hong Kong only. It is not an offer to sell or solicitation to buy or provide any insurance product outside Hong Kong. Prudential does not offer or sell any insurance product in any jurisdictions outside Hong Kong where such offering or sale of the insurance product is illegal under the laws of such jurisdictions.

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¹ The Prudential  "Life Planning for Children Survey" was conducted through an online questionnaire in November2025 and interviewed 1,900 parents across Beijing, Shanghai, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong, and Macau.

² The projected total return mentioned above is not guaranteed. It is based on a 5-year payment USD policy with a total premium of USD 50,000 and is calculated at policy years 25, under the assumption that there are no changes to the policy.

³ "The “elements that resemble a trust” refers to the FlexIncome and FlexLegacy options within this plan, it does not mean that this insurance plan is equivalent to setting up a trust.

Additional findings of the Prudential “Life Planning for Children Survey”:

• Nearly half (49.1%) of surveyed parents are concerned about the impact of the “35-year-old career threshold” on their children’s career stability.  This concern is significantly higher in Hong Kong, reaching 87.7%, underscoring the heightened anxiety of Hong Kong parents about job market changes.
• Despite the uncertainties AI brings to the workplace, parents still place great importance on their children's education. A striking 98.3% of Chinese parents have either planned or are making financial arrangements for their children's education, hoping they will achieve at least a bachelor's degree or higher.
• The survey also found that 44.3% of surveyed parents hope their children will join large corporations or government institutions after obtaining a bachelor's degree or higher. In Hong Kong, this proportion rises to 61.7%, highlighting the strong preference among Hong Kong residents for stable careers.
• Notably, 59.6% of parents stated that they were unaware of insurance products related to children's education or wealth legacy. Even in Hong Kong, where insurance penetration is relatively high, nearly half of respondents (49.3%) were unfamiliar with such products.
• When planning finances for their children, the majority of parents cited  financial pressure (68.2%) and the lack of professional advisors (61.5%) as major obstacles, highlighting the urgent need for long-term financial planning and professional support among Chinese families.

Details of Prudential’s value-added service platform “PruNextGen”

About Prudential Hong Kong Limited

Prudential has been serving the people of Hong Kong since 1964. Through Prudential Hong Kong Limited and Prudential General Insurance Hong Kong Limited, we provide a range of financial planning services and products including individual life insurance, investment-linked insurance, retirement solutions, health and medical protection, general insurance, and employee benefits to protect over 1.4 million customers in Hong Kong. In 2023, Prudential established its Macau branch to offer health insurance and financial solutions for the Macau community, completing its footprint in the Greater Bay Area. Please visit www.prudential.com.hk for more information.