More Hongkongers leave money in MPF pension plan to capitalise on market rally

Fewer Hongkongers withdrew funds from the city’s mandatory pension plan in the fourth quarter of last year, as a stock market rally prompted more members to leave their investments in place even when they stopped working or left the city, according to analysts.The number of people taking their money out of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) because they were leaving Hong Kong permanently fell 39 per cent in the final three months of 2025 from the previous quarter, to 4,200 cases, according to data released by the pension regulator, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA), on Wednesday.The total amount withdrawn also declined by 38 per cent to HK$1.02 billion (US$130 million) from a quarter earlier, the MPFA data showed.Withdrawals due to retirement or early retirement also declined. A total of 41,500 members withdrew their MPF balance for retirement reasons during the quarter, down 5 per cent from the third quarter. The sum these members withdrew declined 4 per cent to HK$6.6 billion, the authority’s data showed.Withdrawals due to early retirement dropped by 2 per cent to 7,900, with the total amount withdrawn remaining almost unchanged at HK$2 billion.The MPF has 4.8 million members.