HKDSE Citizenship and Social Development Mock Paper (10 questions, 100 marks, 1 hour 45 minutes)

2026-11-01

HKDSE Citizenship and Social Development

HKDSE Citizenship and Social Development mock: 10 data-response questions, 100 marks, 105 minutes, covering Hong Kong under One Country Two Systems, the Greater Bay Area, reform and poverty relief, high-speed rail, the digital economy, global supply chains, climate change, population ageing, energy transition and technology and equity, with marking notes.

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Paper details　Level: HKDSE | Subject: Citizenship and Social Development | Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Marks: 100 | Questions: 10

Section A (Questions 1 to 5, 48 marks)

Answer ALL questions. Base your answers on the sources and on the concepts you have learned; show all working for data questions, and state a clear stance with both sides considered in the discussion question.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
1	Source A: Hong Kong’s GDP was HK$1,370 billion in 1997 and HK$2,980 billion in 2023; GDP per capita rose from HK$210,000 to HK$395,000; the share of services in GDP rose from 85% to 93%. (a) Calculate the percentage increase in Hong Kong’s GDP from 1997 to 2023 (26 years) and the average annual growth rate. (4 marks) (b) Calculate the increase in GDP per capita in dollars and in percentage terms. (2 marks) (c) The share of services rose by 8 percentage points. What change in the structure of Hong Kong’s economy does this reflect? (2 marks)	(a) Increase = (29,800 − 13,700) ÷ 13,700 × 100% = 117.5%; average annual growth rate = (29,800 ÷ 13,700)^(1/26) − 1 = 3.03%, i.e. about 3.0% per year. (2 marks working, 1 mark answer, 1 mark units and percentages) (b) Increase of 395,000 − 210,000 = HK$185,000, i.e. 185,000 ÷ 210,000 × 100% = 88.1%. (1 mark each) (c) The share of services rose while manufacturing fell relatively, so the economy now rests on finance, trade, logistics and professional services. Hong Kong has moved towards a knowledge-based service economy that depends heavily on demand from the mainland and from world markets. (2 marks)
2	Source B: In 2023 the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area had about 86 million people and a GDP of about RMB 14 trillion; Hong Kong had about 7.5 million people and a GDP of about HK$2.98 trillion. Assume HK$1 = RMB 0.92. (a) Calculate Hong Kong’s share of the GBA’s population and of its GDP. (4 marks) (b) Convert Hong Kong’s GDP into renminbi. (2 marks) (c) Using the data, explain two roles of Hong Kong in the development of the GBA. (4 marks)	(a) Population: 750 ÷ 8,600 × 100% = 8.7%; GDP: 2.98 × 0.92 = RMB 2.7416 trillion, which is 19.6% of RMB 14 trillion. (2 marks each) (b) 2.98 × 0.92 = RMB 2.7416 trillion, i.e. about RMB 2.74 trillion. (2 marks) (c) Hong Kong holds only about 8.7% of the GBA’s people but nearly one fifth of its output, showing that it is the region’s international financial and professional services centre, supplying financing, legal and accounting services. As an international aviation hub and free port it is also a two-way platform through which GBA firms go global and foreign capital enters the region. (2 marks each)
3	Source C: The rural poor population in mainland China was about 770 million in 1978 and fell to zero in 2020; the poverty incidence rate fell from 97.5% to 0; per capita disposable income rose from RMB 171 in 1978 to RMB 32,189 in 2020. (a) Roughly what was China’s total population in 1978, calculated from the poverty incidence rate? (1 decimal place) (2 marks) (b) Calculate the increase in per capita disposable income over the 42 years, in multiples and as an average annual growth rate. (4 marks) (c) State two measures the state adopted to eliminate poverty. (4 marks)	(a) 7.7 ÷ 97.5% ≈ 790 million, so the total population was about 790 million. (2 marks) (b) Multiple = 32,189 ÷ 171 = 188.2 times; average annual growth rate = (32,189 ÷ 171)^(1/42) − 1 = 13.28%. (2 marks working, 2 marks answer) (c) Targeted poverty alleviation: every poor household was registered and village work teams were sent in; industrial development: local farming, rural tourism and e-commerce gave farmers a steady income; relocation: people in inhospitable areas were moved to new housing; basic education and health care: fees were waived and medical cover and housing renovation provided. (any two, 2 marks each)
4	Source D: China’s high-speed rail network grew from nothing in 2008 to about 45,000 km in 2023, while total railway length rose from 80,000 km to 159,000 km; annual high-speed rail passenger trips rose from about 2.3 billion in 2019 to about 3.68 billion in 2023. (a) Calculate high-speed rail as a percentage of total railway length in 2023. (3 marks) (b) Calculate the percentage increase in high-speed rail passenger trips from 2019 to 2023. (3 marks) (c) Explain two effects of high-speed rail on regional economies. (4 marks)	(a) 45,000 ÷ 159,000 × 100% = 28.3%, so about 30% of the railway network is high-speed. (3 marks) (b) (36.8 − 23) ÷ 23 × 100% = 60.0%, an increase of 60%. (3 marks) (c) It compresses travel time and creates one-hour commuting zones, making it easier to move talent and goods and widening firms’ markets; cities along the line attract investment and tourism after stations open, boosting property, catering and logistics and narrowing regional gaps. (2 marks each)
5	Source E: China’s online retail sales rose from RMB 3.88 trillion in 2015 to RMB 15.43 trillion in 2023; total retail sales of consumer goods in 2023 were RMB 47.15 trillion; there were about 950 million mobile payment users. (a) Calculate the growth in online retail sales over the eight years, in multiples and as an average annual growth rate. (4 marks) (b) Calculate online retail sales as a percentage of total retail sales in 2023. (3 marks) (c) State one opportunity and one challenge that the digital economy brings to small and medium-sized enterprises. (3 marks)	(a) Multiple = 15.43 ÷ 3.88 = 3.98 times; average annual growth rate = (15.43 ÷ 3.88)^(1/8) − 1 = 18.83%. (2 marks each) (b) 15.43 ÷ 47.15 × 100% = 32.7%, so nearly one third of retail sales are made online. (3 marks) (c) Opportunity: e-commerce platforms and livestream selling let SMEs reach customers nationwide and overseas without paying for physical shops. Challenge: competition and traffic costs keep rising, and handling refunds, delivery and data security strains the limited capital and staff of small firms. (1 mark opportunity, 2 marks challenge)

Section B (Questions 6 to 10, 52 marks)

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
6	Source F: A smartphone selling for HK$6,000 uses chips made in Taiwan (35% of cost), a screen made in South Korea (20%), assembly in mainland China (15%), and other parts and marketing (30%). (a) Calculate the cost of each stage. (4 marks) (b) Explain two benefits of the international division of labour under globalisation. (3 marks) (c) If chip supply were interrupted, explain the likely effects on the production and price of this phone. (3 marks)	(a) Chips 6,000 × 35% = HK$2,100; screen 6,000 × 20% = HK$1,200; assembly 6,000 × 15% = HK$900; others 6,000 × 30% = HK$1,800; total HK$6,000. (1 mark each) (b) Each country produces what it does relatively best, for example Taiwan specialises in chips and South Korea in displays, which lowers total costs; specialisation and large-scale output raise efficiency and quality, so consumers get better products at lower prices. (1.5 marks each) (c) A chip shortage would halt assembly lines, cut output and lengthen delivery times; makers may have to buy chips at higher spot prices, pushing up costs, and may eventually shed staff or raise the phone price while moving part of the supply chain elsewhere. (3 marks)
7	Source G: Global average temperature has risen about 1.1°C above the pre-industrial level; atmospheric CO2 rose from about 280 ppm in 1750 to about 420 ppm in 2023; Hong Kong’s annual mean temperature rose from 23.5°C (1991–2020) to 24.0°C in 2023. (a) Calculate the percentage increase in CO2 concentration from 1750 to 2023. (3 marks) (b) Calculate how much warmer 2023 was than the 1991–2020 mean in Hong Kong, and explain how this relates to the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. (3 marks) (c) Explain two measures Hong Kong could take to mitigate climate change. (4 marks)	(a) (420 − 280) ÷ 280 × 100% = 50.0%, an increase of 50%. (3 marks) (b) 24.0 − 23.5 = 0.5°C. Global warming has already reached 1.1°C, leaving only about 0.4°C to the 1.5°C limit; a single year 0.5°C above the mean is variability, but it reflects a trend of more very hot days, and breaching 1.5°C would sharply raise the risk of heatwaves, heavy rain and storm surges. (3 marks) (c) Replace coal with natural gas and renewables in the fuel mix and import more clean energy; promote electric vehicles and green transport and expand rail and walking networks; raise building energy efficiency through mandatory audits and solar panels; expand recycling and waste-to-energy to cut landfill methane. (any two, 2 marks each)
8	Source H: The share of people aged 65 or above in Hong Kong rises from about 21.9% in 2023 to about 36% in 2046; the total population edges up from about 7.5 million to about 8.19 million; public health expenditure grows from about HK$120 billion to about HK$300 billion. (a) Calculate the number of older people in 2023 and in 2046. (4 marks) (b) Calculate public health spending per person in both years and the multiple between them. (4 marks) (c) State one challenge that population ageing poses to public finances. (2 marks)	(a) 2023: 7.5 million × 21.9% = 164.25 million; 2046: 8.19 million × 36% = 294.84 million, an increase of about 1.31 million. (2 marks each) (b) 2023: HK$120 billion ÷ 7.5 million = HK$16,000; 2046: HK$300 billion ÷ 8.19 million ≈ HK$36,630; multiple = 36,630 ÷ 16,000 ≈ 2.29 times. (1 mark each expenditure, 0.5 mark each per capita figure, 1 mark multiple) (c) As older people become a larger share, spending on health, long-term care and social security grows faster than revenue, squeezing education and infrastructure; the number of taxpayers falls relative to dependants, narrowing the tax base, so government may need to review taxes, bring in private and voluntary insurance, and develop the silver economy. (2 marks)
9	Source I: In 2023 Hong Kong’s fuel mix for electricity generation was 25% coal, 48% natural gas and 27% nuclear and renewables; annual electricity use was about 46 billion kWh; the Climate Action Plan 2050 aims to halve carbon emissions from the 2005 level by 2035 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. (a) Calculate the percentage of electricity generated from non-coal fuels. (3 marks) (b) If coal were entirely replaced by natural gas, calculate the share of natural gas. (3 marks) (c) Explain two difficulties Hong Kong faces in reaching carbon neutrality. (4 marks)	(a) 100% − 25% = 75%, so three quarters of electricity comes from natural gas, nuclear and renewables. (3 marks) (b) 48% + 25% = 73%, making natural gas the dominant fuel with nearly three quarters of the mix. (3 marks) (c) Land and natural resources are scarce, so siting large solar and wind farms is hard and renewables cannot quickly replace fossil fuels; switching to gas and importing more nuclear power need regional cooperation and raise grid security, nuclear safety and tariff concerns; cutting emissions from buildings and transport involves many owners and drivers and costly retrofits, so progress is slow. (any two, 2 marks each)
10	Source J: Quotation 1: “In the past thirty years the share of people in extreme poverty worldwide fell from 36% to 9%, yet wealth has become more concentrated in a few hands.” Quotation 2: “Technological progress makes education, health care and financial services cheaper, and therefore helps narrow the wealth gap.” Quotation 3: “Growth that destroys the environment is not sustainable.” (a) Calculate the fall in the extreme poverty share in Quotation 1, and compare the two authors’ views on global development. (4 marks) (b) “Technological development promotes social equity.” Argue for this statement and then refute it. (8 marks)	(a) 36% − 9% = 27 percentage points, a fall of 75%, leaving about one quarter of the previous share. Quotation 1 accepts the global reduction in poverty but stresses concentration of wealth, so growth is not the same as equity; Quotation 2 is more optimistic, arguing that technology improves ordinary lives by cutting prices. They differ on the yardstick of development: distribution versus accessibility. (4 marks) (b) Argument: mobile payments and online banking let people without a traditional account save, borrow and receive money, reducing financial exclusion; online learning and remote consultations give remote communities better education and health care at lower cost; e-government and open data make administration more transparent and accountable. Refutation: technological resources are unevenly distributed, since digital infrastructure and devices cost money, so low-income families and older people fall into a digital divide; platform algorithms allocate orders, leaving delivery riders and drivers with unstable incomes and little protection; automation displaces low-skilled jobs, so wealth flows to the few firms that own the technology and capital. Conclusion: technology is a neutral tool; whether it promotes equity depends on whether government invests at the same time in digital infrastructure, retraining, labour protection and antitrust regulation. (2 marks clear stance, 3 marks argument, 3 marks refutation)

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