Just looking at these tiny shoebox apartments in Hong Kong will make you claustrophobic

Hong Kong has a problem. With its population growing steadily, it doesn't have enough space to house the 7.2 million people in its 31 square miles.

But where the government sees a major issue, realtors see dollars. Because of demand, they can charge high rents for tiny spaces, charging up to HK$90, or $11.60 USD, per square foot.

And the spaces are getting smaller. People are living in apartments stacked with wooden boxes, known as "coffin houses," and sleeping in cages about the size of rabbit hutches.

The photos of these spaces are extreme and expose the harsh realities of a city with the highest levels of inequality in the developed world.

(Captions by Reuters and Christian Storm)