C&SD conducts a number of mandatory and voluntary surveys, each designed for specific purposes, every year. For mandatory surveys, there is a legal obligation for the selected respondents to respond. However, whether or not the survey in which you are selected to participate is mandatory, we very much hope that you would fulfill your civic responsibility to complete and return the completed questionnaire. The information you provide is very useful to both the Government and the private sector in formulating policies and making decisions.
All C&SD surveys are conducted under the authority of the Census and Statistics Ordinance (Chapter 316, Laws of Hong Kong), which empowers the Commissioner for Census and Statistics to carry out censuses of population and statistical surveys both of mandatory and voluntary nature.
No. In accordance with the provisions of the Census and Statistics Ordinance, all collected information relating to individual establishments/households will be kept in strict confidence and not be released to any unauthorised parties including government bureaux and departments. The collected information will be used for statistical purposes only. Only aggregate data, which do not reveal details of individual establishments/households, will be released.
Timeliness is of paramount importance to the usefulness of statistics. Being a renowned trade and financial centre in the world, Hong Kong is expected to produce accurate and timely statistics. Furthermore, in data dissemination, C&SD complies with the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) of the International Monetary Fund. Under the SDDS, C&SD undertakes to pre-announce the schedule for issuing regular press releases of statistics in the ensuring year in September of each year. In order to meet the prescribed schedule, your cooperation in responding to our survey before the deadline is very important.
C&SD compiles a wide range of economic and labour statistics through conducting establishment surveys. The statistics are a prime component of Hong Kong's information infrastructure, and play a key role in furthering the economic and social development of Hong Kong. The survey data are used for industry analysis, compilation of national accounts and balance of payments. Such information is useful to both the Government and the private sector in formulating policies and making decisions.
C&SD conducts surveys on various topics of interest that are useful to policy makers and the business community. As the surveys may have different reference periods, levels of details and timeliness requirements, they cannot be integrated. For some establishments, because of their economic significance to the community, they have a higher chance of being selected in more than one C&SD establishment surveys.
C&SD cannot obtain the required information on your establishment from the IRD for statistical purpose. Similarly, for the information provided by your establishment to C&SD in the course of a statistical survey, the Department will not pass such information to any other government departments or unauthorised persons.
Audited accounts are not essential for the supply of data required for the survey. We accept figures based on preliminary accounts or best estimates available at the time when you return the completed questionnaires.
Yes. Electronic questionnaire templates are available for all surveys conducted by C&SD that are amenable to the electronic mode of delivery. Upon your request, such templates will be delivered to you via email or during field visit to your establishment. You can return the completed templates to us by email or give them to our officer during his/her visit. In returning the completed template by email, you are advised to add electronic signature and encrypt with the use of a digital certificate so as to protect the confidentiality of your supplied data.
ASEA aims to provide statistical information for gauging the business performance and operating characteristics of different economic sectors and for evaluating their contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product. The survey results are useful to both the Government and the private sector in formulating policies and making decisions.
Yes. ASEA is a mandatory survey conducted under Part III of the Census and Statistics Ordinance (Chapter 316). According to section 13(1) of the Ordinance, any person to whom a questionnaire relating to a statistical survey is delivered shall complete the questionnaire or cause it to be completed by other persons to the best of his/her knowledge and brief, and in the manner specified in the questionnaire, and then return the questionnaire on or before the specified date. However, whether or not the survey in which you are selected to participate is mandatory, we very much hope that you would fulfill your civic responsibility to complete and return the completed questionnaire. The information you provide is very useful to both the Government and the private sector in formulating policies and making decisions.
The sampling scheme for ASEA is carefully devised to ensure the representativeness of the survey results. As the sample of ASEA is selected in accordance with scientific and probability-based statistical methods, we cannot subjectively add, remove or substitute any establishment to/from the sample.
C&SD compiles a wide range of social and labour statistics through conducting household surveys. The information collected is essential to the Government for the review and formulation of various social and economic policies and also important to the private sector for business and research purposes.
The survey is conducted under the Census and Statistics Ordinance (Cap. 316). In accordance with the provisions of Part IIIA of the Ordinance, data relating to individual persons or households collected in this survey will be kept in strict confidence and will not be released to any unauthorised parties, including government bureaux and departments. The collected information will be used for statistical purposes only. Only aggregate data, which do not reveal details of individual persons or households, will be released. In addition, all questionnaires will be destroyed within a specific time frame.
No. This survey is conducted under Part IIIA of the Census and Statistics Ordinance (Cap.316) and follows the data protection principles stipulated in the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance in handling the data collected. The data collected will only be used to compile aggregate statistics, while information on individual persons or households will not be disclosed to other persons or government bureaux and departments.
As the questions of the survey relate to information of a more personal nature, such as working hours and income, it would be better to ask the household member concerned in person. Your family members can contact us by the telephone number shown on the notification letter and the non-contact slip to fix a suitable time for interview.
The survey collects information on employment and unemployment situation of you and your household members where applicable. It also collects information on the socio-economic characteristics of each household member.
Each census officer carries a Government Identity Card or Enumerator Identity Card issued by the department while on duty for inspection.
To verify the identity of census officers, you can contact us at 2582 4798 or 2887 5526.
Not every sampled household will receive a notification letter from the Census and Statistics Department prior to the conduct of the General Household Survey because:
It is the design of the sampling method in this survey to include certain households enumerated 3 months ago in the current round. This design allows measuring changes in labour force and other socio-economic characteristics of the population more precisely. Households which have been selected in two consecutive rounds of GHS will not be selected again in the next round.
We are sorry that this cannot be done. The sample is selected in accordance with a scientifically probability-based statistical method. We have no discretion to add, remove or substitute any household to/from the sample, as this will affect the representativeness of the survey results. Measures have been taken so that a household will only be required to participate in the survey twice in each cycle of the survey. After that, the household will not be selected again in the coming 2 to 3 years.
We thank you for your cooperation in the previous round of the survey. It is the design of this survey to conduct interviews again with certain households 3 months later, with the aim of measuring changes in the socio-economic characteristics of the population more precisely. As the survey involves some complex concepts, some minor changes unnoticeable to the respondents may affect the survey results. To ensure data quality, we prefer to have our trained interviewers to interview you again. The interview in this round is much simpler and will not take up much of your time. We hope you would cooperate again.
Respondents can complete the Online Questionnaire (OQ) on their own and then submit it to us over the Internet. Information regarding the procedures of using the OQ is provided in the notification letters sent to individual sampled households by us. Households who do not receive or have lost the notification letter as well as those who have any questions about the OQ may call our hotline 2887 5526 for assistance.
The Census and Statistics Department cannot obtain personal information about household members from any other government departments for statistical purpose. Similarly, for personal information provided by your household to this department in the course of a statistical survey, we will not pass such information to any other government departments or unauthorised persons.
The survey collects data on various social topics proposed by individual bureaux/ departments, including but not limited to basic characteristics of households and respective members.
The THS is contracted out to private research firms. Each enumerator of THS from the private research firm carries an Enumerator Identity Card and a Certificate of Identity issued by C&SD for conducting the survey, which are available for inspection. Besides, respondents can verify the identity of enumerators through the enquiry telephone numbers of C&SD and the private research firm responsible for the THS under concern, which are printed on the notification letter of the survey received previously.
C&SD plays a co-ordination and management role in THS and is responsible for monitoring the work of the contractors to ensure that their services can meet the required standards of quality.
The survey collects up-to-date information on the expenditure patterns of households in Hong Kong.
Each census officer carries a Government Identity Card or Enumerator Identity Card issued by the department while on duty for inspection.
To verify the identity of census officers, you can contact us at 2551 6500.
Respondents can complete the Online Questionnaire (OQ) on their own and then submit it to us over the Internet. Information regarding the procedures of using the OQ is provided in the notification letters sent to individual sampled households by us. Households who do not receive or have lost the notification letter as well as those who have any questions about the OQ may call our hotline 2551 6500 for assistance.