Hong Kong’s ageing population the main focus of once-a-decade census, as city looks to measure future need for care services
- Citywide survey began on Wednesday, with new data topic added to help guide government’s policymaking
- Officials also expect study to give snapshot on population’s other needs in terms of education and public housing
Hong Kong’s once-a-decade population census began on Wednesday with an emphasis on measuring the city’s growing proportion of elderly people.
A newly added data topic in the 2021 census asks respondents about the number of elderly requiring care within a household, as a way to measure demand for care services and staff.
“This new data topic will help to analyse the different demands for elderly care services in each district. It will also be useful for the government’s future policymaking and planning,” Marion Chan Shui-yu, commissioner for census and statistics, said.
The survey as a whole would also give a snapshot of the population’s other needs, such as education services and public housing, she said.
Started in 1961, the census is conducted every 10 years, with a by-census every five years.
