A total 300,000 households in the city will be picked randomly to participate in the 2026 Population Census, to run a full year this time, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) said on Friday.
The 2026 Population Census will implement a revamped approach that will rely more on administrative data and that will extend the census period throughout the year.
At a news conference, Census and Statistics Department Commissioner Leo Yu Chun-keung said that unlike previous population censuses, the government will make more extensive use of administrative data, such as housing, social welfare and education, to estimate Hong Kong’s total population in 2026. Only about one-tenth of households, around 300,000, will be required to complete the “long form” questionnaire.
The data collection period will be extended from 1.5 to 12 months, running from Jan 1 to Dec 31. Selected households will be required only to submit one questionnaire during this period.
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Yu said that all selected sample households are legally required to provide requested information, which will be used solely for statistical purposes. “All questionnaires will be destroyed on or before December 31, 2027,” he said.
The 2026 census will cover themed topics, including demographic and social, education, internal migration, economic, housing, and household characteristics. Changes to the topics include extending the scope of “persons with long term care needs” from those 60 and older to those 15 and above; collecting information to identify professionals and imported labor admitted under various programs; and gathering place-of-origin data for people of Chinese ethnicity. Meanwhile, questions on the mode of transport for work and study will be removed from the census forms.
The C&SD also reminds the public to remain vigilant against scams, stressing that households will not be asked to provide information such as Hong Kong identity card numbers, bank account details, or credit cards information during the census.
Yu said the victims of the deadly Tai Po blaze of Nov 26 will not be included in the census.
Shan Wenxuan contributed to the story.
