HK revamps 2026 Census with year-long, sample-based approach

Hong Kong's 2026 population census will shift to a full-year format, sampling only 10 percent of households for detailed data while relying more on government records to cut costs and burden.

Unlike past censuses that surveyed most residents with short forms and some with long ones over six weeks, the new design streamlines operations by using administrative data for basic population counts.

Around 300,000 randomly selected households will supply in-depth demographic and socioeconomic details from January to December 2026.

Updates include identifying talent and imported workers via schemes, gathering ancestral origins for ethnic Chinese, and dropping commuting mode questions.

Selected households get purple notification envelopes, submitting via online portal, hotline, or by visiting officers in grey vests.

Residents of fire-damaged Wang Fuk Court are exempt.

The Census and Statistics Department urged vigilance against scams, noting no requests for sensitive information like IDs or bank details.

All responses remain strictly confidential, are used solely for aggregated statistics, and are destroyed by the end of 2027 per ordinance.