2024/25 Household Expenditure Survey in progress
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) conducts a Household Expenditure Survey (HES) once every five years to collect up-to-date information on the expenditure patterns of households in Hong Kong. This information is an important input for updating the expenditure weights of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). A new round of the 2024/25 HES, which began in mid-September last year, is currently in progress.
With the introduction of new products in the market and changes in people's living habits, the types of goods and services that people purchase nowadays may differ significantly from those bought a few years ago. The C&SD conducts an HES once every five years to update the items included in the CPIs and their corresponding expenditure shares.
The HES is conducted for a whole year to take into account seasonal variations in household expenditure patterns throughout the year. For instance, Chinese households tend to spend more during the Chinese New Year compared to the rest of the year.
The C&SD expresses gratitude to those households who have participated in the survey and appeals for the support of all households selected for the remaining survey period. The detailed information provided by participating households is crucial for the compilation of the CPIs.
About three weeks before the commencement of each survey cycle, notification letters will be sent to the sampled living quarters to invite the households therein to participate in the survey. Census officers, whose names are shown on the notification letters, will then call on households in the sampled living quarters about one to two weeks after despatch of the letters to explain the purposes and data requirements of the survey. Each census officer will carry a Government Identity Card / Enumerator Identity Card and a Certificate of Identity issued by the C&SD authorising him/her to conduct the survey for inspection. Householders should check carefully the identity of the census officer before admitting him/her to their premises for interviews.
The major results of the 2024/25 HES are expected to be released in mid-2026.
For enquiries about the 2024/25 HES, please contact the Household Expenditure Survey Section of the C&SD at telephone number 2551 6500 or email address hesurvey@censtatd.gov.hk.
HKPF holds Launching Ceremony of Child Protection Comic Book Series cum Multi-Disciplinary Seminar on Navigating Online Grooming Risks: Spotting and Stopping them
The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) held the Launching Ceremony of the Child Protection Comic Book Series cum Multi-Disciplinary Seminar on Navigating Online Grooming Risks: Spotting and Stopping them today (March 25). Over 500 principals, teachers, social workers, child service providers, parents and police officers participated in person and online in parallel.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Siu Chak-yee, highlighted in his speech that there were 1 359 child sexual abuse cases in 2024, with 94 cases (7 per cent) involving online elements. In the first two months of 2025 alone, 10 cases of online grooming were recorded, including two rape cases involving victims as young as 12 years old. These figures highlighted the severity and alarming rising trend of online grooming.
He noted that the HKPF conducted a survey on online grooming in 2024, interviewing 2 000 students of secondary One to Four. The findings revealed that over 60 per cent of the participants had encountered online grooming, including receiving explicit messages, being asked for nude photos, or even being lured into meetings for sexual exploitation. The survey also indicated that factors such as using social media at a younger age, spending more time online, and having multiple social media accounts significantly increase the risk of falling victim to online grooming.
Mr Siu emphasised that the threat of online grooming should not be overlooked. Addressing the issue requires the joint efforts among schools, parents and students to foster a safer online environment through education, supervision and trust. He stressed that much like other crime prevention efforts, educating children about safe internet practices must "start from a young age with continuous and concerted efforts". He called on parents and educational stakeholders to work together continuously, helping children develop the ability to resist dangers and establishing a safer environment for future generations.
The HKPF has been actively promoting child protection initiatives, including the "Let's T.A.L.K. - Child Protection Campaign” and the newly launched eight-volume “Child Protection Comic Book” Series. The comic books address topics such as online child sexual grooming, prevention of child abuse, naked chat and court trial procedures. The series aims to educate children and juveniles on how to identify risks and protect themselves. The comic books will be distributed to over 1 500 primary schools and kindergartens, public libraries, and related non-profit organisations across Hong Kong, thereby spreading the message of child protection and fostering a safe and healthy environment for children to grow up.
Mr Siu, along with the ambassadors of the HKPF Child Protection Campaign, Mr Bernard Chan and Ms Guo Jingjing; the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Department of Justice, Ms Maggie Yang; the Chairman of the Agency for Volunteer Service, Ms Melissa Kaye Pang; the Assistant Director (Family and Child Welfare) of the Social Welfare Department, Ms Wendy Chau; Clinical Professor of the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Patrick Ip; and the Chairman of the Committee on Home-School Co-operation, Mr Eugene Fong; officiated at the comic book series launching ceremony.
To raise public awareness and create a safer online environment for children, a seminar was held following the launching ceremony. Officers from the HKPF and representatives of the relevant sectors discussed the risks of online grooming faced by children and explored practical coping strategies.
Speaking at the seminar were the Chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, Mr Dion Chen; the Founder and Honorary President of the Smart City Consortium, Mr Eric Yeung; the Hong Kong E-sports Team member, Mr Pang Ka-kit; and the senior social worker of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, Mr Eric Chu Heung-hung.
The seminar marked the successful conclusion of the fourth year of the "Let's T.A.L.K. - Child Protection Campaign”. Details of the campaign have been uploaded onto the one-stop child protection online platform (www.childprotection.gov.hk).
HKPF holds Launching Ceremony of Child Protection Comic Book Series cum Multi-Disciplinary Seminar on Navigating Online Grooming Risks: Spotting and Stopping them Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKPF holds Launching Ceremony of Child Protection Comic Book Series cum Multi-Disciplinary Seminar on Navigating Online Grooming Risks: Spotting and Stopping them Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKPF holds Launching Ceremony of Child Protection Comic Book Series cum Multi-Disciplinary Seminar on Navigating Online Grooming Risks: Spotting and Stopping them Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
