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The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) releases today (December 9) findings of the two surveys on the usage and penetration of information technology (IT) in Hong Kong conducted during April to August 2005. The Household Survey focused on IT penetration amongst households and IT usage amongst household members, and the Establishment Survey focused on the patterns of IT usage and penetration amongst business establishments.
According to the results of the Household Survey, personal computers (PC) and Internet connections were very common in households. Some 1 601 300 households, or 70.1% of all domestic households in Hong Kong, had PC at home in 2005. Among those households with PC at home, some 1 476 500 (92.2%) had their PC connected to the Internet, representing 64.6% of all domestic households in Hong Kong. This is similar to the situation in 2004.
The usage of PC and Internet services was also prevalent among persons aged 10 and over in Hong Kong. The 2005 survey revealed that some 3 645 500 persons aged 10 and over, or 58.8% of all persons in that age group, had used PC at least once in the twelve months before the survey. As expected, the rates of using PC were higher amongst younger persons, better-educated persons and students.
In 2005, some 3 526 200 persons aged 10 and over, or 56.9% of all persons in that age group, had used Internet service in the twelve months before the survey via various media including PC, WAP phones and personal digital assistants (PDA).
Utilisation of electronic business services was also high amongst people in Hong Kong. About 97.3% of all persons aged 15 and over had used electronic business services of one form or another for personal matters in the twelve months before the survey, slightly higher than that of 2004 (96.5%). The electronic business services covered in the Household Survey included the use of Octopus card, Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), e-cash, Easy Pay System (EPS), Payment by Phone Service (PPS), online searching for financial information/information on goods and services/information on job vacancies, etc.
Regarding the usage of online purchasing services, the 2005 survey estimated that around 498 200 persons aged 15 and over, or 8.6% of all persons in that age group, had used one or more types of online purchasing services for personal matters in the twelve months before the survey, being higher than the corresponding figures in 2004 (410 600 persons and 7.1%).
Use of online Government services was also more common. In the twelve months before the 2005 survey, 1 697 700 persons aged 15 and over, or 29.4% of all persons in that age group, had used online Government services for personal matters. The corresponding figure in 2004 was 28.5%.
According to the Establishment Survey, the percentages of establishments using personal computers (PCs) and having Internet connection in 2005 have increased over 2004, being 60.5% and 54.7% respectively. The corresponding figures in 2004 were 58.4% and 50.4% respectively.
Analysed by size of the establishments, 97.5% of large establishments, 88.9% of medium establishments and 56.4% of small establishments were using PCs. The corresponding figures for 2004 were 97.4%, 83.7% and 54.5% respectively. Besides, 91.5% of large establishments, 83.6% of medium establishments and 50.5% small establishments had Internet connection in 2005, as against 89.7%, 76.2% and 46.4% respectively in 2004. This represents a noticeable increase in the use of PC and Internet among small and medium establishments.
Among the major sectors, PCs were most popularly used in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector (87.2%) and the wholesale, retail, import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector (63.6%). The percentage of establishments with Internet connection was also highest in these two sectors, at 81.8% and 58.1% respectively.
In 2005, about 15.5% of the establishments had a Web page or Web site, as against 14.8% in 2004. The percentage continued to be much higher for large establishments (72.3%) than medium establishments (34.6%) and small establishments (12.0%). All establishments having Web pages/Web sites provided information about the establishments and the products and services offered in their Web pages/Web sites. Only 10.1% of the establishments having Web pages/Web sites used their Web pages/Web sites as channel for online ordering of their products and services.
In the 12 months before enumeration, 15.4% of the establishments had ordered or purchased goods, services or information through electronic means, up by 3.7 percentage points over 2004. Electronic means included Internet, Interactive Response System through telephone lines/mobile telecommunications network and designated private network.
About 52.3% of the establishments had received goods, services or information through electronic means, about the same as in 2004. In the Establishment Survey, goods received through electronic means were only restricted to those products that could be transmitted through electronic media, such as software packages and songs. Browsing information on the Internet was also regarded as receiving information through electronic means.
The percentage of establishments having sold goods, services or information through electronic means increased from 1.3% to 1.8%. In the survey, an establishment was regarded to have sold its goods, services or information through electronic means only if it offered them and accepted orders or purchases that were placed completely through electronic means.
About 15.7% of the establishments had delivered their goods, services or information through electronic means, 0.4 percentage point higher than that in 2004.
The total amount of business receipts received from selling goods, services or information through electronic means in 2004 was estimated at HK$27.6 billion, representing a 30.2% increase over the $21.2 billion receipts received in 2003.
Commentary
The survey results of this year revealed that the penetration and usage of PC and Internet in the households had been maintained at a high level. Hong Kong is now one of the cities with the highest PC and broadband penetration in the world. There is also a noticeable increase in the use of e-government services by the public. It is encouraging to see Hong Kong becoming a digitally inclusive society. The Government will continue to collaborate with IT bodies and non-government organisations to encourage different sectors of the community to adopt IT.
The survey also revealed that PC and Internet usage in the business sector had increased steadily, indicating an upward trend of IT penetration in the business sector, with fairly high PC and internet penetration rates among our large and medium establishments. There is also a noticeable increase in the use of PC and Internet among small establishments. Among the major sectors, the high penetration rates in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector reflect Hong Kong's competitiveness in its key economic sectors. Moreover, there had been a considerable growth of 30.2% in monetary terms in the business receipts from selling goods, services or information through electronic means from $21.2 billion in 2003 to $27.6 billion in 2004. Other e-commerce activities such as ordering/purchase and receipt of goods, services or information through electronic means in the business sector had also maintained a steady growth over the past year. We are glad to see the wider adoption of IT within the business sector.
The Government will continue with its efforts and strive to help the industry, especially the small and medium enterprises, to exploit the full potential and benefits of IT in advancing their business interests. Since 2004, six different industry sectors, namely travel agents, private medical doctors, drugstores, logistics, accounting and beauty services providers, have benefited under the sector-specific programmes launched by the Government to encourage the wider adoption of IT and e-commerce. The Government will launch similar programmes for other business sectors in future so that the SMEs can derive more benefits through IT adoption. Under the next wave of e-government, we are determined to serve the community by setting up a new One-Stop Access Portal in mid 2006 to facilitate better access to e-government services.
Background information
The Household Survey was based on a scientific sample of households that represent the population of Hong Kong. The survey successfully enumerated some 10 100 households, within which some 28 100 persons aged 10 and over were interviewed.
The Establishment Survey was based on a sample of some 4 700 establishments covering all industry sectors except the agriculture and fishing sector and the mining and quarrying sector. Specifically, the following industry sectors were covered: manufacturing; electricity and gas; construction; wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels; transport, storage and communications; financing, insurance, real estate and business services; and community, social and personal services.
The establishments were classified according to their employment size as at end-March 2005 as large, medium and small establishments. Large establishments referred to establishments with 100 or more persons engaged for the manufacturing sector, and 50 or more persons engaged for other industry sectors. Small establishments referred to those with less than 10 persons engaged regardless of sector. The others were regarded as medium establishments.
Since results of the surveys are subject to both sampling and non-sampling errors, care should be taken in comparing the 2004 and the 2005 figures, as a minor difference might not necessarily be statistically significant.
More detailed results of the Household Survey and the Establishment Survey are set out in the "Thematic Household Survey Report No. 23: Information Technology Usage and Penetration" and the "Report on 2005 Annual Survey on Information Technology Usage and Penetration in the Business Sector" respectively. The two reports are both in bilingual form.
The above publications are now available for sale. The print version and download version (in PDF format) of the Household Survey Report is for sale at HK$95.0 and HK$71.3 per copy respectively, while the print version and download version of the Establishment Survey Report is for sale at HK$39.0 and HK$29.3 respectively. It can be purchased online at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (http://www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk) or by completing and returning an order form which can be downloaded from the website of C&SD (http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/eng/prod_serv/forms_index.html). Purchase in person can be made at the Publications Unit* of the C&SD (Address: 19/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; Tel.: 2582 3025). Besides, a summary of the results of the two surveys is also available on the "Digital 21" website (http://www.info.gov.hk/digital21).
The attached tables summarize the key results of the two surveys. Enquiries about the results of the surveys may be directed to the Science and Technology Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2887 5138).
* [In mid-December 2005 when the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC6) is to be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, there will be a number of block-off and traffic diversion arrangements in the Wan Chai North area. Special security measures will be put in place in the Wanchai Tower where offices of the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), including its Publications Sales Centre, are located.
To facilitate the purchase of the C&SD publications during the MC6 period, a temporary publications sales centre will be operated on 5/F of Fortress Tower, 250 King's Road, North Point, from 8 December to 20 December 2005. During this period, the C&SD Publications Sales Centre on 19/F of Wanchai Tower will suspend its service and will resume operation on 21 December 2005 (Wednesday).
Apart from the C&SD Publications Sales Centre, the C&SD publications are also available for sale at the Publications Sales Unit of the Information Services Department at Room 402, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central.]
Ends/Friday, December 9, 2005
Issued at HKT 14:00
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