September 2021 issue of "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" now available
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     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (September 15) the September 2021 issue of the "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" (HKMDS).

     Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains two feature articles entitled "Online purchases of households in Hong Kong" and "Statistics on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, 2010 to 2020". Statistics presented in the "Statistics on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, 2010 to 2020" article are based on the data source from the Social Welfare Department.

"Online purchases of households in Hong Kong"

     This feature article introduces the prevalence of online purchases among households in Hong Kong based on the findings of the 2019/20 Household Expenditure Survey conducted by the C&SD. The expenditure pattern of relevant households for online purchases of different types of commodities/services is also presented.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Price Statistics Branch, C&SD (Tel: 3903 7381; email: hes@censtatd.gov.hk).

"Statistics on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, 2010 to 2020"

     According to the data source from the Social Welfare Department, the total number of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) cases has decreased gradually at an average rate of 2.3% per annum in the past decade. The number of cases fell from about 280 000 as at the end of 2010 to about 220 000 as at the end of 2020. Larger extents of decrease were noted in low-earnings cases (-16.0% per annum on average) and unemployment cases (-4.2% per annum on average). There were 319 200 CSSA recipients as at the end of 2020, representing a drop of 31.5% when compared with that as at the end of 2010.

     This feature article describes the major changes in the number of CSSA cases and recipients during the period from 2010 to 2020.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Research and Statistics Section, Social Welfare Department (Tel: 2892 5225; email: rsenq@swd.gov.hk).

     Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 140 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460).

     Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).

Ends/Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Issued at HKT 16:00

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