The 2001 Population Census will be conducted from 23 August until 1 September to collect information from all households in Macau for future policy planning.

Some 2,800 census officers will visit all households in the territory to collect questionnaires and conduct interviews during the 10-day period.

About 20% of the households were sampled for detailed enquiry. Individual members in these households would be required to answer questions on the questionnaire during home visit while the rest will be requested to fill a short questionnaires for collection upon the visit of census officers.

All the data collected regarding individual person and households will be kept strictly confidential and not to be released to any parties. All questionnaires will be destroyed within 12 months after the census is completed.

The acting director of the Statistics and Census Service said that the purposes of population census are to collect the latest figures on population, society, households, etc., adding that the information collected in the population census is vital to the SAR government in setting future plans and policies, particularly in resources allocation.

Initial result will be announced at the end of December. Further detailed result will be proclaimed continually from March next year.