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Housing in Figures 2008

Explanatory Notes
1. Mid-year Population figures are supplied by Census & Statistics Department (C&SD). Population figures before 1996 were compiled using the "extended de facto" approach. Population figures since 1996 were compiled using the "resident population" approach. Notwithstanding the change, the revised figures are broadly comparable with those of earlier years. As for Distribution of Population by Type of Housing, figures on public rental flats are compiled from administrative records of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HS). Figures on the rest of housing types are derived from the General Household Survey (GHS) conducted by C&SD, which covers the land-based non-institutional population of Hong Kong.
2. The proportion of population in Public Permanent Housing includes those in (i) public rental housing (PRH) flats and interim housing (IH) provided by HA; (ii) public rental housing flats and Senior Citizen Residences Scheme (SEN) flats provided by HS (SEN flats are offered on a 'Long Term Lease' basis and a lump sum consideration is payable for each SEN flat by the applicant); (iii) HA subsidized sale flats sold under the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS); (iv) HA subsidized sale flats under the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS), Middle Income Housing Scheme (MIHS), Buy or Rent Option Scheme (BRO) and Mortgage Subsidy Scheme (MSS); and (v) HS subsidized sale flats under the Flat-For-Sale Scheme (FFSS) and Sandwich Class Housing Scheme (SCHS). However, prior to 1st Quarter 1998, all population and household figures for the HS subsidized sale flats in (v) above were classified under private permanent housing as they were not separately identifiable under the old GHS system. From 1st Quarter 2002 onwards, HOS / MIHS / PSPS / TPS / FFSS / SCHS flats that can be traded in open market (i.e. flats sold prior to HOS Phase 3B or flats having paid off premiums) are classified as private permanent housing and are excluded from subsidized sale flats.
3. Private Permanent Housing includes (i) private flats built mainly for residential purposes; (ii) HS Urban Improvement Scheme flats (UIS); (iii) rental flats of Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation Limited; (iv) staff quarters purposely built / provided by government, hospitals, private companies, etc.; (v) villas, bungalows / modern village houses; and (vi) simple stone structures. From 1st Quarter 2002 onwards, HOS / MIHS / PSPS / TPS / FFSS / SCHS flats that can be traded in the open market are also included.
4. Public Temporary Housing includes HA cottage areas and temporary housing areas. All HA cottage areas and temporary housing areas were cleared in December 2001 and in July 2001 respectively. Private Temporary Housing includes roof-top structures, contractor's matsheds, nissen huts, huts and places not intended for residential purposes.
5. Land Domestic Household figures are supplied by C&SD and cover the land-based non-institutional population of Hong Kong. The classification of public permanent housing follows that in Note 2 while the classification of private permanent housing follows that in Note 3. Data sources are the same as Distribution of Population by Type of Housing in Note 1.
6. Elderly Households refer to households with all household members are of age 60 or above.
7. Public Permanent Housing Stock figures are based on HA and HS administrative records. They cover HA and HS rental and subsidized sale flats. Please refer to Note 2 for details.
8. The production and sale of HOS flats has ceased indefinitely since 2003, except for a small number of unsold and returned flats which will be sold to Green Form applicants after end 2006. Completed Surplus Stock includes buyback / rescinded cases, individual unsold flats and flats in unsold blocks / courts but excludes those HOS flats transferred to other usages.
9. Private Permanent Housing Stock figures are based on the Register of Quarters maintained by C&SD. Please refer to Note 3 for the coverage.
10. Floor Area of HA rental flats and HOS / PSPS flats is expressed in internal floor area and saleable area respectively. Internal floor area refers to area of a flat measured to the internal face of the flat's enclosing and / or party walls. Saleable area refers to area of a flat measured to the external face of the flat's enclosing walls and to the centre line of the flat's party walls.
11. Since May 2005, the housing type classifications of production of HA public housing have been revised as stated in notes 12-15 below.
12. HA Rental Housing Production figures include the production of PRH, IH and projects transferred from surplus HOS to PRH but exclude the production of projects built as rental housing but subsequently transferred to BRO / MSS housing.
13. HS Rental Housing Production figures include rental flats and SEN flats.
14. HA Sale Housing Production figures include the production of HOS, PSPS and BRO / MSS (which were mainly transferred from PRH). HOS production include unsold flats in partially sold courts but exclude 6 774 flats transferred to government quarters / private housing and 5 050 flats in surplus HOS courts pending disposal. Surplus HOS projects are counted as production according to their actual usage at the time they are disposed.
15. HS Sale Housing Production figures include the production of FFSS, SCHS and UIS flats.
16. Figure for 2000 / 01 - 2004 / 05 refers to the actual production figures. For projects which underwent transfer of usage, it will be classified according to its actual usage at completion. Except for projects which underwent transfer of usage, figure for 2005 / 06 - 2009 / 10 is based on the Public Housing Construction Programme as at September 2005 prepared by the Housing Department.
17. Figure for 2000 / 01 - 2004 / 05 refers to the actual number of affected households. Figure for 2005 / 06 - 2009 / 10 is based on the Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme as at 31 March 2005.
18. Figure for 2000 / 01 - 2004 / 05 refers to the actual number of affected households. Figures for 2005 / 06 - 2009 / 10 are based on planned clearance programmes as at 30 September 2005.
19. Figures exclude applicants joining the Rent Allowance for Elderly Scheme and Buy or Rent Option Scheme. Clearance includes Clearance from Squatter Areas / Temporary Housing Areas / Cottage Areas, Interim Housing / Temporary Housing Areas trawling and Urban Renewal Authority. Other Categories include 'emergency', 'compassionate', 'junior civil servants and pensioners', 'redemption of letters of assurance by estate assistants' and 'transfers and overcrowding relief'.
20. Home Ownership Rates refer to the proportion of occupied permanent living quarters which are owner-occupied by type of housing. These estimates are compiled from administrative records of HA and HS for public permanent housing and statistics available from various government departments for private permanent housing. For these estimates, the classification between public permanent housing and private permanent housing follows that for housing stock shown respectively in Notes 7 & 9.
21. Living Space is expressed in internal floor area. Please refer to Note 10 for details.
22. Figures on Rent of Private Flats are supplied by the Rating and Valuation Department and refer to market rent of fresh lettings of private residential flats with saleable area less than 70 sq.m.
23. Median Rent-to-Income Ratio is compiled from the rent and income data of rent-paying households in permanent housing (excluding HA interim housing and subsidized sale flats) obtained from GHS. Bonus and / or double pay is also counted as income.
24. To make up for reduction in HOS sale in September 2001, 12 000 HPLS quota was added to the initial 4 500 quota. Two batches, each of 6 000 additional quota, were offered in October 2001 and February 2002 respectively and the validity of the quota was extended to end 2002. Starting from 2003, Home Purchase Loan Scheme was replaced by Home Assistance Loan Scheme.
25. Green Form Applicants comprise mainly HA / HS tenants and the HA prospective tenants (e.g. Waiting List applicants, clearees and disaster victims, and junior civil servants applying under the Civil Service Public Housing Quota, etc.). White Form Applicants consist of households in private housing and non-tenancy holders in public housing. To be eligible, White Form Applicants must not own any domestic property and are subject to income and asset tests.
26. Price of Private Permanent Residential Flats which is annual averages is supplied by the Rating and Valuation Department on the basis of transactions which took place during the reference periods and have been scrutinized by the Department for stamp duty purposes. Only residential flats with saleable area less than 70 sq.m. are included.
27. Statistics prior to 1991 cover only land documents received for registration in the Urban Land Registry. From 1991 onwards, those in the eight New Territories Land Registries are also included.
28. Figures are supplied by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, Government Secretariat.
29. Figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.

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Last revision date: 9 February 2006