Hong Kong has decided Not to include Gay and Lesbians Couples in the 2016 Census

Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department (CSD) is opting to leave same-sex couples off next year’s census, arguing that since some will be too afraid to disclose their relationship in front of family members, the data will be inaccurate. No data is better than inaccurate data on the makeup of Hong Kong’s population, they claim.

During the last census in 2011, they recorded that there were 7,495 people living in a same-sex household that were not blood relatives in 2011. The total population of HongKong is 7.188 million.

CSD deputy commissioner Stephen Leung said the decision not to record same-sex relations was made in consultation with government departments and social welfare organizations.

Leung said census data had to be accurate if it was going to be useful in formulating government policy and the CSD believes most gay and lesbian couples would not disclose their relationship in front of relatives.

People will only be able to record their relationship status as ‘never been married, married, widowed, divorced or separated.’

A spokesperson for LGBT group Rainbow of Hong Kong, Chu-wing told how he personally knew of people who had tried to record their same-sex relationships during the last Hong Kong census in 2011 but were told they had submitted wrong information.

He said that it was excluding same-sex couples from the census that will undermine its accuracy, not asking them that question.