HONG KONG, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will conduct a large-scale population census that cover the whole population in Hong Kong from June to August in 2021, a HKSAR government official said on Sunday.

Paul Chan, financial secretary of the HKSAR government, said in his blog that the census will enable the HKSAR government to compile information on the social and economic characteristics of the Hong Kong population.

With the latest and comprehensive data of Hong Kong and a clearer picture of the society's situation, the HKSAR government can formulate policies and allocate resources in a more responsive way to align with the development of the society and better meet people's needs, he said.

As the COVID-19 epidemic may bring uncertainty to the census work, Chan said, the Census and Statistics Department of the HKSAR government will further enhance the use of information technology for data collection.

Since 1961, it has become an established practice for Hong Kong to conduct a population census every ten years and a by-census in the middle of the intercensal period. Population censuses were conducted in 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011 while population by-censuses in 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996 and 2006.