HKU POP SITE releases latest findings of people's appraisal of society's current conditionsBack


Press Release on October 6, 2005
 

The Public Opinion Programme (POP) at the University of Hong Kong today releases on schedule via the "HKU POP SITE" (http://hkupop.pori.hk) the latest findings of people's appraisal of society's current conditions. As a general practice, our figures have been weighted according to the gender-age distribution of the Hong Kong population obtained from the 2001 Population Census, and are summarized as follows:

 
 Date of survey 13-15/9/04 6-9/12/04 14-17/3/05 6-8/6/05 26-29/9/05 Latest change
 Sample base 1,023 1,007 1,017 1,029 1,027 --
 Overall response rate 64.4% 67.8% 63.5% 66.0% 61.2% --
 Sampling error of ratings(at 95% conf. level)*  -- -- +/- 0.14 @ +/- 0.14 @ +/- 0.14 @ --
 Sampling error of percentages (at 95% conf. level)* +/- 3% +/- 3% +/- 3% +/- 3% +/- 3% --
 Most concerned with economic problems 65% 59% 61% 61% 51% -10%
 Most concerned with social problems 21% 30% 21% 24% 42% +18%
 Most concerned with political problems 8% 6% 10% 6% 5% -1%
 Rating on concern for economic problems -- -- 7.33 7.16 7.23 +0.07
 Rating on concern for social problems -- -- 6.92 6.89 7.09 +0.20
 Rating on concern for political problems -- -- 5.83 5.68 5.66 -0.02
 Current economic condition: Satisfaction rate** 14% 12% 27% 26% 35% +9%
 Current economic condition: Dissatisfaction rate** 55% 49% 31% 34% 29% -5%
 Current social condition: Satisfaction rate** 28% 23% 33% 30% 46% +16%
 Current social condition: Dissatisfaction rate** 39% 38% 29% 33% 21% -12%
 Current political condition: Satisfaction rate** 17% 16% 21% 22% 42% +20%
 Current political condition: Dissatisfaction rate** 47% 42% 40% 36% 22% -14%
 Regarded economic condition has become better in the last 3 years 45% -- 68% -- 75% +7%^
 Regarded economic condition has become worse in the last 3 years 31% -- 12% -- 9% -3%^
 Regarded social condition has become better in the last 3 years 28% -- 46% -- 60% +14%^
 Regarded social condition has become worse in the last 3 years 43% -- 26% -- 15% -11%^
 Regarded political condition has become better in the last 3 years 23% -- 34% -- 60% +26%^
 Regarded political condition has become worse in the last 3 years 43% -- 32% -- 12% -20%^
 Expected economic condition to become better in 3 years' time 49% -- 53% -- 61% +8%^
 Expected economic condition to become worse in 3 years' time 16% -- 8% -- 10% +2%^
 Expected social condition to become better in 3 years' time 38% -- 45% -- 54% +9%^
 Expected social condition to become worse in 3 years' time 22% -- 13% -- 13% --^
 Expected political condition to become better in 3 years' time 35% -- 38% -- 51% +13%^
 Expected political condition to become worse in 3 years' time 24% -- 18% -- 9% -9%^

* "95% confidence level" means that if we were to repeat a certain survey 100 times, using the same questions each time but with different random samples, we would expect 95 times getting a figure within the error margins specified.
** Collapsed from a 5-point scale.
^ The polling cycles for these items are different from the rest. Comparisons, if made, should be synchronized using the same cycle.
 @ Erratum: The error margins reported in the original release were mis-typed.

 

The survey conducted in late September showed that 51% of the respondents were most concerned with economic problems, 42% with social problems, while 5% attached their greatest concern to political problems. Using a scale of 0-10 marks, the ratings of people's concern over economic, social and political problems were 7.23, 7.09 and 5.66 marks correspondingly. Meanwhile, people's satisfaction rates with the current economic, social and political conditions were 35%, 46% and 42% in respective order. Regarding people's appraisal of Hong Kong's development, 75%, 60% and 60% respectively considered our economic, social and political conditions have improved in the last 3 years, while 61%, 54% and 51% respectively believed they would become better in 3 years' time.

 

Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, observed, "With the onset of a milder political climate, coupled with an increase in the popularity of the government, people's satisfaction with society's current conditions have all increased. Our latest survey registered an increase of 20 percentage points in people's satisfaction with the current political condition, and 16 percentage points for social condition. Both satisfaction rates now stand near 45%, but that for economic condition remains relatively low at 35%. Looking ahead, over 50% believed that Hong Kong's political, economic and social conditions will improve. All of them are record highs, a rare phenomenon in recent years. In other words, although people are still far from fully satisfied with the current situations, their optimism is unparalleled in recent years."

 

POP's normal practice is to release the results of our regular surveys every Tuesday at 2 pm via our POP Site, except during public holidays, each time with a forecast of the items to be released in the forthcoming week. We will review and adjust this operation regularly. Since next Tuesday is a public holiday, the date and time of our next release will be October 10, 2005, Monday, at 2 pm, when our latest survey on people's expectations for the coming Policy Address will be released. Besides, since CE Donald Tsang will announce his first Policy Address on October 12, Wednesday, we will release the latest popularity figures of Donald Tsang and people's instant reactions towards the Policy Address the next day (October 13, Thursday) at 2 pm.

 

Shall anyone have any question regarding the research design of the surveys published in the POP Site, members of the POP Team will be happy to answer them, but we will not further comment on the findings. Shall any person or journalist have any other questions, please email them to us at <[email protected]>. The Director of Public Opinion Programme would answer them as soon as possible. We will keep such an arrangement under constant review, suggestions most welcome. Please note that everything carried in the POP Site does not represent the stand of the University of Hong Kong. Dr Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, is responsible for everything posted herewith, except for column articles which represent the stand of their authors.