Nov 5, 2019
Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute Press Conference – Press Materials
POP releases people’s appraisal of policy areas of the government
Special Announcement
The predecessor of Hong Kong Public Opinion Program (HKPOP) was The Public Opinion Programme at The University of Hong Kong (HKUPOP). “POP” in this release can refer to HKPOP or its predecessor HKUPOP.
Abstract
POP successfully interviewed 519 Hong Kong residents by random telephone survey conducted by real interviewers in the second half of October. Results show that the latest net satisfaction rates of all five specific policy areas of the HKSAR Government are negative. Among them, the government’s performance in handling its relation with the Central Government has attained the highest net satisfaction rate, at negative 43 percentage points. The government’s performance in protecting human rights and freedom, maintaining economic prosperity, its pace of democratic development and its performance in improving people’s livelihood followed, attaining net satisfaction rates of negative 45, negative 54, negative 55 and negative 57 percentage points respectively. Compared with the figures in December 2018, the net satisfaction rates of all policy areas have dropped dramatically. Among them, the net satisfaction rate of the performance in maintaining economic prosperity has registered record low since July 2003, while the net satisfaction rates of the other four policy areas even registered historical lows since records began in 1997. The effective response rate of the survey is 68.3%. The maximum sampling error of percentages is +/-4%, that of net values is +/-7% and that of ratings is +/-0.1 at 95% confidence level.
Contact Information
| Date of survey | : | 24-28/10/2019 |
| Survey method | : | Random telephone survey conducted by real interviewers |
| Target population | : | Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above |
| Sample size | : | 519 (including 259 landline and 260 mobile samples) |
| Effective response rate[1] | : | 68.3% |
| Sampling error[2] | : | Sampling error of percentages not more than +/-4%, that of net values not more than +/-7% and that of ratings not more than +/-0.1 at 95% confidence level |
| Weighting method | : | Rim-weighted according to figures provided by the Census and Statistics Department. The gender-age distribution of the Hong Kong population came from “Mid-year population for 2018”, while the educational attainment (highest level attended) distribution and economic activity status distribution came from “Women and Men in Hong Kong – Key Statistics (2018 Edition)”. |
Latest Figures
Recent figures on people’s appraisal of the five specific policy areas of the HKSAR Government are summarized as follows, in descending order of net satisfaction rates:
Date of survey | 19-22/6/17 | 18-19/12/17 | 14-21/6/18 | 17-20/12/18 | 24-28/10/19 | Latest change |
Sample size | 542-634 | 569-652 | 588-666 | 512-540 | 519 | — |
Response rate | 71.2% | 64.9% | 59.6% | 60.6% | 68.3% | — |
Latest findings | Finding | Finding | Finding | Finding | Finding & error | — |
| Relation with the Central Government: Satisfaction rate [3] | 37%[4] | 52%[4] | 52% | 56% | 17+/-3% | -40%[4] |
| Relation with the Central Government: Dissatisfaction rate[3] | 36% | 26%[4] | 33%[4] | 26%[4] | 60+/-4% | +34%[4] |
| Net satisfaction rate | 1% | 26%[4] | 19% | 31%[4] | -43+/-7% | -74%[4] |
| Mean value[3] | 2.9 | 3.3[4] | 3.2 | 3.4[4] | 2.1+/-0.1 | -1.3[4] |
| Protecting human rights and freedom: Satisfaction rate [3] | 36% | 36% | 36% | 35% | 22+/-4% | -13%[4] |
| Protecting human rights and freedom: Dissatisfaction rate[3] | 43%[4] | 44% | 49%[4] | 46% | 67+/-4% | +22%[4] |
| Net satisfaction rate | -7%[4] | -8% | -13% | -11% | -45+/-7% | -35%[4] |
| Mean value[3] | 2.8[4] | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.0+/-0.1 | -0.6[4] |
| Maintaining economic prosperity: Satisfaction rate [3] | 38% | 44%[4] | 46% | 48% | 14+/-3% | -35%[4] |
| Maintaining economic prosperity: Dissatisfaction rate [3] | 35% | 26%[4] | 35%[4] | 31% | 68+/-4% | +37%[4] |
| Net satisfaction rate | 2% | 18%[4] | 10%[4] | 17% | -54+/-6% | -71%[4] |
| Mean value[3] | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.0+/-0.1 | -1.2[4] |
| Pace of democratic development: Satisfaction rate [3] | 25% | 30%[4] | 29% | 34% | 15+/-3% | -19%[4] |
| Pace of democratic development: Dissatisfaction rate [3] | 52%[4] | 49% | 55%[4] | 50% | 70+/-4% | +20%[4] |
| Net satisfaction rate | -27% | -18%[4] | -26%[4] | -16% | -55+/-7% | -39%[4] |
| Mean value[3] | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.4[4] | 2.6 | 1.9+/-0.1 | -0.7[4] |
| Improving people’s livelihood: Satisfaction rate [3] | 26%[4] | 39%[4] | 34%[4] | 33% | 15+/-3% | -18%[4] |
| Improving people’s livelihood: Dissatisfaction rate [3] | 49% | 38%[4] | 47%[4] | 46% | 72+/-4% | +26%[4] |
| Net satisfaction rate | -22% | 1%[4] | -13%[4] | -13% | -57+/-6% | -44%[4] |
| Mean value[3] | 2.6 | 2.9[4] | 2.7[4] | 2.7 | 1.9+/-0.1 | -0.8[4] |
The latest net satisfaction rates of all five specific policy areas of the HKSAR Government are negative. Among them, the government’s performance in handling its relation with the Central Government has attained the highest net satisfaction rate, at negative 43 percentage points. The government’s performance in protecting human rights and freedom, maintaining economic prosperity, its pace of democratic development and its performance in improving people’s livelihood followed, attaining net satisfaction rates of negative 45, negative 54, negative 55 and negative 57 percentage points respectively. The mean values of these five specific policy areas range from 1.9 to 2.1, meaning close to “quite dissatisfied” in general. Compared with the figures in December 2018, the net satisfaction rates of all policy areas have dropped dramatically. Among them, the net satisfaction rate of the performance in maintaining economic prosperity has registered record low since July 2003, while the net satisfaction rates of the other four policy areas even registered historical lows since records began in 1997.
Opinion Daily
In 2007, POP started collaborating with Wisers Information Limited whereby Wisers supplies to POP a record of significant events of that day according to the research method designed by POP. These daily entries would then become “Opinion Daily” after they are verified by
POP.
For the polling items covered in this press release, the previous survey was conducted from 17 to 20 December, 2018 while this survey was conducted from 24 to 28 October, 2019. During this period, herewith the significant events selected from counting newspaper headlines and commentaries on a daily basis and covered by at least 25% of the local newspaper articles. Readers can make their own judgment if these significant events have any impacts to different polling figures:
| 28/10/19 | Journalists protest against police violence targeting journalists during police press conference. |
| 25/10/19 | The High Court grants an interim injunction to restrain unlawful publishing of the personal data of police officers and their family members. |
| 23/10/19 | Chan Tong-kai is released from prison. |
| 20/10/19 | Protests and conflicts between protestors and the police occur in Kowloon district. |
| 16/10/19 | Carrie Lam delivers the 2019 Policy Address. |
| 13/10/19 | Protests and conflicts between protestors and the police occur in multiple districts in Hong Kong. |
| 10/10/19 | Matthew Cheung announces police has arrested more than 2,000 people since the anti-extradition bill movement began. |
| 6/10/19 | Anti-mask law rally turns into conflicts between protestors and the police in multiple districts in Hong Kong. |
| 5/10/19 | Anti-mask law rally turns into conflicts between protestors and the police in multiple districts in Hong Kong. |
| 4/10/19 | The government officially enacts anti-mask law by invoking emergency law. |
| 1/10/19 | Protests and conflicts between protestors and the police occur in multiple districts in Hong Kong, the police shoots a protester with a live bullet in Tsuen Wan. |
| 29/9/19 | Anti-totalitarianism rally turns into conflicts between protestors and the police in multiple districts in Hong Kong. |
| 28/9/19 | The Civil Human Rights Front organizes a rally at Tamar Park to commemorate 5th anniversary of Umbrella Movement. |
| 26/9/19 | Carrie Lam attends the first Community Dialogue session. |
| 22/9/19 | Protests and conflicts between protestors and the police occur in Shatin and multiple districts in Hong Kong. |
| 21/9/19 | Protests and conflicts between protestors and the police occur in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long. |
| 15/9/19 | Protest on Hong Kong Island turns into conflicts between protestors and the police. |
| 14/9/19 | Conflicts occur between people with the national flag and those against the extradition bill. |
| 8/9/19 | Rally in support of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act turns into conflicts between protestors and the police. |
| 7/9/19 | Anti-extradition bill protesters call for blocking the airport and nearby roads. |
| 4/9/19 | Carrie Lam announces the formal withdrawal of the extradition bill. |
| 3/9/19 | The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office holds a press conference regarding the anti-extradition bill movement. |
| 1/9/19 | Anti-extradition bill protesters hold a demonstration near Hong Kong International Airport. |
| 31/8/19 | Protests and conflicts between protestors and the police occur in multiple districts in Hong Kong. |
| 25/8/19 | Protest against extradition bill in Tsuen Wan turns into a conflict between protestors and the police, a police officer fires a warning shot into the air. |
| 24/8/19 | Protest against extradition bill in Kwun Tong turns into a conflict between protestors and the police. |
| 24/8/19 | MTR partially suspends train service due to protest against extradition bill. |
| 18/8/19 | The Civil Human Rights Front announces that around 1.7 million people participated in the rally against the extradition bill. |
| 15/8/19 | The government announces a series of relief measures, which will cost $19.1 billion. |
Data Analysis
The latest net satisfaction rates of all five specific policy areas of the HKSAR Government are negative. Among them, the government’s performance in handling its relation with the Central Government has attained the highest net satisfaction rate, at negative 43 percentage points. The government’s performance in protecting human rights and freedom, maintaining economic prosperity, its pace of democratic development and its performance in improving people’s livelihood followed, attaining net satisfaction rates of negative 45, negative 54, negative 55 and negative 57 percentage points respectively. Compared with the figures in December 2018, the net satisfaction rates of all policy areas have dropped dramatically. Among them, the net satisfaction rate of the performance in maintaining economic prosperity has registered record low since July 2003, while the net satisfaction rates of the other four policy areas even registered historical lows since records began in 1997.