HKLNA Project - Graphs 93a, 93b Distribution of computers across households by age and income group (Age 15 and over)

data collection index (data | graphs | tables)

English or languish - Probing the ramifications
of Hong Kong's language policy

Quality Assessment
Hong Kong's Information Society
The structure, flow, use, and language of information in Hong Kong society

Household computers and internet access in Hong Kong
Closing the household computer and internet access gaps in 2003

Percent of all households with a computer by age of household head and income group (Ages 15 to 44) - Line Graph

Note 1: Each data point represents the fraction of households of a particular household age and income group at the time the survey was taken. Age refers to the age of the household head, not the average age of its members. Income is measured in Hong Kong dollars per month.

Note 2: This graph can be read by comparing the relative position of each age group by its level of income (a vertical reading of differently colored dots) or by comparing the relative position of each income group according to the age of its household head (a horizontal reading of dots of the same color).

Note 3: Reading across the under HK$10,000 and between HK$10,000 and HK$19,999 income groups shows a marked decline in each for the age group 25-34. This can be explained by what likely occurs when a child leaves home to start his own househld. Very young households (age 15-24) are probably students living at a college or university, or self-employed, single, young adults who are well-supported by their parents. This group differs significantly from their older counterparts (age 25-34), who are likely married and have started a family of their own. Only after several years do the children of these older households beome of age, and the need for, and the ability of their parents to afford, a computer becomes possible. In many cases computer ownership is never realized. In contrast, about 90% of all households income brackets HK20,000 or above host a computer no matter the age of the household head.

Note 4: "Personal computers refers to a computer designed for individual use. Personal computers includes desktop computer, laptop/notebook computer and Personal Digital Assistant. Servers, workstations and terminals of mainframe or minicomputer are not included. Personal computers may be connected to form a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN)." Source: Hong Kong Government. Census and Statistics Department. Information Technology and Telecommunications Statistics Section. 2003. Hong Kong as an Information Society. Appendix A - Terms and Definitions 1.3, p. 115. Comment: An email from the Social Survey Section of CSD confirmed that both sections used the same definition for the term personal computer in their respective reports.

Source: Hong Kong Government. Census and Statistics Department. Social Surveys Section. 2003. Thematic Household Survey. Information Technology Usage and Penetration. Data obtained by special request from the Social Surveys Section. EARTH's copy of the corresponding table is available on request.

Percent of all households with a computer by age of household head and income group (Age 45 and older) - Line Graph

Note 3: After age 54 there is a general decline in the number of households with a computer. This probably has more to do with the age of the technology than the age of household heads. The apparent rise for the HK$40,000 to HK$49,999 income group is probably due to sampling error. In any case, the households of the two lowest income groups are clearly disadvantage at all ages.

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