AN INVESTIGATION OF THE DOMESTIC HOUSING SITUATION as part of the seventh national census to be conducted next year is expected to provide comprehensive and accurate data for decision-makers. China Daily writer Wang Yiqing comments:

The State Council, China's Cabinet, recently announced that the country's seventh national population census will be carried out next year. The content of the census will include not only the personal information of citizens, such as their gender, age, education level, occupation and marriage, but also their housing situation, which has drawn much public attention.

The national population census is a significant national investigation of the basic conditions in the nation, and it provides data that are an important basis for policies aimed at improving people's livelihoods.

Facing people's concerns about their housing situation, the leading group of the State Council Seventh National Population Census responded by stating that the purpose of the investigation into the housing situation of residents is to investigate and verify the size of the population. The housing situation is a simple demographic investigation method that is widely adopted by various countries.

In fact, the fifth national census in 2000 investigated basic housing situations such as household average living area, and the sixth national census further investigated detailed housing information.

But the public's concerns about the investigation into the housing situation shows the significance of the housing issue to people's livelihoods. And the government needs comprehensive information about the actual housing situation nationwide because during the past years since the sixth national census, the housing situation has changed dramatically, and house prices have soared.

That's why the authority points out the seventh national census will help further improve the indicators of the national housing situation and better reflect people's current living situation. Various kinds of housing in urban and rural areas, such as commercial housing, rural homestead housing, shantytown housing and rental housing will be all incorporated into the national census this time.

The emphasis on investigating the housing situation shows the country's determination to solve people's housing problems and meet people's living needs. Through the census this time the government will gain a better understanding of the national housing situation, which is conducive to implementing real estate macro control policies, and better regulating the commercial housing market, the rural housing market and the rental housing market.