SINGAPORE - The latest census exercise kicked off on Tuesday (Feb 4) with some 150,000 families selected for the national survey.

Included in the count will be Singaporeans of all ages and foreigners living here, as well as Singaporeans who are studying, working or staying overseas.

For the first time, data will be collected on people with difficulty performing basic activities - such as hearing people speak and remembering things - for the compilation of disability-related statistics.

This time around, people chosen for the survey will also be able to submit their responses on their mobile phones, with a new mobile-friendly version of the survey forms being introduced.

Meanwhile, interviewers doing the surveys face to face will use mobile tablets to collect the responses, to better ensure the security of the data and also ensure greater accuracy.

Announcing the start of the exercise on Tuesday, the Department of Statistics (DOS) said the census will be taken over a period of six to nine months.

The Census of Population is the largest national survey undertaken in Singapore and is conducted once every 10 years to collect information on key characteristics of the population. This includes data on demographic, social, economic and employment issues, as well as on housing, transportation and education, among other things.

Basic characteristics of the population such as age, sex and ethnic group are obtained from official administrative records, while additional information such as language literacy and language spoken at home, for instance, will be collected in the survey.

The DOS said that the information collected "are important inputs for policy formulation and review, and for planning of programmes and services for the community".

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For instance, the information on people who have difficulty performing basic activities could allow the Government to gauge the proportion of people who need help and plan for support services.

People will also be asked questions such as how much time they take to get to work, and this could inform the planning of the transport system.

Census exercises are conducted in many countries around the world, and the information collected can also be used for comparative studies.

Selected households can submit their census survey forms via the Internet, telephone or through face-to-face interviews.

Under the Statistics Act (Chapter 317), participation is compulsory, said the DOS.

It added that all information provided will also be kept confidential in accordance with the Act.

"The cooperation of households in submitting their completed survey returns is crucial to the successful conduct of Census of the Population 2020. DOS looks forward to the participation of all selected households," it said.

All households chosen for the survey will receive a notification letter from the DOS between this month and July, together with a token of appreciation for their participation.

Some 33,000 of the households will be surveyed via the Manpower Ministry's Comprehensive Labour Force Survey, which will cover the census questions.

This year's census will be the sixth after Singapore's independence in 1965, and the 15th since census-taking started in Singapore in 1871.

From 2000 to 2010, the proportion of people who choose to submit their forms via the Internet grew from 15 per cent to 38 per cent.

Those who have questions can call the toll-free DOS hotline on 1800-236-2020 or e-mail census2020@singstat.gov.sg