Statistics

2009 Health Manpower Survey on Chiropractors

Key Findings

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1. The chiropractors covered in the 2009 HMS were chiropractors registered with the Chiropractors Council of Hong Kong under the Chiropractors Registration Ordinance (Chapter 428) as at the survey reference date - 31.8.2009.
2. The number of chiropractors covered in the 2009 HMS was 114.
3. Of the 114 registered chiropractors covered, 93 had responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 81.6%. Of the 93 responding chiropractors, 83 (89.2%) were economically active*† (active) while ten (10.8%) reported to be economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local chiropractic profession.
4. Of the 83 active chiropractors, 80 (96.4%) active chiropractors were practising in the local chiropractic profession and three (3.6%) were seeking job in the local chiropractic profession.
5. The survey findings presented below were based on the 80 responding chiropractors who were practising in the local chiropractic profession as at 31.8.2009. As some questionnaires contained missing information, percentages presented below may not add up to 100%.
   1. Of the 80 active chiropractors enumerated, 55 (68.8%) were male and 25 (31.3%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio of 220 (males per 100 females). The median age of the 80 active chiropractors enumerated was 40.5 years.
   2. Distribution by sector of the main job§ showed that the 80 active chiropractors enumerated were working in the private sector. Among them, 49 (61.3%) were in solo practice and 31 (38.8%) were in group practice.
   3. The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 80 active chiropractors enumerated was 40.0 hours. Eight (10.0%) chiropractors were required to undertake on-call duty in their posts, with a median of 8.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week.
   4. 79 (98.8%) chiropractors spend most of their working time on service in chiropractic
6. Ten inactive chiropractors reported practising overseas / in the Mainland.

* In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.

† “Economically active” chiropractors comprised all “employed” and “unemployed” chiropractors. “Employed” chiropractors referred to those chiropractors practising in the chiropractic profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while “unemployed” chiropractor referred to the chiropractor who (a) was not practising in the chiropractic profession during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local chiropractic profession during the 30 days before the survey.

‡ “Economically inactive” chiropractors comprised the responding chiropractors who were not practising in the chiropractic profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, but excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and those who were economically active but “unemployed”.

§ Main job referred to the jobs in which the chiropractors had spent most of their working time.

Activity Status of Chiropractors Covered

Of the 114 chiropractors covered, 93 (81.6%) had responded to the survey, while the remaining 21 (18.4%) had not responded. Among the respondents, 83 (89.2%) were active in the local chiropractic profession while ten (10.8%) reported to be inactive in the local chiropractic profession.

Among the 83 active chiropractors, 80 (96.4%) were practising in the local chiropractic profession and three (3.6%) were seeking job in the chiropractic profession.

Of the ten (10.8%) inactive chiropractors, all of them reported practising overseas / in the Mainland in the chiropractic profession.

Department of Health
The Government of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region
31 May 2010