Options for marital status in Hong Kong's census will be never been married, married, widowed, divorced and separated. There won't be separate boxes for same-sex relationship or same-sex cohabitation in the 2016 census, Apple Daily reports.

The reason given by the Census and Statistics Department (CSD) said most respondents might be reluctant to disclose same-sex marriage or relationship status in the presence of family members.

CSD argue that no data is better than inaccurate data.

However, a same-sex option was included in the 2011 census, with 7,495 families of same-sex people not related by blood recored.

CSD deputy commissioner Stephen Leung said the decision not to introduce new marital status options for same-sex relationship, same-sex cohabitation or third gender was made after consultations with government departments and social welfare organizations.

LGBT rights group in the Special Administrative Region have hit out against the ruling, claiming it is denying LGBT access to policy formation by the government.