BEIJING -- Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Tuesday called for more efforts to prepare for China's third economic census.

He made the remarks during a meeting on preparation work for the census, which will kick off on Dec. 31, 2013.

The census will collect basic information on the industrial and service sectors, as well as comprehensive economic changes, Zhang said.

The census will be a key survey of China's conditions and serve as a fundamental tool to improve decision-making and management, Zhang said.

China's economy has developed steadily over the last five years, with changes in its structure and development, Zhang said.

The economy is facing complex challenges and it will be difficult to shift its development mode and restructure industries, Zhang said.

He said the census will help to solve deep problems and improve the quality and efficiency of economic growth.

Zhang said the census must be accurate, adding that census planning should be improved, businesses should be fully covered and illegal practices like providing false information should be forbidden.

The census has been conducted once every five years. It is used to collect information on Chinese enterprises, clarify the layout and scale of the industrial and service sectors and probe new industries.