Statistics now available for sale
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The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (October 21) the October 2005 issue of the Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics (HKMDS).
In this issue, two feature articles entitled "Comparing Hong Kong's International Investment Position with Selected Economies, 2004" and "Development of Trade in Services of Hong Kong" are included.
"Comparing Hong Kong's International Investment Position with Selected Economies, 2004"
International investment position (IIP) is a balance sheet showing an economy's stock of external financial assets and liabilities at a particular time point.
This feature article compares the IIP statistics of Hong Kong for the year 2004 with those of selected economies, which include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
At end-2004, Hong Kong's net IIP was US$430.3 billion. This indicates that Hong Kong was a net creditor economy. This figure compared favourably with the net IIP statistics of the selected economies.
For enquiries about this feature article, please call the Balance of Payments Branch (1), C&SD (Tel.: 2116 8686).
"Development of Trade in Services of Hong Kong"
With the structural change in the Hong Kong economy, the service industries of Hong Kong are increasing in significance. Being an externally oriented and service-based economy, Hong Kong is an important centre not only for trade in goods, but also for trade in services.
This feature article analyses the latest development and trend of trade in services of Hong Kong, particularly the exports of services relating to offshore trade. It also introduces the shares of Hong Kong's trade in services in the world, and the enhancements made in the related statistics compilation in Hong Kong in response to the global development in trade in services statistics.
To tie in with the international development in national accounts statistics compilation, the C&SD completed an exercise to implement the latest international guidelines on dealing with financial intermediation services provided by banks in the estimation of national accounts statistics of Hong Kong in mid-August 2005. As a result of this statistical development, Hong Kong's trade in services statistics have also been enhanced to incorporate the exports and imports of financial intermediation services, which are indirectly measured using the "reference rate" method.
For enquiries about this feature article, please call the Trade in Services Statistics Section, C&SD (Tel.: 2802 1350).
The October 2005 issue of the HKMDS is now on sale at HK$77 per issue. Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing over 130 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population and vital events; labour; external trade; industrial production; land, housing, building and construction; transport, communications and tourism; public accounts, money and finance; prices; commerce; social conditions; energy; and national income and Balance of Payments. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available.
Both print version (full version only) and download version (in PDF format for the full version as well as selected sections and individual feature articles) of the HKMDS can be purchased online at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (http://www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk). Download version of the HKMDS can be purchased at 75% of its original price exclusively at the online Statistical Bookstore. Print versions if purchased online are also offered a discount, at 85% of their original prices at the Statistical Bookstore as well as the Government Bookstore (http://www.isd.gov.hk/eng/bookorder.htm).
For purchase of print version, this can be done through mail order by returning a completed order form which can be downloaded from the C&SD's website (http://www.info.gov.hk/censtatd/eng/prod_serv/forms_index.html). Purchase can also be made in person at the Publications Unit of the C&SD (Address : 19/F Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; Tel.: 2582 3025). Print version of the Digest is also put for sale at selected Post Offices (enquiry hotline: 2921 2222).
Selected sections of the HKMDS are available for purchase online. In order to better meet the needs of readers who are interested in official statistics of specific subject areas, the 13 sections of the Digest are grouped into four sections: (i) Population, Labour and Social Statistics; (ii) External Trade, Commerce and Industry and Energy Statistics; (iii) Housing, Transport, Communications and Tourism Statistics; and (iv)¡@Money and Finance, National Income, Balance of Payments and Price Statistics. Besides, feature articles in each issue can be purchased separately. Selected sections and individual feature articles are only available in download versions, the feature articles are priced at HK$11 each and the selected sections from HK$16 to HK$20 each.
Enquiries about the contents of the HKMDS can be directed to the General Statistics Section (1)B of the C&SD (Tel.: 2582 4738).
Ends/Friday, October 21, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:00
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