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According to the results of the 2006 Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors released today (November 27) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the gross output of the construction sector was $143.2 billion in 2006, representing an increase of 0.7% over 2005.
The gross operating surplus of the construction sector, which is equal to gross output less total operating expenditure, increased by 2.8% to $7.1 billion in 2006 as compared with 2005. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 5.0%, slightly higher than that of 4.9% in 2005.
The value added of the construction sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, was $40.0 billion in 2006, representing an increase of 1.7% over 2005.
The survey did not cover labour-only sub-contractors that mainly supplied labour to work on a job-to-job basis. However, the gross value of construction works performed by these sub-contractors had already been included in that performed by those contractors commissioning their services.
In addition to the construction sector, the survey also enumerated establishments engaged in real estate development, leasing, brokerage and maintenance management services; and architectural, surveying and project engineering services.
The gross output of establishments engaged in real estate development, leasing, brokerage and maintenance management services was $92.5 billion in 2006, representing an increase of 8.8% over 2005.
In 2006, the gross operating surplus of these establishments taken together rose by 16.3% from a year earlier to $54.8 billion. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 59.2%, higher than that of 55.4% in 2005.
The value added of these establishments taken together was $68.0 billion in 2006, representing a 12.2% increase from a year earlier.
In 2006, the total number of private building projects ever operated was 190. Among them, 64 were on Hong Kong Island, 68 in Kowloon and 58 in the New Territories and outlying islands. As at end-2006, 135 projects, which would together provide 6.7 million square metres gross floor area of buildings when completed, were still under construction.
The survey did not include establishments which developed real estate projects for their own use, nor did it include those which owned land but without developing it during the reference year. Also excluded were real estate leasing and other related activities undertaken by individuals or firms which engaged less than two persons (except for subsidiaries of real estate enterprises).
As regards establishments engaged in architectural, surveying and project engineering services, the gross output in 2006 was $8.7 billion, representing an increase of 1.6% from a year earlier.
In 2006, the gross operating surplus of these establishments taken together decreased by 3.5% from a year earlier to $0.9 billion. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 10.4%, slightly lower than that of 11.0% in 2005.
In 2006, the value added of these establishments taken together was $5.6 billion, representing a decrease of 3.0% from a year earlier.
The attached table shows the summary results of the survey.
The survey was conducted from January to October 2007. More detailed survey results will be given in the "Report on 2006 Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors". Users can download this survey report (in PDF format) free of charge at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/products/publications/index.jsp) as from early January 2008. Details on the release of the print version of the survey report will be announced later.
For enquiries about the survey results, please contact the Construction and Miscellaneous Services Statistics Section of the C&SD at telephone 2882 4684 or email building@censtatd.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:15
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