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According to the results of the 2007 Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors released today (November 28) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the gross output of the construction sector was $148.2 billion in 2007, representing an increase of 3.5% over 2006.
The gross operating surplus of the construction sector, which is equal to gross output less total operating expenditure, increased by 11.0% to $7.9 billion in 2007 as compared with 2006. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 5.3%, slightly higher than that of 5.0% in 2006.
The value added of the construction sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, was $42.4 billion in 2007, representing an increase of 6.2% over 2006.
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 $106.9 billion in 2007, representing an increase of 15.6% over 2006.
In 2007, the gross operating surplus of these establishments taken together rose by 16.7% from a year earlier to $63.9 billion. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 59.8%, higher than that of 59.2% in 2006.
The value added of these establishments taken together was $79.9 billion in 2007, representing a 17.4% increase from a year earlier.
In 2007, the total number of private building projects ever operated was 204. Among them, 67 were on Hong Kong Island, 72 in Kowloon and 65 in the New Territories and outlying islands. As at end-2007, 154 projects, which would together provide 7.0 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 2007 was $8.9 billion, representing an increase of 2.2% from a year earlier.
In 2007, the gross operating surplus of these establishments taken together decreased significantly by 24.8% from a year earlier to $0.7 billion. The proportion of gross operating surplus in gross output was 7.7%, lower than that of 10.4% in 2006.
In 2007, the value added of these establishments taken together was $5.8 billion, representing an increase of 2.9% from a year earlier.
The attached table shows the summary results of the survey.
The survey was conducted from January to October 2008. More detailed survey results will be given in the "Report on 2007 Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors".
The C&SD has recently conducted a review on the printing of statistical publications and has decided that the print version of "Report on Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors" will no longer be produced starting from this edition. Nevertheless, the publication is still available for downloading free of charge from the website of C&SD at (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/products/publications/statistical_report/index.jsp). Users can download the 2007 edition of the publication as from end December 2008.
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/Friday, November 28, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:32
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