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Quarterly business receipts indices for service industries for the fourth quarter of 2011 and the whole year of 2011
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     Business receipts in value terms of more than half of major service industries showed increases of different magnitudes in the fourth quarter of 2011 when compared with the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the provisional figures of business receipts indices released today (March 9) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD).

     Comparing the fourth quarter of 2011 with the fourth quarter of 2010, double-digit increases were recorded in the business receipts of the retail (+23.3%); accommodation services (covering hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses and other establishments providing short term accommodation) (+13.7%); and wholesale industries (+12.8%).  Other major service industries that recorded apparent increases in business receipts included the courier (+8.7%); administrative and support services (+7.9%); information and communications (+7.9%); and food services (+7.4%) industries.

     On the other hand, the financing (except banking) industry recorded a significant year-on-year decrease of 21.6% in business receipts in the fourth quarter of 2011, continued to be affected by the European debt problems.  During the same period, the real estate industry registered a year-on-year decline of 10.4% in business receipts, mainly due to the consolidation of local residential property market.

     Analysed by service domain, business receipts of the tourism, convention and exhibition services domain increased considerably by 23.4% in the fourth quarter of 2011 when compared with the fourth quarter of 2010, mainly due to the marked growth in the number of incoming visitor arrivals and tourist spending in Hong Kong.  During the same period, business receipts of the computer and information technology services domain increased by 13.4%.   

     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, more than half of the major service industries recorded increases in business receipts in the fourth quarter of 2011 when compared with the third quarter of 2011.  The financing (except banking) recorded a notable increase of 18.5%, mainly due to the rebound in the business performance of investment banking.  On the other hand, amongst the few major service industries that recorded decreases in business receipts, the transportation industry recorded a more apparent decrease of 4.1%.

     Comparing the fourth quarter of 2011 with the third quarter of 2011, business receipts of the computer and information technology services domain increased by 10.5% while those of the tourism, convention and exhibition services domain decreased by 3.9% on a seasonally adjusted basis.

     For 2011 as a whole, most major service industries recorded year-on-year increases in business receipts.  More notable increases in business receipts were recorded in the retail (+24.9%);  accommodation services (+19.5%); and courier (+17.3%) industries.  On the other hand, the financing (except banking) and real estate industries recorded mild decreases in business receipts of 2.0% and 1.4% respectively.

     Analysed by service domain, business receipts of the tourism, convention and exhibition services domain in 2011 increased considerably by 22.2% over a year earlier, and those of the computer and information technology services domain increased by 10.4%.

     Table 1 presents the business receipts indices and their corresponding year-on-year rates of change in respect of selected service industries and service domains for the recent five quarters and the whole year 2011, while Table 2 shows the corresponding quarter-to-quarter rates of change in the business receipts indices based on the seasonally adjusted series.

     The revised figures of business receipts indices for the fourth quarter of 2011 will be released at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp) and relevant publications of the C&SD starting from April 20, 2012.

     Data for compiling the business receipts indices are mainly based on the Quarterly Survey of Service Industries conducted by the C&SD, supplemented by relevant data provided by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

     A service domain differs from a service industry in that it comprises those economic activities which straddle different industries but are somehow related to a common theme.  It may include all activities carried out by all establishments in a service industry that is closely related to the domain.  For a service industry that is less closely related, however, only a portion of the establishments in the industry or even only part of the economic activities of the establishments is related to the domain.  Taking the tourism, convention and exhibition services domain as an example, it includes all services of hotels and travel agents; and some (those involving visitors as customers) but not all of the services of restaurants, retailers and transport operators.

     The classification of service industries follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.  

     More detailed statistics are given in the report "Quarterly Business Receipts Indices for Service Industries, Fourth Quarter 2011".  Users can download this publication free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/products/publications/statistical_report/commerce_and_industry/index.jsp).

     Readers who have enquiries about the business receipts indices may contact the Business Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel.: 2802 1277 or e-mail: business-receipts@censtatd.gov.hk).

Ends/Friday, March 9, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:30

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