According to the results of the 2021 Annual Survey of Economic Activities – Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors released today (November 29) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the construction sector's total receipts (comprising gross value of construction works performed and other business receipts) amounted to $396.1 billion in 2021, representing an increase of 1.2% over 2020; on a per establishment basis, total receipts was $15.2 million in 2021, increased by 0.5% over 2020.

     Operating expenses and compensation of employees of the construction sector altogether amounted to $367.0 billion in 2021, representing an increase of 3.7% over 2020; on a per establishment basis, they were $14.0 million in 2021, increased by 3.0% over 2020.

     Gross surplus of the construction sector, which is equal to total receipts less operating expenses and compensation of employees, decreased by 22.5% compared with 2020 to $29.2 billion in 2021; on a per establishment basis, gross surplus decreased by 23.1% compared with 2020, to $1.1 million in 2021. Gross surplus accounted for 7.4% of total receipts in 2021, down by 2.3 percentage points compare with 2020.

     Industry value added of the construction sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, increased by 5.5% over 2020 to $114.6 billion in 2021; on a per establishment basis, the industry value added was $4.4 million in 2021, representing an increase of 4.7% over 2020.

     In 2021, there were some 26 100 establishments in the construction sector, which directly engaged about 177 800 persons, or an average of 6.8 persons per establishment.

     The survey did not cover labour-only sub-contractors that mainly supplied labour to work on a job-to-job basis, owing to practical consideration in data collection. The employment figures above mainly covered direct employees of the construction establishments and did not reflect the labour input through the sub-contracting activities of labour-only sub-contractors.

     Apart from the construction sector, the survey also enumerated establishments engaged in real estate activities; and architectural, surveying and engineering services.

     Total receipts (comprising gross margin of real estate development projects, service and rental income and other business receipts) of establishments engaged in the real estate activities (including real estate development, real estate leasing, real estate brokerage and agency, and real estate maintenance management) amounted to $179.6 billion in 2021, representing an increase of 2.7% over 2020. Operating expenses and compensation of employees altogether amounted to $86.8 billion in 2021, representing an increase of 9.5% over 2020. Gross surplus decreased by 3.9% compared with 2020 to $86.0 billion in 2021. Gross surplus accounted for 47.9% of total receipts in 2021, down by 3.3 percentage points compared with 2020. Industry value added increased by 7.3% over 2020 to $120.6 billion in 2021.

     In 2021, the real estate activities comprised some 11 000 establishments and engaged about 122 900 persons, or an average of 11.2 persons per establishment.

     The total number of private real estate projects ever operated in 2021 was 254.  As at end-2021, 201 projects, which were expected to provide a total 7.6 million square metres of gross floor area of buildings when completed, were still under construction. Among them, 14% were on Hong Kong Island, 38% in Kowloon and 48% in the New Territories and outlying islands.

     The survey excluded establishments which developed real estate projects for their own use as well as those which owned land but had not developed it during the reference year. 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) were also not covered in the survey.

     Total receipts (comprising service income and other business receipts) of establishments engaged in the architectural, surveying and engineering services amounted to $25.2 billion in 2021, representing an increase of 2.2% over 2020. Operating expenses and compensation of employees altogether amounted to $21.9 billion in 2021, which were largely the same as that in 2020. Gross surplus increased by 19.7% over 2020 to $3.3 billion in 2021. Gross surplus accounted for 13.2% of total receipts in 2021, up by 1.9 percentage points over 2020. Industry value added increased by 7.8% over 2020 to $17.8 billion in 2021.

     In 2021, the architectural, surveying and engineering services comprised some 2 400 establishments and engaged about 27 100 persons, or an average of 11.4 persons per establishment.

     Selected statistics for the building, construction and real estate sectors, with breakdowns by industry grouping, are shown in the attached table.

     More detailed survey results on the building, construction and real estate sectors will be given in the report "Key Statistics on Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors in 2021". Users can download this report at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080011&scode=330) as from end-December 2022.

     For enquiries about the key statistics on business performance and operating characteristics of the building, construction and real estate sectors, please contact the Construction and Miscellaneous Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6964; email: building@censtatd.gov.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:30

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