According to the results of the 2024 Annual Survey of Economic Activities – Import/Export, Wholesale and Retail Trades, and Accommodation and Food Services Sectors released today (November 28) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total receipts of the import/export, wholesale and retail trades, and accommodation and food services sectors amounted to $5,473.5 billion in 2024, representing an increase of 4.5% compared with 2023; on a per company basis, total receipts increased by 10.6% over 2023 to $38.7 million in 2024.
 
     Total operating expenditure (including operating expenses, cost of goods sold and compensation of employees) of the above sectors altogether amounted to $4,997.7 billion in 2024, representing an increase of 4.5% compared with 2023; on a per company basis, it increased by 10.6% over 2023 to $35.3 million in 2024.
 
     Gross surplus of the sectors, which is equal to total receipts less total operating expenditure, increased by 3.9% over 2023 to $475.7 billion in 2024; on a per company basis, gross surplus increased by 10.0% over 2023 to $3.4 million in 2024. For all these sectors taken together, gross surplus accounted for 8.7% of total receipts in 2024, similar to that in 2023.
 
     Industry value added of the sectors, which is a broad measure of their total contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, increased by 3.4% over 2023 to $649.1 billion in 2024; on a per company basis, industry value added increased by 9.5% over 2023 to $4.6 million in 2024.
 
     According to the survey results, it was estimated that the aforementioned sectors comprised some 141 400 companies and engaged about 896 900 persons, or an average of 6.3 persons per company, in 2024.
 
     In the import/export trade, total receipts amounted to $4,523.3 billion while total operating expenditure reached $4,092.5 billion in 2024. Gross surplus increased from $413.2 billion in 2023 to $430.8 billion in 2024, accounting for 9.5% of total receipts in 2024. Industry value added increased by 5.6% over 2023 to $493.3 billion.
 
     In the wholesale trade, total receipts amounted to $275.2 billion while total operating expenditure reached $269.9 billion in 2024. Gross surplus decreased from $5.6 billion in 2023 to $5.3 billion in 2024, accounting for 1.9% of total receipts in 2024.  Industry value added decreased by 2.6% compared with 2023 to $19.1 billion.
 
     In the retail trade, total receipts amounted to $489.2 billion while total operating expenditure reached $458.9 billion in 2024. Gross surplus increased from $29.9 billion in 2023 to $30.3 billion in 2024, accounting for 6.2% of total receipts in 2024.  Industry value added decreased by 7.7% compared with 2023 to $68.9 billion.
 
     In the accommodation services sector which covers hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses and other companies providing short term accommodation, total receipts amounted to $46.1 billion while total operating expenditure reached $39.2 billion in 2024. Gross surplus increased from $6.1 billion in 2023 to $6.9 billion in 2024, accounting for 15.0% of total receipts in 2024.  Industry value added increased by 6.5% over 2023 to $21.8 billion.
 
     In the food services sector which mainly covers restaurants, total receipts amounted to $139.8 billion while total operating expenditure reached $137.4 billion in 2024. Gross surplus decreased from $2.9 billion in 2023 to $2.4 billion in 2024, accounting for 1.7% of total receipts in 2024. Industry value added slightly increased by 0.7% over 2023 to $46.0 billion.
 
     Selected statistics for the sectors mentioned above are shown in the attached table.  More detailed statistics will be given in the reports "Key Statistics on Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Import/Export, Wholesale and Retail Trades Sectors in 2024" and "Key Statistics on Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Food and Accommodation Services Sectors in 2024". Users can browse and download these reports at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080014&scode=550 and www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080016&scode=540) as from end-December 2025.
 
     For enquiries about the key statistics on business performance and operating characteristics of the import/export, wholesale and retail trades, and accommodation and food services sectors, please contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7399 or email: asw@censtatd.gov.hk).

Ends/Friday, November 28, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:30

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