Key statistics on business performance and operating characteristics of the transportation, storage and courier services sector in 2018

     According to the results of the 2018 Annual Survey of Economic Activities – Transportation, Storage and Courier Services Sector released today (November 28) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total receipts (comprising business receipts and other income) of the transportation, storage and courier services sector amounted to $550.7 billion in 2018, representing an increase of 6.3% compared with 2017; on a per establishment basis, total receipts increased by 4.7% compared with 2017 to $21.5 million in 2018.

     Operating expenses and compensation of employees of this sector altogether amounted to $480.0 billion in 2018, representing an increase of 5.8% compared with 2017; on a per establishment basis, they increased by 4.2% compared with 2017 to $18.7 million in 2018.

     Gross surplus of the sector, which is equal to total receipts less operating expenses and compensation of employees, increased by 9.8% compared with 2017 to $70.8 billion in 2018; on a per establishment basis, gross surplus increased from $2.6 million in 2017 to $2.8 million in 2018. Gross surplus accounted for 12.8% of total receipts of this sector in 2018, up slightly by 0.4 percentage points compared with 2017.

     Value added of the sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, increased by 3.5% compared with 2017 to $153.6 billion in 2018; on a per establishment basis, value added was $6.0 million in 2018, which increased by 1.9% compared with 2017.

     According to the survey results, it was estimated that the sector comprised some 25 600 establishments and engaged about 228 200 persons, or an average of 8.9 persons per establishment, in 2018.

     Within the transportation, storage and courier services sector, the five largest industry groupings in terms of value added in 2018 were (1) air transport and service activities incidental to air transportation; (2) land passenger transport; (3) other transportation support activities; (4) land freight transport; and (5) service activities incidental to water transportation. They together accounted for 84.4% of the value added of the sector.

     In the air transport and service activities incidental to air transportation industry, total receipts amounted to $170.8 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $139.4 billion in 2018. Gross surplus increased from $30.5 billion in 2017 to $31.5 billion in 2018, accounting for 18.4% of total receipts in 2018. Value added increased by 2.8% compared with 2017 to $63.1 billion.

     In the land passenger transport industry, total receipts amounted to $57.7 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $41.5 billion in 2018. Gross surplus increased from $15.6 billion in 2017 to $16.3 billion in 2018, accounting for 28.2% of total receipts in 2018. Value added increased by 4.0% compared with 2017 to $32.8 billion.

     In the other transportation support activities industry which comprised mainly cargo forwarders and shipbrokers, total receipts amounted to $128.8 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $122.9 billion in 2018. Gross surplus increased from $5.6 billion in 2017 to $5.9 billion in 2018, accounting for 4.5% of total receipts in 2018. Value added increased by 1.6% compared with 2017 to $15.4 billion.

     In the land freight transport industry, total receipts amounted to $23.0 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $20.4 billion in 2018. Gross surplus decreased from $2.8 billion in 2017 to $2.6 billion in 2018, accounting for 11.4% of total receipts in 2018. Value added increased by 3.5% compared with 2017 to $10.6 billion.

     In the service activities incidental to water transportation industry, total receipts amounted to $14.4 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $9.9 billion in 2018. Gross surplus increased from $4.3 billion in 2017 to $4.5 billion in 2018, accounting for 31.2% of total receipts in 2018. Value added increased by 0.3% compared with 2017 to $7.7 billion.

     Selected statistics for the transportation, storage and courier services sector are shown in the attached table.

     More detailed survey results on the transportation, storage and courier services sector will be given in the report "Key Statistics on Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Transportation, Storage and Courier Services Sector in 2018". Users can download this report (in PDF format) free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp340.jsp?productCode=B1080010) as from end-December 2019.

     For enquiries about the key statistics on business performance and operating characteristics of the transportation, storage and courier services sector, please contact the Logistics and Producer Prices Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7256; email: transport@censtatd.gov.hk).