March 2006 issue of the Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics now available for sale
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The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (March 20) the March 2006 issue of the Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics (HKMDS).

In this issue, two feature articles entitled "The Financial Services Sector in Hong Kong" and "The Situation of the Four Key Industries in the Hong Kong Economy in 2004" are included.

"The Financial Services Sector in Hong Kong"

The C&SD compiles and releases annually statistics on the structure and operating characteristics of various sectors in Hong Kong so as to facilitate in-depth analyses on these sectors.  This feature article presents the development of the financial services sector in Hong Kong from 2002 to 2004.

For enquiries about this feature article, please call the Business Services Statistics Section, C&SD (Tel. : 2802 1269).

"The Situation of the Four Key Industries in the Hong Kong Economy in 2004"

Financial services, trading and logistics, tourism, and producer and professional services are the Four Key Industries in the Hong Kong economy.  They have been the driving force of Hong Kong's economic growth, providing impetus to growth of other sectors, and creating employment.

This feature article analysing the economic contribution and employment situation in 2003 in respect of the Four Key Industries was published in the March 2005 issue of the report Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics.  The present article is an updated version of the feature article published in March 2005, with data on the Four Key Industries for 2004 incorporated.

In 2004, the value added of the Four Key Industries amounted to $669,100 million, accounting for 53.3% of GDP.  The number of persons engaged in the Four Key Industries was 1 488 400 in 2004, accounting for 44.9% of the total employment in Hong Kong.

For enquiries about this feature article, please call the National Income Section (2)1, C&SD (Tel. : 2116 5188).

The March 2006 issue of the HKMDS is now on sale at HK$80 per issue.  Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing 140 tables.  It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong.  Topics include population and vital events; labour; external trade; industrial production; land, housing, building and construction; transport, communications and tourism; public accounts, money and finance; prices; commerce; social conditions; energy; and national income and Balance of Payments.  For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available.

Both print version (full version only) and download version (in PDF format for the full version as well as selected sections and individual feature articles) of the HKMDS can be purchased online at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (http://www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk).  Download version of the HKMDS can be purchased at 75% of its original price exclusively at the online Statistical Bookstore.  Print versions if purchased online are also offered a discount, at 85% of their original prices at the Statistical Bookstore as well as the Government Bookstore (http://www.isd.gov.hk/eng/bookorder.htm).

For purchase of print version, this can be done through mail order by returning a completed order form which can be downloaded from the C&SD's website (http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/eng/prod_serv/forms_index.html).  Purchase can also be made in person at the Publications Unit of the C&SD (Address : 19/F Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; Tel.: 2582 3025).  Print version of the Digest is also put for sale at selected Post Offices (enquiry hotline: 2921 2222).

Selected sections of the HKMDS are available for purchase online.  In order to better meet the needs of readers who are interested in official statistics of specific subject areas, the 13 sections of the Digest are grouped into four sections : (i) Population, Labour and Social Statistics; (ii) External Trade, Commerce and Industry and Energy Statistics; (iii) Housing, Transport, Communications and Tourism Statistics; and (iv) Money and Finance, National Income, Balance of Payments and Price Statistics.  Besides, feature articles in each issue can be purchased separately.  Selected sections and individual feature articles are only available in download versions, the feature articles are priced at HK$11 each and the selected sections from HK$17 to HK$21 each.

Enquiries about the contents of the HKMDS can be directed to the General Statistics Section (1)B of the C&SD (Tel.: 2582 4738).

Ends/Monday, March 20, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:00

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