Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics Released Featuring Container and External Debt Data

May 2026 issue of "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" now available

The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (May 15) the May 2026 issue of the "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" (HKMDS).

Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains two feature articles entitled "Container Statistics, 2016 to 2025" and "External Debt Statistics of Hong Kong for 2021 to 2025".

"Container Statistics, 2016 to 2025"

In 2025, Hong Kong's port container throughput reached 12.99 million TEUs, maintaining its position as one of the busiest ports in the world. Laden container movements between Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland (the Mainland) accounted for 47.8% of the laden container throughput of the port of Hong Kong in 2025. Of these movements, about 66.9% were related to the Pearl River Delta region, reflecting the close economic ties between Hong Kong and the region.

This article provides a detailed analysis of the container statistics of the port of Hong Kong from 2016 to 2025.

For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Electronic Trading Services and Cargo Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3863 2476; email: shipping@censtatd.gov.hk).

"External Debt Statistics of Hong Kong for 2021 to 2025"

External Debt (ED) statistics provide useful information for international financial surveillance. Reliable, comprehensive and timely ED statistics assist data users in monitoring the development of an economy's external liabilities and hence its debt servicing obligations over time. They can also provide early warning signal of possible debt servicing problems. ED statistics are useful for the formulation and management of the economy's micro- and macro-economic policies and strategies.

This feature article briefly describes the underlying concepts of ED statistics and presents salient features of Hong Kong's ED statistics during 2021 to 2025.

For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Balance of Payments Branch (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 3863 2348; email: bop@censtatd.gov.hk).

Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 130 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. 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. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460).

Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 3863 2532; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: AI-found images

Development Bureau imposes regulating action on contractor involved in fatal industrial incident at private worksite in Stanley

A spokesman for the Development Bureau (DEVB) said today (May 15) that the contractor involved in the fatal industrial incident that happened on May 4 at a private worksite in Stanley was under the List of Approved Suppliers of Materials and Specialist Contractors for Public Works.

The DEVB, being the party that procures services for public works, attaches great importance to the site safety performance of all construction sites under the purview of contractors on the List, regardless of whether the sites are public works construction sites or not. The DEVB issued notification to the contractor concerned today to suspend it from tendering for public works contracts in lift, escalator and passenger conveyor installation category with immediate effect pursuant to the regulating regime. The contractor concerned has to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system. Taking cognisance of the outcome of the independent safety audit, the contractor is required to submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that it has an effective safety management system before the lifting of the suspension from tendering can be considered. The suspension from tendering is not only confined to tender exercises within the period of suspension from tendering, but is also applicable to tender exercises with procedures initiated but not concluded.

The Labour Department is investigating this industrial incident and will handle it in accordance with the law. Subject to the investigation findings, the DEVB may impose further regulating actions on the contractor concerned later on, including extension of the period of suspension from tendering for public works contracts and even removal from the List.

Source: AI-found images