Statistics of

Testing and Certification Activities

in Hong Kong

Census and Statistics Department

Mar 2022

Census and Statistics Department

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

2

Coverage

Category A establishments

Covering private independent establishments

mainly engaging in the following activities:

(i) technical testing and analysis;

(ii) cargo inspection, sampling and weighing

services; and

(iii) medical and X-ray laboratories

3

Category B establishments

Covering in-house laboratories in large

manufacturers and exporters

Category C establishments

Covering laboratories in Government

departments/public organisations

Coverage

4

Data Sources*

Annual Survey of Economic Activities (ASEA)

Category A establishments

Category B establishments

Special data collection exercise

Category C establishments

Note :

⁎ Fully implemented as from 2010.

• An ad hoc survey entitled “2009 Survey of Testing and Certification Activities” was

conducted during December 2009 to January 2010 to collect business performance,

operating characteristics and data on manpower profile for testing and certification

activities in 2009, covering Category A, B and C establishments.

5

Introduction to ASEA

Objectives of ASEA

To compile statistics on the business performance

and operating characteristics of different economic

sectors

To provide input for compiling Gross Domestic

Product of Hong Kong

To provide useful reference to both the government

and the private sector in formulating policies,

making decisions and monitoring policy

implementation

6

Legislation

Mandatory survey conducted under the Census and

Statistics Ordinance (Chapter 316)

The Ordinance provides authority for the collection

of the required data from respondents, and

stipulates that information relating to individual

establishments is to be kept in strict confidence

Only aggregate information that does not reveal

details of individual establishments will be released

Introduction to ASEA

7

Data items collected include

Number of persons engaged (PE)

Compensation of employees

Operating expenses

Business receipts, sales and other

income, etc.

Introduction to ASEA

Note : For 2020, other income also includes the amount of subsidy

related to anti-epidemic measures.

8

Data Items Collected for

Testing and Certification Activities

Category A establishments

Business performance, operating characteristics and data

on manpower profile

Category B and C establishments

Data on manpower profile

Note on interpretation of survey resultsAlthough the overall sampling fraction for testing and certification activities was

already quite high, the statistics concerned are however estimated based on data

collected from a relatively small number of sampled establishments. The survey

results may be subject to large sampling fluctuations and thus should be interpreted

with caution.

9

Principal Statistics of Category A Establishments

No. of

establishments

No. of persons

engaged

Business receipts(HK$ million)

Industry

value added (*)

(HK$ million)

2017 720

(+7.5%)

14 300

(+2.4%)

15,021

(+6.2%) [+6.6%]

7,516

(+2.6%)

2018 730

(+1.4%)

14 620

(+2.2%)

15,550

(+3.5%) [+2.2%]

7,675

(+2.1%)

2019 770

(+5.5%)

14 790

(+1.2%)

14,947

(-3.9%) [-3.6%]

7,338

(-4.4%)

2020 800

(+3.9%)

15 110

(+2.2%)

14,925

(-0.1%) [+1.2%]

6,714

(-8.5%)

(*) Prior to the reference year of 2019, the above statistics were referred as "value added".

Industry value added statistics are compiled directly from data collected in the ASEA.

They are broadly similar to the value added statistics published under the Gross Domestic

Product framework.

(1) Figures in brackets represent percentage changes over previous year.

(2) Figures in square brackets represent percentage changes over previous year by excluding

dividends.

10

Principal Statistics of Category A Establishments

Contributions of Component Industries, 2020

55%

79% 76%70%

4%

2%1%

1%

42%

19% 24%29%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

No. of establishments No. of persons

engaged

Business receipts Industry value added

Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

11

No. of Category A Establishments

by Size of Establishment, 2017 – 2020

670

(93%)

690

(95%)

730

(95%)

760

(94%)

50

(7%)40

(5%)

40

(5%)

50

(6%)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2017 2018 2019 2020

Establishment with PE< 50 Establishment with PE ≥ 50

(1) Figures in brackets denote the respective % shares of the totals.

(2) The total number of establishments of respective years may not add up to the corresponding numbers on

page 9 due to rounding.

12

No. of Persons Engaged in Category A Establishments

by Size of Establishment, 2017 - 2020

3 690

(26%)

5 050

(35%)

5 670

(38%)5 370

(36%)

10 610

(74%) 9 570

(65%)9 120

(62%)

9 740

(64%)

0

2 000

4 000

6 000

8 000

10 000

12 000

2017 2018 2019 2020

Establishment with PE< 50 Establishment with PE ≥ 50

(1) Figures in brackets denote the respective % shares of the totals.

(2) The total number of persons engaged of respective years may not add up to the corresponding numbers on

page 9 due to rounding.

13

Business Receipts of Category A Establishments

by Size of Establishment, 2017 - 2020

4,829

(32%)

5,188

(33%)4,870

(33%) 4,493

(30%)

10,192

(68%)

10,361

(67%)10,077

(67%)

10,432

(70%)

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

11,000

2017 2018 2019 2020

HK

$ M

illi

on

Establishment with PE< 50 Establishment with PE ≥ 50

(1) Figures in brackets denote the respective % shares of the totals.

(2) The total business receipts of respective years may not add up to the corresponding numbers on page 9

due to rounding.

14

Business Concentration of Category A

Establishments, 2017 - 2020

Proportion accounted for by

establishments engaging 100 persons or more

EstablishmentsPersons

engagedBusiness receipts

2017 3.8%

(28)

64% 62%

2018 3.7%

(27)

58% 60%

2019 3.5%

(27)

57% 64%

2020 3.8%

(30)

56% 60%

Figures in brackets denote the number of establishments involved.

15

Distribution of Business Receipts of Category A

Establishments by Type of Services, 2017 - 2020

66%

(9,901)65%

(10,131)

65%

(9,778)65%

(9,631)

19%

(2,851)17%

(2,703)17%

(2,484)15%

(2,237)

3%

(394)

3%

(479)

3%

(488)

3%

(487)

12%

(1,875)14%

(2,237)15%

(2,197)17%

(2,570)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2017 2018 2019 2020

Testing Inspection Certification Others

(1) " Others" includes other service receipts as well as dividends and interests received.

(2) For 2020, " Others" also includes the amount of subsidy related to anti-epidemic measures.

(3) Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

(4) Figures in brackets denote the value of business receipts in millions of HK$.

(5) The total business receipts of respective years may not add up to the corresponding numbers on page 9 due

to rounding.

16

Distribution of Business Receipts of Category A Establishments from

Rendering Testing Services by Product/Services Tested, 2017 - 2020

31% 31% 28%

39%

21% 20%22%

16%

17% 16% 17%13%

14% 14% 15% 13%

10% 10% 10% 9%

7% 8% 9% 11%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2017 2018 2019 2020

Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

17

Business Receipts of Category A Establishments from

Rendering Testing Services by Product/Service Tested, 2017 - 2020

HK$ Million

Product / Service 2017 2018 2019 2020

Medical testing3,084

(31%)

3,182

(31%)

2,734

(28%)

3,738

(39%)

Toys and games2,094

(21%)

2,069

(20%)

2,129

(22%)

1,513

(16%)

Textiles, clothing and footwear1,672

(17%)

1,631

(16%)

1,629

(17%)

1,264

(13%)

Electrical products and

telecommunications equipment

1,418

(14%)

1,441

(14%)

1,436

(15%)

1,206

(13%)

Construction materials976

(10%)

1,011

(10%)

967

(10%)

876

(9%)

Others657

(7%)

797

(8%)

882

(9%)

1,034

(11%)

Total 9,901 10,131 9,778 9,631

(1) Figures in brackets denote the respective % shares of the totals.

(2) Figures may not add up to the corresponding totals or 100% due to rounding.

18

Gross Surplus / Business Receipts Ratio

Business receipts include service receipts, receipts

from sales of goods, commissions, rental, interest

and other income (e.g. dividends and government

subvention)

Gross surplus = Business receipts minus

compensation of employees and operating expenses

Broadly measures the business profit situation

19

Gross Surplus / Business Receipts Ratios

of Selected Industries

2017 2018 2019 2020

Testing and certification services industry

- Category A establishments

28.3%

(22.7%)

26.3%

(19.5%)

25.3%

(18.7%)

22.9%

(17.1%)

Other selected industries :

Manufacturing 6.5% 6.4% 6.4% 5.5%

Import / export trade 7.7% 7.8% 7.9% 8.0%

Retail trade 7.1% 6.9% 5.9% 4.9%

Food services 7.2% 7.0% 6.6% 6.5%

Ratios compiled by excluding dividends are given in brackets.

20

2017 2018 2019 2020

Testing and certification services industry

- Category A establishments

28.3%

(22.7%)

26.3%

(19.5%)

25.3%

(18.7%)

22.9%

(17.1%)

Other selected industries (cont’d) :

Professional, scientific and technical activities 18.6% 18.5% 17.7% 19.7%

Architectural, surveying and engineering

services related to real estate and construction

9.4% 9.1% 12.2% 11.3%

Accounting, bookkeeping and auditing

activities, tax consultancy

22.6% 21.9% 18.8% 20.3%

Legal activities 31.8% 34.4% 33.7% 34.8%

Financing (except banking) 64.6% 61.2% 55.0% 54.2%

Ratios compiled by excluding dividends are given in brackets.

Gross Surplus / Business Receipts Ratios

of Selected Industries

21

Value Added of Testing and Certification

Services Industry (Category A Establishments)

Measures the net output of an economic activity

(Value of output minus value of goods and services

used in production)

Value added decreased from $7.5 billion in 2017 to

$6.7 billion in 2020

(0.3% of Hong Kong's GDP during the period)

Value added per person engaged –

decreased from $0.53 million in 2017

to $0.44 million in 2020

22

Value Added per Person Engaged of

Selected Industries, 2017 - 2020

0.48

0.540.53 0.51

0.47

0.44

0.38 0.40

0.21 0.21

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

2017 2018 2019 2020

HK

$ M

illi

on

Innovation and technology Cultural and creative industries

Medical services Testing and certification services

Education services Environmental industries

23

Value Added per Person Engaged of

Selected Industries, 2017 - 2020

3.02

3.67

1.43

1.55

0.84

1.17

0.921.04

0.53 0.440.49 0.400.29 0.300.27 0.200.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

2017 2018 2019 2020

HK

$ M

illi

on

Banking Insurance

Financing (except banking) Import / export trade

Testing and certification services Transportion, storage, postal and courier services

Manufacturing Wholesale and retail trades

24

No. of Persons Engaged in Category A Establishments by

Occupation, 2017 – 2020

2 970

(21%)

3 070

(21%)

3 120

(21%)

3 160

(21%)

3 780

(26%)

3 870

(26%)

4 000

(27%)

4 030

(27%)

7 550

(53%)

7 670

(52%)

7 670

(52%)

7 920

(52%)

0

2 000

4 000

6 000

8 000

10 000

12 000

14 000

16 000

2017 2018 2019 2020

* Including managers and administrators; other professional and associate professional staff and sales workers.

(1) Figures in brackets denote the respective % shares of the totals, and may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

(2) The total number of persons engaged of respective years may not add up to the corresponding numbers on page 9

due to rounding.

25

Proportion of Professional Staff Providing Testing, Inspection and Certification

Services in Category A Establishments by Educational Attainment, 2017 - 2020

15%

(460)15%

(460)

15%

(460)

15%

(470)

57%

(1 690)

58%

(1 780)

59%

(1 840)58%

(1 830)

9% (260) 10% (300) 9% (280) 9% (290)

12% (370) 12% (380) 12% (370) 13% (400)

7% (200) 5% (160) 5% (170) 5% (170)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2017 2018 2019 2020

Postgraduate Degree Sub-degree Diploma/certificate Craft courses and others

(1) Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

(2) Figures in brackets denote the number of persons engaged.

(3) The total number of professional staff providing testing, inspection and certification services of respective

years may not add up to the corresponding numbers on page 24 due to rounding.

26

Testing and Certification Activities

No. of establishments No. of persons engaged

Category

A

Category

B

Category

C

Total Category

A

Category

B

Category

C

Total

2017 720 40 60 820 14 300 550 3 420 18 280

2018 730 40 60 830 14 620 580 3 490 18 690

2019 770 40 60 870 14 790 590 3 660 19 040

2020 800 45 60 905 15 110 660 3 800 19 560

(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 or 10.

(2) Figures may not add up to the corresponding totals due to rounding.

27

No. of Persons Engaged by Occupation in

Category B and C Establishments, 2017 - 2020

850(21%)

830(20%)

870(20%)

890(20%)

2 370(60%)

2 470(61%)

2 540(60%)

2 590(58%)

760(19%)

780(19%)

840(20%)

980(22%)

0

500

1 000

1 500

2 000

2 500

3 000

3 500

4 000

4 500

5 000

2017 2018 2019 2020

* Including managers and administrators.

(1) For Category B establishments, professional and associate professional staff whose main duties were

not to provide testing, inspection and certification services were included under “Other staff”.

(2) Figures in brackets denote the respective % shares of the totals, and may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Thank You