According to the Census & Statistics Department, the gross output of the manufacturing sector amounted to $172.4 billion in 2002, down 13.1% from a year earlier.

The manufacturing sector's gross surplus - gross output less total operating expenditure - fell 16.1% from a year earlier, to $20.4 billion in 2002. 

The gross surplus accounted for 11.8% of the gross output in 2002,  or a fall of 0.5 of a percentage point compared with 2001's 12.3%.

The sector's value-added - a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product - amounted to $53.4 billion in 2002, a drop of 13.6% from a year earlier.

Within the manufacturing sector, the five largest broad industry groups in terms of value-added in 2002 were:

* the paper products, printing and publishing industry;

* the basic metals, fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment industry;

* the food, beverages and tobacco industry;

* the electrical and electronic products industry; and

* the textiles industry, including knitting. 

They together accounted for 79.1% of the sector's total value-added.

Comparing 2002 with a year earlier, decreases in value-added were observed in eight broad industry groups, with more pronounced declines occurring in the electrical and electronic products industry, which fell 46.3%.

Among the others were:

* the leather, wood and cork products industry (-24.2%);

* the chemical, rubber and non-metallic mineral products industry (-18.7%);

* the textiles (including knitting) industry (-13.8%); and 

* the basic metals, fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment industry (-8.5%).