Hong Kong Q4 Business Outlook Survey: Share expecting better conditions rises to 14%, business prospects clearly strengthen.

On October 16, the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department released the results of the Quarterly Business Expectations Survey for the fourth quarter of 2026. The survey showed that the proportion of respondents expecting business conditions in Q4 2026 to be better than the previous quarter (14%) was higher than those expecting them to be worse (9%). Compared with the results of the Q3 2026 survey, the proportion of respondents expecting business conditions in Q4 2026 to be better than the previous quarter was 14%, higher than the corresponding proportion in Q3 2026 (10%). On the other hand, the proportion of respondents expecting business conditions to be worse than the previous quarter fell from 14% in Q3 2026 to 9% in Q4 2026. By industry, in most of the industries covered, respondents on the whole expected business conditions in Q4 2026 to be better than or broadly unchanged from Q3 2026. In particular, in the accommodation and food services sector and the financing and insurance sector, more respondents expected their business conditions in Q4 2026 to be better than in Q3 2026. On the other hand, in the transportation, storage and courier services sector, more respondents expected their business conditions to be worse than those expecting them to be better. The fieldwork for this round of the survey was conducted from September 1 to October 6, 2026. Business/Output Volume In most of the industries covered, respondents on the whole expected their business/output volume in Q4 2026 to rise or remain broadly unchanged compared with Q3 2026. In particular, in the accommodation and food services sector, the manufacturing sector, the financing and insurance sector and the retail sector, more respondents expected their volume of business/production/sales in Q4 2026 to rise compared with Q3 2026. Employment In many of the industries covered, respondents on the whole expected the number of persons engaged in Q4 2026 to remain broadly unchanged compared with Q3 2026. However, in the accommodation and food services sector and the real estate sector, more respondents expected the number of persons engaged in Q4 2026 to rise compared with Q3 2026. On the other hand, in the information and communications sector and the construction sector, more respondents expected the number of persons engaged to fall than those expecting it to rise. Selling Price of Goods/Service Charge In most of the industries covered, respondents on the whole expected the selling price of goods/service charge in Q4 2026 to rise or remain broadly unchanged compared with Q3 2026. In particular, in the accommodation and food services sector and the transportation, storage and courier services sector, more respondents expected the prices of food provided/the charges for services in Q4 2026 to rise compared with Q3 2026. However, in the construction sector, more respondents expected their tender prices in Q4 2026 to fall compared with Q3 2026. A spokesman for the Hong Kong Government said that the overall short-term business outlook for large enterprises in Q4 2026 had clearly strengthened, with the proportion of enterprises expecting business conditions to be better than the previous quarter recording a positive net difference for the first time in ten quarters. The outlook improved in most industries. Overall hiring sentiment also improved slightly.