Transport and communications - 4. quarter of 2008

In Q4 2008, seasonally adjusted sales in transport dropped, quarter-on-quarter, by 4.1% and year-on- year, by 5.5%, at constant prices. Not seasonally adjusted sales were 7.7% down, drop was reported for all divisions. In communications, seasonally adjusted sales showed no changes, quarter-on-quarter, while in the year on year comparison they increased by 1.5% and not seasonally adjusted by 1.0%. In post and courier activities sales dropped markedly while in telecommunications they recorded an increase. Sales dropped in transport and communications in total by 0.2% for whole year 2008 after five-year continuous growth.
Transport:
Seasonally adjusted sales in 'transport' dropped, quarter-on-quarter, by 4.1% at constant prices (from the beginning of statistical data collection in 1997 lower value was recorded only in Q4 1998). The trend component was falling gradually from –0.7% in Q1 to –1.9 % on Q4 (Table 3a).

Graph 1
Year-on-year, with seasonal and working days adjustment, sales decreased by 5.5%, adjusted only for working days they were 7.6% down (in Q4 2008 there were two working days less compared to 2007). Not seasonally adjusted sales fell, y-o-y, by 7.7%.

Drop of sales was recorded for all divisions of transport. The biggest contribution to the total downturn came from 'other land transport' (-5.6 p.p.) whose sales fell by 13.7%. In 'transport via railways' the sales drop was recorded for the sixth time in a row, this time by 7.3% due to marked drop of outputs in freight transport, while passenger transport recoded a growth. Serious decreases were recorded also for 'air transport' (drop by 8.8%). Due to lower outputs of traditional transport divisions also 'supporting and auxiliary transport activities' recorded sales drop, y-o-y, except of 'storage and warehousing'.

Post and telecommunications :
Seasonally adjusted sales in 'post and telecommunications' stagnated, quarter-on-quarter, at constant prices. The trend component for the corresponding period increased by 1.2 % (Table 3b).

Graph 2
Year-on-year, with seasonal and working day adjustments, sales increased by 1.5 %, with only working days adjustment by 1.4 %, without adjustment by 1.0%.

The total growth was contributed to by 'telecommunications' which are one of a few branches where a continuous growth was recorded from the beginning of statistical data collection, i.e. from 1997. This time they increased by 2.2%, y-o-y. In contrast, 'post and courier activities' in all quarters of 2008 recorded sales drop, which, in Q4, was qualified as the biggest one from the introduction of data collection.
Seasonally adjusted sales in transport and communications decreased in Q4 by 2.8%, quarter-on-quarter, and, year on year, at constant prices by 3.3%, not seasonally adjusted by 4.9%.
Over the whole year, sales in transport decreased by 1.3%, which was the biggest drop from 2003. Decreases were reported for all transport divisions except of 'supporting and auxiliary transport activities', which, on average, showed the y-o-y growth by 3.2%. 'Other land transport' recorded a 4.9% drop, which was the biggest drop from 1997. In 'transport via railways' sales fell by 4.0% and in 'air transport' sales dropped only by 0.3% owing to good results reached in the 1st half-year.

Sales in 'communications' increased by 2.1% due to telecommunications (growth by 3.0%), which contributed by over 90% to total sales in this branch. 'Post and courier activities' showed in 2008 the biggest drop (by 5.8%) in their history.
After a continuous five-year growth, sales in 'transport and communications' dropped by 0.2% at constant prices. This result came from the development in Q4 (drop by 4.9%) while in the first three quarters sales grew, the biggest growth was recorded in Q3 (by 2.1%).

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Note:
1) The whole time series are seasonally adjusted every quarter; indices in the graph are changed retroactively.
2) Due to organizational changes in the Czech Railways an implicit deflator was used for deflating in Q4 2008.

Contact person: Alena Hellerová, phone: 274052921, e-mail: alena.hellerova@csu.gov.cz
Data source: CZSO direct survey in enterprises
End of data collection: 5 February 2009
End of data processing: 10 February 2009
Data for Q4 2008 are preliminary, revised data for all months of 2008 will be known in September 2009, at the latest.
Quarterly data since 1997 are available in time series ( /financial_indicators_time_series ).