Reading indicators: figures from 50 major contractors and figures from registration recordsFigures released on the same day, but counting different people
Two sets of figures released by MLIT on October 30 are built in completely different ways. The Statistical Survey on Construction Works Orders Received is a survey of the 50 major contractors, with the total down 11.1% year on year. The Existing Home Sales Volume Index is built from the number of ownership transfer registrations arising from building sales, and came to 132.4. When what is being counted differs, the same apparent subject - activity in property and construction - has to be used differently.
Key points
- The Statistical Survey on Construction Works Orders Received (survey of the 50 major contractors) tracks orders at the 50 major contractors. It is not the order value of the whole industry including smaller builders
- The Existing Home Sales Volume Index is built by processing the number of ownership transfer registrations arising from building sales into an index. It rests on records of administrative procedures
- Even when orders at the majors are thinning, orders at smaller firms do not necessarily move the same way. It is common for there to be a time lag before prime contractors' orders reach subcontractors' workload
- An index built on registrations shows the picture after a sale has closed and been registered, so there is a lag between the reference month (July 2026) and release (October 30)
- Before using published figures in your own decisions, check three things: who was counted, which period it covers, and what was counted (value or number of cases)
What to do in practice
- When citing a statistic in your material, write the scope into the name, for example a survey of the 50 major contractors
- If your own orders diverge from the published statistic, first suspect a difference in scope rather than doubting your own numbers
On October 30 the government released two sets of figures. One came from asking the 50 largest construction companies about construction orders, and it was 11.1% lower than in September last year. The other is based on the number of filings made when the owner of a house changes, and it came to 132.4. Both relate to buildings, but the people counted are completely different, so they have to be used differently.
- ○Applies: Check who was counted before looking at the figure
- ×Does not apply: Use the figure for the 50 largest companies as the figure for all construction companies
- ○Applies: Follow the month-to-month movement within the same statistic
- ×Does not apply: Read a figure on transaction volume as prices going up or down
Points
- The first counts only the 50 largest companies. It is not the figure for all construction companies
- The second is based on the number of filings made when the owner of a house changes
- When you look at a figure, first check who was counted and which period it covers
What the words mean
- survey scope
- Who a statistic counts. Sometimes everyone is counted, sometimes only a selected part
- orders received
- Being asked to do a job. Here it is the value of construction work a company has been asked to carry out
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT): MLIT, Statistical Survey on Construction Works Orders Received (survey of the 50 major contractors), September 2026 (Reiwa 8)
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT): MLIT, Existing Home Sales Volume Index for July 2026 (Reiwa 8) released (trial operation)
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This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.