MACAO - Macao saw average transaction prices of residential housing units rise 33.6 percent year-on-year to 41,433 patacas ($5,187) per square meter of usable area in 2011, the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) said on Friday.

A total of 10,935 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts were made last year, down by 13.9 percent over 2010, and the number of units dropped by 12.7 percent to 14,075, according to the DSEC.

Meanwhile, 7,930 cases of residential mortgage contracts were signed, down 6.7 percent year-on-year.

Due to the government's measures to curb property prices, the number of housing transactions fell 6.7 percent from previous year, but sales value went up 34.4 percent to 76.26 billion patacas on higher prices, said the DSEC.