This Statistics Explained article is outdated and has been archived - for updated information please see the dynamic version of the European Business Statistics Manual at: European Business Statistics Manual A static full version of the European Business Statistics Manual was published in February 2021: European Business Statistics Manual — 2021 edition
This article provides an overview of detailed domain methodologies in the field of business statistics, broken down by the following main subject areas:
- short-term statistics
- country-level business statistics
- regional business statistics
- statistics on international activities.
Each of the 4 subject areas is further broken down into topics in varying degrees of detail. Some topics, such as business population and labour inputs, are common to all 4 areas; however, most are specific to one particular area.
The methodologies listed in this article are based on the situation in 2016. Over 2017-2019, some will be updated or redesigned in order to:
- take account of changes in the Framework Regulation Integrating Business Statistics (FRIBS)
- make the article more consistent with the general European Business Statistics Manual that is currently being developed.
This article is part of the online European Business Statistics manual (EBS Manual). In addition to providing this specific information, the Manual gives a comprehensive overview of cross-domain methodologies and metadata for business statistics.
Introduction
This article covers the full list of detailed domain methodologies broken down by subject area.
Business statistics fall into 4 main subject areas:
- short-term business statistics (monthly and quarterly)
- country-level business statistics (annual)
- regional business statistics (annual)
- statistics on international activities (monthly and annual).
These are the key areas of interest from the point of view of end-users.
The detailed methodologies, however, have been developed primarily from the point of view of data compilers — that is by groups, or domains, of statistics which essentially follow the same statistical production rules. As this article focuses primarily on user-oriented subject areas, the ‘detailed domain methodologies’ are referred to simply as ‘methodologies’.
A number of methodologies cover 2 or more subject areas (see section 2). However, most are specific to one subject area. These are listed in section 3.
This list of methodologies reflects the state of play in mid-2017. Many of them are dealt with in publications covering both subject-specific information and generic aspects that are common to other subject areas, such as the Business Register, statistical units and classifications. As these generic aspects, which are described in the online EBS manual, are applicable to all subject areas and are regularly updated, some methodologies may benefit in future from links to the generic sections of the EBS manual. Future developments to improving consistency between detailed domain methodologies and the EBS manual are dealt with in section 4, along with other changes to and updates of the manuals.
What the subject areas covered by business statistics have in common is that they all provide statistical information on the business population, such as numbers of enterprises. Because of this, and also because the business population is an object of observation for business statistics in general, it is very important to be consistent in applying the same methodology across all subject areas The Eurostat/OECD Manual on business demography statistics sets out detailed guidelines.
Foreign affiliates are a special subgroup of the business population. A foreign affiliate is defined as an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which an institutional unit not resident in the compiling country has control (inward affiliates), or an enterprise not resident in the compiling country over which an institutional unit resident in the compiling country has control (outward affiliates).
In a number of subject areas, statistics are also compiled for foreign affiliates; they are known as Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS). Detailed FATS methodologies are set out in the FATS Recommendations Manual (2012). Some FATS guidelines were changed in preparation for Croatia’s joining the EU in 2013. The 2012 FATS manual was not amended to include these changes. Instead, they are described separately in a section on Inward FATS (pdf) and another on Outward FATS.
Methodologies specific to one subject area
For each subject area, there are a number of guides that are applicable to several topics. These cross-topical methodologies are listed first in the inventories below, followed by methodologies that are specific to a topic or detailed topic.
If there is no mention of any methodology for a specific detailed topic, please check the cross-topical guides, which often contain various topic-specific sections.
Subject area 1. Short-term statistics
Cross-topical methodologies:
ESS guidelines on seasonal adjustment (2015 Edition)
Methodology of short-term business statistics - Interpretation and guidelines (2006 Edition)
Methodology of short-term business statistics - Associated documents (2006 Edition)
| Topics | Detailed topics | Compilation guides |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 1.a Business population | 1. New registrations | See ‘Eurostat/OECD Manual on business demography statistics’ (for detailed topics 1 and 2) |
| 2. New bankruptcies | ||
| Topic 1b Labour inputs | 1. Number of employees and self-employed | |
| 2. Hours worked by employees and self-employed | ||
| 3. Wages and salaries | ||
| Topic 1c Prices | 1. Import prices | |
| 2. Producer prices | Eurostat-OECD Methodological Guide for Developing Producer Price Indices for Services (Second Edition) (2014 Edition) Handbook on Industrial Producer Price Indices (PPI) (2012 Edition) | |
| Topic 1d Outputs and performance | 1. Production (volume) | Guidelines for compiling the monthly Index of Production in Construction (2011 Edition) |
| 2. Volume of sales | ||
| 3. Net turnover (value) | ||
| Topic 1e Permits | 1. Building permits |
Subject area 2. Country-level business statistics
Cross-topical methodologies:
| Topics | Detailed topics | Compilation guides |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 2a Business population | 1. Number of active enterprises | See ‘Eurostat/OECD Manual on business demography statistics’ (for detailed topics 1 to 5) |
| 2. Enterprise births | ||
| 3. Enterprise deaths | ||
| 4. Enterprise survivals | ||
| 5. High-growth enterprises | ||
| 6. Total of enterprises having at least one employee | ||
| 7. Enterprises having the first employee | ||
| 8. Enterprises having no employees anymore | ||
| 9. Survivals of enterprises having at least one employee | ||
| 10. Foreign-controlled enterprises | FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| 11. Foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and their domestic affiliates | New — in line with FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| 12. Importing enterprises | Compilers Guide for Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (TEC) (for detailed topics 12 and 13) Note to the reader: currently, the topics on importing and exporting enterprises (detailed topics 12 and 13) only cover trade in goods. The manual on TEC covers only trade in goods. Similar data for services, referred to as STEC, is covered as a pilot study in the FRIBS draft. The STEC manual is about to be published by Eurostat/OECD and will be included as soon as it becomes available. | |
| 13. Exporting enterprises | ||
| Topic 2b Labour inputs | 1. Number of employees and self-employed | |
| 2. Full-time equivalent employment | ||
| 3. Number of employees and self-employed in newly born enterprises | See ‘Eurostat/OECD Manual on business demography statistics’ (for detailed topics 3 to 10) | |
| 4. Number of employees and self-employed in enterprise deaths | ||
| 5. Number of employees and self-employed in surviving enterprises | ||
| 6. Number of employees and self-employed in enterprises with at least 1 employee | ||
| 7. Number of employees and self-employed persons in enterprises having the first employee in t | ||
| 8. Number of employees and self-employed persons in enterprises having no employees anymore in t | ||
| 9. Number of employees and self-employed in surviving enterprises with at least 1 employee | ||
| 10. Number of employees in high growth enterprises measured in employment | ||
| 11. Number of employees and self-employed in foreign-controlled enterprises | FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| 12. Number of employees and self-employed in foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and their domestic affiliates | New — in line with FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| 13. Hours worked by employees | ||
| 14. Employee benefits expense | ||
| 15. Wages and salaries | ||
| 16. Social security costs | ||
| 17. Personnel costs in foreign-controlled enterprises | FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| Topic 2c R&D inputs | 1. Intramural R&D expenditure | Frascati Manual 2015: The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities - Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development (2015 Edition) (for detailed topics 1 to 7) |
| 2. Number of R&D personnel | OECD Patent Statistics Manual (2009) | |
| 3. Number of researchers | Human resources S&T (Canberra manual) | |
| 4. R&D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises | FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| 5. Number of R&D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises | FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| 6. Government budget appropriations or outlays on research and development (GBARD) | ||
| 7. National public funding to transnationally coordinated R&D | ||
| Topic 2d Purchases | 1. Total purchases of goods and services | |
| 2. Change in stock of goods and services | ||
| 3. Purchases of goods and services of foreign-controlled enterprises | FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| 4. Imports of goods | Compilers Guide for Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (TEC) | |
| Topic 2e Outputs and performance | 1. Net turnover | |
| 2. Value of output | ||
| 3. Gross margin on goods for resale | ||
| 4. Value-added | ||
| 5. Gross operating surplus | ||
| 6. Net turnover of foreign-controlled enterprises | FATS Recommendations Manual (for detailed topics 6 to 8) Note to the reader: several aspects of the FATS manual are to be revised in due course. One such aspect is the definition of the new variable ‘net turnover’, which is not included in the current manual. | |
| 7. Value of output of foreign-controlled enterprises | ||
| 8. Value-added of foreign-controlled enterprises | ||
| 9. Net turnover of foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and their domestic affiliates | New — in line with FATS Recommendations Manual | |
| 10.Sold production | Prodcom User Guide | |
| 11. Production under sub-contracted operations | ||
| 12. Physical volume of actual production/total production | ||
| 13. Exports of goods | Compilers Guide to Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (TEC) | |
| Topic 2f Investments | 1. Investment in tangible assets | |
| 2. Investment in intangible assets | ||
| 3. Sales proceeds of tangible investments | ||
| 4. Foreign-controlled enterprises’ investment in tangible assets | FATS Recommendations Manual Note to the reader: several aspects of the FATS manual are to be revised in due course. One such aspect is the new name for the variable under this detailed topic. | |
| Topic 2g Innovation | Manual on innovation (OSLO manual, 2005) | |
| Topic 2h ICT usage and e-commerce | Methodological Manual for statistics on the Information Society |
Subject area 3. Regional business statistics
Cross-topical methodologies:
European Regional and Urban Statistics - Reference Guide (2010 Edition)
| Topics | Detailed topics | Compilation guides |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 3a Business population | 1. Population of local units | |
| 2. Total of active enterprises | Eurostat/OECD Manual on business demography statistics (for detailed topics 2 to 10) | |
| 3. Enterprise births | BR Recommendations manual | |
| 4. Enterprise deaths | ||
| 5. Enterprise survivals (3-calendar year survival only) | ||
| 6. High-growth enterprises | ||
| 7. Total of enterprise having at least one employee | ||
| 8. Enterprises having the first employee | ||
| 9. Enterprises having no employees anymore | ||
| 10. Survivals of enterprises having at least one employee (having first employee in t-3 and at least one employee in t only) | ||
| Topic 3b Labour inputs | 1. Number of employees and self-employed in local units | Eurostat/OECD Manual on business demography statistics (for detailed topics 1 to 10) |
| 2. Number of employees and self-employed in enterprises | ||
| 3. Number of employees and self-employed in newly born enterprises | ||
| 4. Number of employees and self-employed in enterprise deaths | ||
| 5. Number of employees and self-employed in surviving enterprises (only for enterprises having survived for three calendar years) | ||
| 6. Number of employees and self-employed in enterprises with at least 1 employee | ||
| 7. Number of employees and self-employed persons in enterprises having the first employee in t | ||
| 8. Number of employees and self-employed persons in enterprises having no employees anymore in t | ||
| 9. Number of employees and self-employed in surviving enterprises with at least 1 employee (only for enterprises having survived for three calendar years) | ||
| 10. Wages and salaries in local units | ||
| Topic 3c R&D inputs | 1. Intramural R&D expenditure | |
| 2. Number of R&D personnel | ||
| 3. Number of researchers |
Subject area 4. Statistics on international activities
Cross-topical methodologies:
OECD handbook of economic globalisation indicators (HEGI) via OECD Book shop
| Topics | Detailed topics | Compilation guides |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 4a Business population | 1. Number of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country | FATS Recommendations Manual (for topics 4a to 4d) |
| Topic 4b Labour input | 1. Number of employees and self-employed in enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country | |
| 2. Personnel costs of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country | ||
| Topic 4c Investments | 1. Investments in tangible assets of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country | |
| Topic 4d Output and performance | 1. Net turnover of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country | |
| Topic 4 e International trade | 1. Intra-EU imports of goods | Compilers guide on European statistics on international trade in goods (2015 edition) User guide on European statistics on international trade in goods (for topics 1 to 4, and 6 to 9) |
| 2. Extra-EU imports of goods | ||
| 3. Imports of goods | ||
| 4. Extra-EU imports of good by invoicing currency | ||
| 5. Imports of services (debit) | IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, (BPM6), sixth edition | |
| 6. Intra-EU exports of goods | UN Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010 (MSITS 2010) (2011 edition) | |
| 7. Extra-EU exports of goods | ||
| 8. Exports of goods | ||
| 9. Extra-EU exports of goods by invoicing currency | Code of Conduct for the management of the combined nomenclature (2000 Edition) | |
| 10. Exports of services (debit) | IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, (BPM6), sixth edition UN Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services, 2010 (MSITS 2010) (2011 edition) | |
| 11. Balance of services (net) | UN Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services, 2010 (MSITS 2010) (2011 edition) | |
| Topic 4f Global Value Chains | Characteristics | Global value chains and economic globalization – towards a new measurement framework |
Future improvements to methodologies
Several guides are to be introduced, updated or redesigned over the 2018-2019 period.
Possible reasons for these updates, redesigns and new guides are:
- a) Changes in the subject area and/or the (detailed) topics it covers, such as better collection and/or compilation methods and improved harmonisation. For example, the UN is currently developing a new Handbook for the Measurement of International Trade and Economic Globalisation, in cooperation with Eurostat and a number of EU countries);
- b) Changes resulting from new legal and non-legal measures in business statistics;
- c) Changes arising from efforts to improve coherence between subject-oriented methodologies and their guides on the one hand and the generic methodologies and the EBS manual on the other hand.
In the interests of improving consistency between detailed domain methodologies and the EBS manual, Eurostat conducted a pilot study in the domain of short-term statistics (STS) in 2016. Its main outcomes are:
- a new EBS-STS section in ‘Statistics Explained’ which lists all detailed methodologies and metadata that are specific to short-term statistics, and which has the same headings as the EBS manual. The headings of the manual and the EBS-STS section will be linked to avoid redundancy and potential inconsistency. To view the prototype (without links), see: see Short-term business statistics introduced.
- The EBS-STS section will serve as a template for new sections in EBS, covering different domains. The new EBS domain specific sections will be developed in the course of 2018-2019 and will be officially released simultaneously of the official release of the EBS manual, i.e. after adoption of FRIBS by the Council and European Parliament.
Contacts
For questions or comments on this article, please contact ESTAT-EBS-MANUAL@ec.europa.eu.
Explore further
Other articles
- Overview of methodologies of European business statistics: EBS manual
- Legal aspects related to this article can be found in the following overview. It shows that there are no legal provisions as regards detailed domain methodologies.
- Prototype of an EBS-domain section: Short-term business statistics introduced