Statistics Lithuania (SL).

 Price Statistics Division.

29 Gedimino Ave, LT-01500 Vilnius, Lithuania.

The purpose of calculating service producer price indices (SPPIs) is to measure the overall service producer price change during a certain period.

SPPIs are necessary for calculating macroeconomical indicators at constant prices, analising inflation processes in the services sector, preparing forecasts.

NACE Rev.2 (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community).

CPA 2.1 (Statistical Classification of Products by Activity in the European Economic Community).

SPPI are compiled according to Council Regulation No 1165/98 of 19 May 1998 concerning short-term statistics, as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 461/2012 of 31 May 2012 (OJ 2012 L 142, p. 26).

The indicators cover economic activities listed in the following sections of NACE Rev. 2:

• H – transportation and storage,
• I  – accomodation and food service activities
• J – information and communication,
• L – real estate activities,
• M – professional, scientific and technical activities,
• N – administrative and support service activities.

The  Detailed definitions of each indicator are available in  Commission Regulation (EU) No 1503/2006.

The SSPI  are output price indices for the production of services from domestic producers and show the evolution of prices for the services that are provided to customers which are enterprises, they refer to services that are used as intermediate use (Business to Business-Β2Β).

Contract pricing: Actual selling price in long term contracts for repeated delivery, to the same customer.

Direct use of prices of repeated services: Actual selling price of relatively uniform services, sold regularly to different customers.

Hourly rate: Hourly list prices for various categories of staff or services, depending on expertise, level of education or seniority.

Model price: A hypothetical or historically sold service. The price is recalculated every quarter by adjusting the factors in the price calculation.

Percentage fee: Actual price of services, as a percentage of a contract, an asset or other products.

Realized hourly rate: Actual hourly prices are calculated by dividing quarterly revenue for a given service, by the number of hours an employee has spent on this during that quarter.

Unit value: Actual selling price is calculated by dividing quarterly revenue for a given service, by number of units sold.

Reporting unit – an enterprise of any type or a local unit of an enterprise providing services for enterprises, state and municipal institutions and organisations; observation unit(s) – KAU (kind-of-activity unit).

The statistical population comprises the observation units (KAUs or enterprises) operating in the NACE/CPA classes mentioned below.

Producer (output) prices: NACE Rev. 2 Sections H, J, L, M, N.

NACE Rev. 2 activities:

Sections H

• freight transport by road (49.41);
• rail transport (49.1+49.2);
• transport via pipeline (49.5);
• sea and coastal water transport (50.1+50.2);
• air transport (51);
• warehousing and storage (52.1);
• cargo handling (52.24);
• other transportation support activities (52.29);
• postal activities under universal service obligation (53.1);
• other postal and courier activities (53.2);

Section I

• accommodation (55);

Sections J

• publishing activities (58);
• motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities (59);
• programming and broadcasting activities (60);
• telecommunications (61);
• computer programming, consultancy and related activities (62);
• data processing, hosting and related activities; web portals (63.1);

Sections L

• real estate activities services (68);

Sections M

• legal and accounting activities (69);
• management consultancy activities (70.2);
• legal and accounting activities, management consultancy activities (69+70.2);
• architectural and engineering activities, technical testing and analysis (71);
• advertising and market research (73);
• other professional, scientific and technical activities;

Sections N

• rental and leasing activities (77);
• employment activities (78);
• travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities (79);
• security and investigation activities (80);
• cleaning activities (81.2);
• office administrative, office support and other business support activities (82).

Entire economic territory of the country.

SPPIs are compiled since I quarter 2007.

• for economic activity 51 (Air transport), SPPIs are compiled since I quarter 2010,
• for economic  activity 52.29 (Other transportation support activities) − since I quarter 2011,
• for economic  activities 58 (Publishing services) and 68 (Real estate services) – since I quarter 2017,
• for economic activity 77 (Rental and leasing activity) – since I quarter 2018,
• for economic activities 55 (Accommodation) and 79 (Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities) – since I quarter 2019;
• for economic activities 59 (Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities) and 60 (Programming and broadcasting activities) – since I quarter 2020;
• for economicactivitiy 82 (Office administrative, office support and other business support activities) - since I quarter 2021;
• for economic  activities 74 (Other professional, scientific and technical activities)  – since I quarter 2022.

Year 2015 = 100.

Indices, percentage changes (%).

Quarter.

The legal basis for STS indicators is Council Regulation (EC) No 1165/98 of 19 May 1998 concerning short-term statistics, as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 461/2012 of 31 May 2012 (OJ 2012 L 142, p. 26) concerning short-term statistics and by Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical classification of economic activities NACE Revision 2 and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 as well as certain EC Regulations on specific statistical domains Text with EEA relevance (OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1); the Law on Statistics and the Official Statistics programme Part I.

The definitions of short-term statistics variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1503/2006 of 28 September 2006 implementing and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1165/98 of 19 May 1998 concerning short-term statistics as regards the definition of variables.

European Business Statistics (EBS) Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on 27 November 2019, followed by the Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/1197.

Statistics Lithuania and Eurostat is the only institutions producing the SPPI.

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics and repealing Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1101/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics, and Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities.

In the process of statistical data collection, processing and analysis and dissemination of statistical information, Statistics Lithuania fully guarantees confidentiality of the data submitted by respondents (households, enterprises, institutions, organisations and other statistical units), as defined in the Confidentiality Policy Guidelines of Statistics Lithuania.

Statistical Disclosure Control Manual, approved by Order No DĮ-107 of 26 April 2022 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania;

The State Data Governance Information System Data Security Regulations and Rules for the Secure Management of Electronic Information in the State Data Governance Information System, approved by Order No DĮ-202 of 27 August 2021 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.

Statistical information is published on the Official Statistics Portal according to the Official Statistics Calendar.

Official Statistics Calendar

Simultaneous release to all interested parties: no users have prior access to the data before their general release.

All users have accesss to the data at the same time trought a press release ”Changes in prices of service provided for economic entities“. Statistical information is published on the Official Statistics Portal, following an approved release calendar and the Official Statistics Dissemination Policy Guidelines and Statistical Information Preparation and Dissemination Rules.

At the time of national publication data are transmitted to Eurostat.

Quarterly.

Lithuania does not publish any news release.

SPPIs are published in the Statistical Yearbook of Lithuania.

The Database of Indicators provides the quarterly SPPI (2015 = 100) as well as rates of change in prices and price indices over the quarter.

Database of Indicators (Economy and finance -> Price indices, changes and prices -> Service producer price index (SPPI) and price changes).

Statistics Lithuania may, on the basis of contracts concluded with higher education institutions or research institutes, provide statistical data to researchers of these higher education institutions and research institutes to carry out specific statistical analyses for research purposes. Statistical data are provided in accordance with the provisions specified in the Description of Procedure for Data Depersonalisation and Pseudonymisation. More information is available on the Official Statistics Portal, in the section Data Provision.

Data are sent to Eurostat.

The full SPPI compilation methodology is published on the Official Statistics Portal: Methodological documentation (only in Lithuanian).

SPPI quality indicators (in Lithuanian and English) are prepared each quarter and published on the Official Statistical Portal as metadata.

In 2007, a quality management system, conforming to the requirements of the international quality management system standard ISO 9001, was introduced at Statistics Lithuania. The main trends in activity of Statistics Lithuania aimed at quality management and continuous development in the institution are established in the Quality Policy. Monitoring of the quality indicators of statistical processes and their results and self-evaluation of statistical survey managers is regularly carried out in order to identify the areas which need improvement and to promptly eliminate the shortcomings.

Quality of statistical information and its production process is ensured by the provisions of the European Statistics Code of Practice and ESS Quality Assurance Framework.

In 2007, a quality management system, conforming to the requirements of the international quality management system standard ISO 9001, was introduced at Statistics Lithuania. The main trends in activity of Statistics Lithuania aimed at quality management and continuous development in the institution are established in the Quality Policy.

Monitoring of the quality indicators of statistical processes and their results and self-evaluation of statistical survey managers is regularly carried out in order to identify areas which need improvement and to promptly eliminate shortcomings.

More information on assurance of quality of statistical information and its preparation is published in the Quality Management section on the Statistics Lithuania website.

Data quality corresponds to accuracy, timeliness and punctuality, comparability and compatibility requirements. Statistical survey managers periodically perform self-assessment – to evaluate statistical survey processes; moreover, statistical questionnaire control testing is performed.

The collection and compilation of statistical information was not affected by COVID-19.

The main users of statistical information are the Bank of Lithuania, Eurostat, state and municipal institutions and agencies, international organisations, the media, business and research communities, students, whose needs are satisfied without a breach of the confidentiality principle.

Since 2005, user opinion surveys have been conducted on a regular basis. Official Statistics Portal traffic is monitored, website visitor opinion polls, general opinion poll on the products and services of Statistics Lithuania, target user group opinion polls and other surveys are conducted. In 2007, the compilation of a user satisfaction index was launched. The said surveys are aimed at the assessment of the overall demand for and necessity of statistical information in general and specific statistical indicators in particular.

More information on user surveys and their results is available in section User surveys on the Statistics Lithuania website. 

SPPIs are published according to NACE Rev. 2 sections, at the 2-digit level. The price indices and their changes are published at the national level.

100 per cent of information produced in accordance with the Official statistics programme Part I is published.

The general system for the measurement and monitoring of performance quality is in place at Statistics Lithuania.

The following tools for SPPI quality monitoring and assurance are used:

• Self-assessment of survey managers (based on DESAP (European checklists for survey managers);
• Testing of previously approved statistical questionnaires.

Statistical presentation: A purposive sampling method is used for the selection of legal units, service groups and representative services. Statistical data on legal units providing services for the previous years are used to ensure that the income of legal units selected for the statistical survey makes up not less than 90 per cent of total income of legal units within the respective economic activity. The income of the legal units questioned in the survey should make up no less than 70–80 per cent of the total income of all the legal units within the respective economic activity.

Accuracy: The SPPI time series are calculated based on the 2010 index reference period accurate to ten decimal places. The results are rounded to four decimal places and then published in the Database of Indicators (on the Official Statistics Portal) and provided to Eurostat. Monthly, annual, average annual and other price changes are calculated using the SPPI time series accurate to all decimal places and are published rounded to one decimal place.

Impact of sampling errors: Sampling errors are not systematically measured. Sampling errors are not relevant in the scope of the SPPIs. To reach a better response rate in every quarter a missing price in the reference period is estimated using the previous period's data on enterprises or the average price development for similar products/enterprises.

Impact of non-sampling errors: For the SPPIs non-sampling errors are not quantified but are considered to be small.

Accuracy of the first estimates: No first estimates are made. The results published are final and not revised later. Representativity:
– A purposive sampling method is applied to the selection of legal units, service groups and representative services. Statistical data on the annual income of legal units providing services for the previous years are used in order that the income of the legal units selected for a statistical survey on service prices would make up not less than 90 per cent of total income of legal units in the respective economic activity. After the legal units sampled have been questioned, the income of the legal units which have responded should make up not less than 70–80 per cent of the total income in the respective economic activity.
Accuracy:
– SPPI time series are calculated based on the 2010 index reference period and are accurate to ten decimal places. The results are rounded to four decimal places and published in the Database of Indicators (on the Official Statistics Portal) and provided for Eurostat. Quarterly, annual, average annual and other price changes are calculated using SPPI time series accurate to all decimal places and published rounded to one decimal place.

Role of sampling: Sampling errors are not calculated for SPPIs because the sample is not based on random sampling. The list of enterprises engaged in price monitoring is reviewed every year.

Multiple use of sampling in production: Not applicable.

Coverage of the main aggregates: Not applicable.

Numeric information: Not applicable.

Non-probability and cut-off sampling: Not applicable.

Clarity: Not applicable.

Non-probability and cut-off sampling: Not applicable.

In 2022, the SPPI had a 100 % response rate.

In order to minimise the impact of errors in the data provided by respondents on SPPI indices, appropriate validation procedures are applied. In case of non-response, missing values are imputed. Estimates are made depending on the sector they belong to. In most cases, the price is estimated using the average change in the rest of prices collected for the same service or the corresponding branch.
In order to increase the response rate, telephone and e-mail follow-ups take place.

Coverage  errors: Not applicable.

Data collection or access errors: The impact of data collection (survey instrument, respondent) on the main estimates is not estimated.

Non-response rate, per cent:

Editing, coding and imputation errors: No information on the impact of imputation, editing and coding errors.

Modeling errors: The impact of models used in estimation on errors is not estimated.

SPPIs are released each quarter, at 09:00 a. m. (local time), on the 75^th day after the end of the reference quarter.

Statistical information is published in accordance with an Official Statistics Calendar. In case of delay, users are notified in advance by indicating the reason and a new date of publication.

SPPIs by economic activity according to NACE Rev. 2 are comparable across the EU.

Time series for NACE Rev. 2 are comparable over time. Length of comparable time series:

SPPIs are compiled and time series are comparable since I quarter 2007.

• for activity 51 (Air transport), time series are comparable since I quarter 2010,
• for activity 52.29 (Other transportation support activities) - since I quarter 2011,
• for activity 58 (Publishing activities) and 68 (Real estate activities services) – since I quarter 2017,
• for activity 77 (Rental and leasing activities) - since I quarter 2018,
• for economic activities 55 (Accommodation) and 79 (Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities) – since I quarter 2019,
• for economic activities 59 (Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities) and 60 (Programming and broadcasting activities) – since I quarter 2020;
• for economic activity 82 (Office administrative, office support and other business support activities) – since I quarter 2021;
• for economic activity 74 (Other professional, scientific and technical activities) – since I quarter 2022;
• for activity 56 (Food and beverage services) – since I quarter 2023.

Lithuanian SPPI’s are compared with European SPPI time series.

SPPIs are internally coherent. Lower-level price indices are aggregated to higher-level price indices according to the Laspeyres' formula, using base weights. Each higher-level price index is calculated as a weighted arithmetic mean of lower-level price indices.

The average time spent by respondents on the filling-in of the statistical questionnaire KA-03 is 56 min., KA-04 – 33 min.

In 2021, the costs of the NSI were 6 340 hours per year, burden on respondents was about 6 084 hrs 2 min. per year.

To reduce the burden, a web-based questionnaire is mainly used.

More information on burden reduction can be found at https://osp.stat.gov.lt/statistines-atskaitomybes-burden reduction.

After amendments in legal acts, detection of significant errors, revisions of statistical indicators are performed. Users are informed about their results and changes immediately. Users are informed about planned revisions in advance through a planned statistical information revision calendar.

The revision policy of Statistics Lithuania is provided in the document Description of Procedure for Performance, Analysis and Publication of Revisions of Statistical Information, approved by Order No DĮ-173 of 30 June 2021 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.

Users are informed about scheduled revisions in advance through the Calendar of Scheduled Revisions of Statistical Indicators. 

The same revision policy is applied to IPI data released nationally and transmitted to Eurostat.

The results published are final and not revised later.

The main data source is the statistical service producer price survey.

The data used to calculate the SPPI are mainly obtained through this statistical survey, covering enterprises providing services to other businesses and employing 5 and more persons.

The survey sample is drawn using a purposive sampling method. The selection of enterprises for the survey is performed by the Price Statistic Division. An essential criterion for selection is annual income from services. For each activity, the selection of units is carried out to cover from 70 to 80 per cent of income within this activity.

The survey covers about 1 950 enterprises.

The sample of reporting units is updated at the end of every year.

The sample of products is updated at the end of every year and is verified quarterly, depending on needs.

In 2022, on average, approx. 3 034 prices of products were collected in approx. 1 844 enterprises on a quarterly basis.

For collecting weights, an annual questionnaire KA-03, for collecting prices – a quarterly questionnaire KA-04 are used. 

Prices are collected quarterly.

Statistical data are collected through annual (KA-03) and quarterly (KA-04) statistical questionnaires.

Statistical questionnaire – annual questionnaire for the selection of representative services (code KA-03) and quarterly questionnaire on service producer prices (code KA-04) are used for collecting data on prices.

Reporting forms: electronic statistical data preparation and transfer system e. Statistika, by email, phone.

A specialist of a regional Data Preparation Division carries out the primary verification of the data received.

The Price Statistics Division carries out the secondary verification and editing as well as validation of the data using a data control program designed for checking statistical price data.

Data are compared to the data for the previous periods. Reasons for changes (when changes are ≥ +10 per cent or ≤ –10 per cent) in prices are analysed.

Particular attention is paid to quality changes, to prices that do not change for a very long time, to the lowest and the highest prices.

Price trends are also checked against those in producer prices.

The SPPI is a Laspeyres-type price index. The lowest-level price indices are the ratios of the individual prices of individual representative services in the reference quarter to the prices in IV quarter of the previous year. Individual service price indices are aggregated using weights for the reference period (turnover for weights collected specially from respondents) – to obtain higher‑level indices for service headings (CPA 6- and 5-digit levels) for each respondent. Then, the weights collected from respondents are used to obtain higher-level indices (NACE Rev. 2 4‑digit level) for each respondent. These indices are aggregated to the price indices for each activity at NACE Rev. 2 4-, 3- or 2-digit level using weights for the reference year from transport and services statistics.

Qualitative changes are taken into account through the use of an overlap method (prices for old and new services are collected in the same month, and the difference between the two prices is taken as a measure of their quality difference) or an expert estimation method, which is based on information on the percentage price effect of quality difference provided by respondents. In case of a missing price, the previously observed price is carried forward or the missing price is imputed by observing the movement in prices for similar services or a group to which the service belongs. If a service becomes permanently unavailable, an appropriate replacement service is selected with specifications close to the previous variety. In case of liquidation of the enterprise or when no appropriate replacement service can be found, figures for services are imputed until the end of the year, after which the service is abandoned. New representative services and new enterprises are introduced at the beginning of each year.

Service producer price index methodology (only in Lithuanian).

Quality changes are taken into account through the use of a bridged overlap and expert estimation methods.

Statistical data are adjusted if the quality of the new (replacing) representative service considerably differs from that of the former (replaced) one; in such case, the impact of the change in quality on the price change is estimated.

To maintain compatibility between the price of the replacing and the replaced product, service quality has to be adjusted: the price of the replaced product in the base period is adjusted by eliminating the impact of the change in quality. Methods applied: bridged overlap; overlap; expert estimation.

Small changes in characteristics, which are not believed to influence the price, are ignored, and prices for the old item and its replacement are compared directly. Price indices are neither seasonally nor calendar adjusted. When prices for seasonal items are temporarily absent, the last observed price is carried forward. 

Not applicable.