Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Business Activities, Foreign Trade and Prices Unit
Business Structure Section
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
SCB, 701 89 ÖREBRO, Sweden.
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
19 December 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
19 December 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
19 December 2024
3.1. Data description
The annual Business demography data collection covers variables which explain the characteristics and demography of the business population. The methodology allows for the production of data on enterprise births (and deaths), that is, enterprise creations (cessations) that amount to the creation (dissolution) of a combination of production factors and where no other enterprises are involved (enterprises created or closed solely as a result of e.g. restructuring, merger or break-up are not considered).
A summary of the available indicators is listed below. The data is available at EU, country and regional level, with breakdowns for type of activity, legal form and size class.
For the population of active enterprises:
Number of active enterprises;
Number of enterprise births;
Number of enterprise survivals up to five years;
Number of enterprise deaths;
Related variables on employment: 'employees' and 'persons employed' (employees and self-employed persons).
For the population of active employer enterprises:
Number of enterprises having at least one employee;
Number of enterprises having the first employee;
Number of enterprises having no employees anymore;
Number of enterprise survivals up to five years;
Related variables on employment: 'employees' and 'persons employed' (employees and self-employed persons).
For high-growth enterprises, the following indicators are available at EU and country level:
Number of high-growth enterprises (growth by 10% or more);
Number of employees of high-growth enterprises;
Number of young high-growth enterprises (up to five years old high-growth enterprises);
Number of employees of young high-growth enterprise.
3.2. Classification system
From 2008 onwards NACE Rev.2 classification (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community) is used for all indicators.
Starting with reference year 2021, BD data cover the economic activities of market producers within the NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96. The total economy is presented as Industry, construction and services (code BTSXO_S94).
For the reference years 2008-2020, data for the Sections P, Q, R and S were provided on a voluntary basis and K64.2 was not covered.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
BD constitutes an important and integrated part of the EU Regulation 2019/2152 on European Business Statistics (EBS Regulation).
3.5. Statistical unit
The population of intrest consists of all units in Sweeden that carried out market activities in the relevant reference year.
Until reference year 2021 Business demography used "legal unit".
From reference year 2022 "statistical unit enterprise" (ENT) is used, with exception of survival data that follow entperises born in 2017-2021, where legal unit is used to keep consistency.
3.6. Statistical population
The target population is the private sector economy, including all active enterprises. In the additional datasets on employer business demography, the threshold is set to one employee at any time of the reference period. The following thresholds are used:
1 employee - population of employer enterprises,
10 employees in the beginning of the growth - population of high-growth enterprises (10%)
3.7. Reference area
Sweden.
3.8. Coverage - Time
2001-2022.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
The number of active, birth, death, as well as high-growth enterprises units is expressed in units.
For the ref. year 2022 survival data of enteprises of age 1Y to 5Y, counted in legal units, expressed in units.
For the ref. year 2023 survival data of enteprises of age 2Y to 5Y, counted in legal units, but age 1Y in enteprises, expressed in units.
The number of employees is counted as head counts and is expressed in units.
The number of persons employed is the sum of number of employees and self-employed persons, expressed in units.
The number of self-employed persons is the average number of persons who were at some time during the reference period the sole owners or joint owners of the statistical unit in which they work, measured in annual average headcounts, expressed in units.
Derived indicators are expressed in units or percentages.
2022.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Starting with reference year 2021, two new regulations form the legal basis of BD statistics:
Before reference year 2021, EU Regulation 2008/295 on structural business statistics, Annex IX, was providing a legal basis for the BD data collection. The Commission implementing EU Regulation 2014/439 ensured data collection on employer enterprises (with at least one employee), high-growth enterprises (more than 10% annual growth over three years) and their employment.
Up to reference year 2006 data have been collected under gentlemen's agreement within the context of the development of Structural Business Statistics.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The national legislation describing the statistical confidentiality: Offentlighets- och sekretesslag (2009:400).
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
No confidentiality applied.
7.2.1. Confidentiality rules (primary and secondary)
Data treatment
Remarks
Confidentiality rules applied
no
Threshold of number of enterprises (Number)
Number of enterprises non confidential, if number of employments is confidential
no
Dominance criteria applied
no
If dominance criteria is applied, specify the threshold (in %) and the method of applying the dominance rules
Secondary confidentiality applied
no
If secondary confidentiality is applied, explain the rules and the methods used
7.2.2. Measures taken to reduce the number of confidential cells
Remarks
Measures taken to reduce the number of confidential cells
no
If measures have been taken, describe them briefly
Impact of these measures
not applicable
8.1. Release calendar
There is no dissemination or publishing apart from the deliveries to Eurostat.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Not applicable.
Annual.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
No dissemination.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
No dissemination is planned.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
No online database.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not requested.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
No dissemination is planned.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
The data are sent to Eurostat to be used in European aggregates.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not requested.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
No methodological documents are available.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not requested.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not requested.
11.1. Quality assurance
Implementation of new SAS-script to ensure fewer or no manual errors. The implementation also allows for validation of format in our own environment.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The Swedish Business Register is generally of a good quality, a result of a long history of the usage of administrative data.
Since BD is so reliant on the state of BR, this is the most important aspect that affects the quality of the statistics.
Thus BD produced by Statistics Sweden generally holds to a high standard.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Not available.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
All required data are provided.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
100%.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Not requested.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not available.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not requested.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not requested.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not requested.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not applicable.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not applicable.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.4. Processing error
There are no processing error.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not requested.
14.1. Timeliness
The register is dynamic although the focus for updating the register is on the weekly deliveries from Tax Office.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not requested.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not requested.
14.2. Punctuality
Data are transmitted on time.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not requested.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Not requested.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
First reference year available (calendar year): 2001.
Breaks in time series and reasons for the breaks:
NAVE Rev. 2 was introduced for reference year 2008 and onwards.
Implementation of Enterprise unit for reference year 2022 for number of active enterprise, birth and death.
Outliers in time series: No.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
2001-2007, 2008-2021, 2022-
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The Business Demography uses an annual frame. This frame is derived from the BR. In Annex I and SBS, the population and classification is mainly related to a time of sampling in November year t. As a consequence, the number of enterprises is higher in BD as BD counts all active units during the reference period.
Both BD and BR are based on an annual frame and the same time period. However the annual inquiry/BR-information was produced in March and BD-information in June. In May we receive information on employment concerning December year t and this generates a lot of information and also register work. In the Quality Report (previously: Annual Inquiry) this source concerning employment and the corresponding register work is not available as the Inquiry is delivered in April. However, the figures in BD and BR are very close concerning both number of enterprises and employment. There are also some differences due to different inclusions of institutional sectors. BR includes all institutional sectors. This is the main reason for differencies regarding section L, together with the exclusion in BD of property management of tenant-owners' association.
For ref. year 2021 there are as stated differences between domains.
For reference year 2022, the Swedish Business Register has implemented the new interpretation of the enterprise as a statistical unit.
This enable the possibility for BD to switch from legal units to enterprises. BD, SBS and FATS are from ref year 2022 all based on the same annual frame, thus being harmonized.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not requested.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not requested.
Not requested.
17.1. Data revision - policy
There is no revision policy.
17.2. Data revision - practice
In the final data the population and the variables are more complete.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not available.
18.1. Source data
Type of data source: Administrative data, Business Register (BR).
Coverage of SBR (Statistical Business Register):
All required activities and legal forms are covered. The criteria for inclusion in SBR are VAT and/or employment and/or Company tax. Also all legal persons that are not active according to above registrations are included in the register.
There is no threshold regarding VAT.
Matching, profiling or imputation: All units in Business Register (BR) contain timestamps for birth and death.
18.1.1. Concepts and sources
SBR contains all information.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
As the BR is updated every week with deliveries from the Tax Office, the quality is good.
18.3. Data collection
Direct acces to Business Register (BR).
18.3.1. Data matching
a) Data matching process and tools:
The suggested matching procedures in the methodological guidelines have been followed. The required annual frames have been produced and completed with nationally available information. Newly started enterprises for the reference year t are compared with active enterprises year t-1 and t-2 while dead enterprises for the reference year t are compared with active enterprises year t+1 and t+2. The produced populations of birth and death will be used in the matching procedure to find real birth and death.
b) Matching:
For enterprises with two or more local units the location will be that of the largest local unit in terms of number of employees.
18.3.2. Manual checks
Due to time constraints only limited manual checks were performed. We have not checked all above 20 employees.
18.4. Data validation
We prepare a dataset that is consistent with the template. Then the template is loaded into SAS and an automatic comparison is made, cell by cell.
Any missing combinations are handled. Final files are tested against previous ref. years and then tested in Inputhall.
18.5. Data compilation
For BD, very few imputations are made. In some few cases the nuts region cannot be determined and then the region will allways be coded in the largest region.
Self-employed persons are currently estimated specificially for BD but is consistent with the methodology used for other domains, such as SBS.
For preliminary deaths there is no information on reactivation and we ignore this fact. Thus we allways overestimate the number of deaths in preliminary data.
Annual average i calculated by taking headcount of employees of self-employed persons per month.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not requested.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
Not applicable.
No further comments.
The annual Business demography data collection covers variables which explain the characteristics and demography of the business population. The methodology allows for the production of data on enterprise births (and deaths), that is, enterprise creations (cessations) that amount to the creation (dissolution) of a combination of production factors and where no other enterprises are involved (enterprises created or closed solely as a result of e.g. restructuring, merger or break-up are not considered).
A summary of the available indicators is listed below. The data is available at EU, country and regional level, with breakdowns for type of activity, legal form and size class.
For the population of active enterprises:
Number of active enterprises;
Number of enterprise births;
Number of enterprise survivals up to five years;
Number of enterprise deaths;
Related variables on employment: 'employees' and 'persons employed' (employees and self-employed persons).
For the population of active employer enterprises:
Number of enterprises having at least one employee;
Number of enterprises having the first employee;
Number of enterprises having no employees anymore;
Number of enterprise survivals up to five years;
Related variables on employment: 'employees' and 'persons employed' (employees and self-employed persons).
For high-growth enterprises, the following indicators are available at EU and country level:
Number of high-growth enterprises (growth by 10% or more);
Number of employees of high-growth enterprises;
Number of young high-growth enterprises (up to five years old high-growth enterprises);
Number of employees of young high-growth enterprise.
19 December 2024
BD constitutes an important and integrated part of the EU Regulation 2019/2152 on European Business Statistics (EBS Regulation).
The population of intrest consists of all units in Sweeden that carried out market activities in the relevant reference year.
Until reference year 2021 Business demography used "legal unit".
From reference year 2022 "statistical unit enterprise" (ENT) is used, with exception of survival data that follow entperises born in 2017-2021, where legal unit is used to keep consistency.
The target population is the private sector economy, including all active enterprises. In the additional datasets on employer business demography, the threshold is set to one employee at any time of the reference period. The following thresholds are used:
1 employee - population of employer enterprises,
10 employees in the beginning of the growth - population of high-growth enterprises (10%)
Sweden.
2022.
Not requested.
The number of active, birth, death, as well as high-growth enterprises units is expressed in units.
For the ref. year 2022 survival data of enteprises of age 1Y to 5Y, counted in legal units, expressed in units.
For the ref. year 2023 survival data of enteprises of age 2Y to 5Y, counted in legal units, but age 1Y in enteprises, expressed in units.
The number of employees is counted as head counts and is expressed in units.
The number of persons employed is the sum of number of employees and self-employed persons, expressed in units.
The number of self-employed persons is the average number of persons who were at some time during the reference period the sole owners or joint owners of the statistical unit in which they work, measured in annual average headcounts, expressed in units.
Derived indicators are expressed in units or percentages.
For BD, very few imputations are made. In some few cases the nuts region cannot be determined and then the region will allways be coded in the largest region.
Self-employed persons are currently estimated specificially for BD but is consistent with the methodology used for other domains, such as SBS.
For preliminary deaths there is no information on reactivation and we ignore this fact. Thus we allways overestimate the number of deaths in preliminary data.
Annual average i calculated by taking headcount of employees of self-employed persons per month.
Type of data source: Administrative data, Business Register (BR).
Coverage of SBR (Statistical Business Register):
All required activities and legal forms are covered. The criteria for inclusion in SBR are VAT and/or employment and/or Company tax. Also all legal persons that are not active according to above registrations are included in the register.
There is no threshold regarding VAT.
Matching, profiling or imputation: All units in Business Register (BR) contain timestamps for birth and death.
Annual.
The register is dynamic although the focus for updating the register is on the weekly deliveries from Tax Office.
Not requested.
First reference year available (calendar year): 2001.
Breaks in time series and reasons for the breaks:
NAVE Rev. 2 was introduced for reference year 2008 and onwards.
Implementation of Enterprise unit for reference year 2022 for number of active enterprise, birth and death.
