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.
National Statistics Office, Lascaris, Valletta, Malta VLT 2000
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
30 November 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
30 November 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
30 November 2025
3.1. Data description
The data is collected through an online questionnaire sent to all enterprises in the Maltese business economy employing 50 or more persons. The Global Value Chains and International Sourcing Survey (GVCIS) includes questions on the distribution of business functions within the enterprise, participation in global value chain activities, and international sourcing of business functions, as well as the motivations for and barriers to international sourcing. The survey also addresses the impact of major external events on international sourcing and global value chains.
3.2. Classification system
The survey uses the following geographical breakdown:
European Union (EU)
European countries outside the EU
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries
United Kingdom (UK)
Russia
Extra-EU countries
Non-European countries: China, India, USA and Canada, Central and South America (including Mexico), other Asian and Oceanian countries, and Africa
The survey covers enterprises classified according to NACE Rev. 2 (the EU classification of economic activity), organised in the following sections:
Section B: Mining and quarrying
Section C: Manufacturing
Section D: Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
Section E: Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
Section F: Construction
Section G: Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
Section H: Transportation and storage
Section I: Accommodation and food service activities
Section J: Information and communication
Section K: Financial and insurance activities
Section L: Real estate activities
Section M: Professional, scientific and technical activities
Section N: Administrative and support service activities
Excluded NACE Sections: O (Public administration and defence), P (Education), Q (Human health and social work activities), R (Arts, entertainment and recreation), and S (Other service activities). Enterprises belonging to these NACE Sections are excluded from the survey.
3.3. Coverage - sector
NACE Rev. 2 sectors B-N.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Persons employed by business function - This module collects information on the distribution of persons engaged across the enterprise’s various business functions. Business functions represent the common tasks carried out by an enterprise to deliver goods and services to the market. The list includes: Production of goods, Information Technology, Management and Administration, Marketing, Sales and After-Sales, Transport, Logistics and Storage, Engineering and Related Technical Services, Research and Development, and Other Services.
GVC arrangements - This module focuses on the purchasing and supplying aspects of international trade in goods and services. It aims to measure participation in global value chain activities and to capture certain characteristics of GVC trade.
International sourcing - This module collects statistics on international sourcing within and outside the enterprise group, including the business functions being internationally sourced, the locations of sourcing, and the jobs lost or created as a result of international sourcing, broken down by business function.
Motivation and barriers for international sourcing - This module addresses two key aspects: (1) the motivations driving enterprises to engage in international sourcing, and (2) the barriers that hinder or complicate international sourcing activities.
External events - A Likert scale is used to measure the impact of external events on enterprises, including economic turbulence, pandemic-related effects, and energy policy measures.
3.5. Statistical unit
Information is collected from Enterprises.
3.6. Statistical population
Market producers of NACE Sections B to N with number of employees and self-employed persons greater than or equal to 50, during the last year of the reference period.
3.7. Reference area
Active resident enterprises within the geographical boundaries of the Maltese islands (MALTA).
3.8. Coverage - Time
The triennial Global Value Chains and International Sourcing Survey was initially conducted on a voluntary basis in 2021, covering the reference period 2018–2020. The first reference period for the collection and publication of regulation-based data is 2021–2023, with data collected in 2024, marking the first official production of statistics on global value chains in accordance with EU statistical regulations.
3.9. Base period
The statistics on global value chains are not index-based statistics. The data comprise either the reference period (three years) or the last year of the reference period.
The final results are expressed in terms of the number of persons engaged in business functions and the number and percentage of enterprises engaged in GVC arrangements and international sourcing.
2021 - 2023
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The Global Value Chains and International Sourcing Survey (GVCIS) is conducted under the legal framework of the European Union’s statistical regulations, which define the responsibilities of national statistical authorities to collect and transmit harmonised data to Eurostat.
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics provides the overarching framework for the collection of business-related data, including data on global value chains and international sourcing.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/918 specifies the technical requirements for the collection and transmission of data on global value chains, including variables, classifications, reference periods, and quality standards.
The survey is carried out by the National Statistics Office of Malta (NSO Malta), in accordance with national statistical legislation that authorises the NSO to collect data from enterprises.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Eurostat publishes all non-confidential data on its website.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
At National level:
Confidentiality is one of the major principles guiding the activities of the NSO. Article 40 of the MSA Act stipulates the restrictions on the use of information while Article 41, stipulated the prohibition of disclosure of information. Further, Section IX of the Act (Offences and Penalties) lays down the measures to be taken in case of unlawful exercise of any officer of statistics regarding confidentiality of data. No cases of breaches in the law have been recorded to date.
Since its inception, the NSO has been committed to ensure the confidentiality of all collected data, using it solely for statistical purposes in accordance with established laws. The identity of data providers is protected, and any data that could lead to the identification of individuals or entities is not shared with third parties. All NSO employees, upon joining, are made aware of confidentiality rules and requirements. As stipulated by the MSA Act, each staff member takes an oath of secrecy before starting their work.
At European level:
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p.164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Primary confidentiality is applied to prevent the disclosure of sensitive business information. It is flagged in two main cases:
Too few enterprises - when the number of business units is less than 3
Dominance (p% rule) – when the contribution of a single enterprise is large enough that the value of another enterprise can be estimated within 10% accuracy (p=10).
Secondary confidentiality is applied to protect data that have been flagged as primary confidential. Additional cells are suppressed to ensure that the values flagged as primary confidential cannot be derived from other published data.
Starting from reference year 2021, the NSO introduced a new policy to reduce the use of confidential flags. Suppression is not applied to core variables of companies when the same data is publicly accessible through audited financial statements.
Furthermore, variables relating to the number of employees and number of enterprises are considered non-confidential, as these figures are already disseminated through other public sources.
8.1. Release calendar
The NSO publishes and disseminates news releases as 1100 hrs as scheduled in the ‘Upcoming News Releases’ calendar. The calendar is available on the NSO website and provides a three-month outlook, covering the current month and the next two months. This calendar is sometimes subject to changes.
8.2. Release calendar access
The News release calendar can be accessed through the following link: NSO Calendar.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statics Code of Practice, the National Statistics Office (NSO) disseminates national GVCIS statistics objectively, professionally and transparently. An internal dissemination policy is in place to ensure that official statistics are released in an impartial, independent and timely manner, and made available simultaneously to all users. The NSO's primary channel for the dissemination of official statistics is the NSO website. Tailored requests for statistical information may also be submitted through the NSO website.
The compilation of the Global Value Chains and International Sourcing Statistics (GVCIS) follows a structured and coherent quality management framework to ensure the reliability and comparability of the statistics. The Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM) underpins this framework, supporting standardised documentation and providing a structured approach to integrating data and metadata across the statistical production process. It also offers guidance for maintaining and improving data quality across all stages of statistical production, including data cleaning, validation, and preparation for analysis. The GSBPM report is accessible to all NSO employees.
The 2023 edition of the European Business Statistics Compilers Manual for global value chains provides practical guidance to compilers of European GVC statistics on the application of EU legal provisions. With concrete examples, clear explanations, and standardised definitions, the Manual serves as a reference for National Statistical Authorities involved in the compilation of European GVC statistics, ensuring harmonised methodologies and consistent data quality across Member States.
Through this framework, the NSO maintains high standards in quality management, ensuring that GVCIS data are accurate, coherent, and suitable for European-level comparisons.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Concepts related to metadata and quality are available on NSO Metadata. For each reference period, in compliance with Eurostat's requirements, a quality report on GVCIS is transmitted through the ESS Metadata Handler three months after the data transmission.
In alignment with the ESS Code of Practice (ESS CoP) standards, the NSO established a comprehensive internal Quality Management Framework (QMF). This framework is supported by a document detailing general quality guidelines that apply across all statistical domains. While ensuring methodological soundness remains an integral part of the QMF, the document also addresses various institutional aspects.
11.1. Quality assurance
Effective quality management requires comprehensive guidance and oversight of all statistical activities. In Malta, the quality management framework for official statistics is guided by the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP).
The NSO’s Quality Management Framework (QMF) is based on the UNECE Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM), which provides a standardised operating model for statistical production. All changes to NSO processes or outputs are implemented based on the QMF principles, ensuring consistency, reliability, and compliance with established quality standards.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
During the data collection stage, the coherence of individual unit data with other enterprise information, as well as the internal consistency of responses provided by the respondent, is assessed. The validation stage, carried out towards the end of the statistical production process, includes more extensive corrections and imputations at the unit level, based on supplementary data available to the NSO.
The online questionnaire incorporates built-in validation checks that prevent respondents from proceeding if certain answers are inconsistent or contain errors, thereby supporting the accuracy and reliability of the collected data.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main users include the European Commission, Eurostat, internal and local organisations, ministries, the chamber of commerce, trade unions, journalists, researchers and students who are interested in the control patterns of the Maltese Economy.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The last User Satisfaction Survey, held in 2022, aimed to collect information about key users' satisfaction with the statistical output. The NSO maintains records on the number of News Releases and publications disseminated through its website, the users receiving statistical products, as well as the number of requests that are processed every year. News Releases and tailor-made statistical outputs were assessed in terms of quality, timeliness, and on their ability to meet users' needs.
12.3. Completeness
All required data was transmitted to Eurostat.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The survey conducted by Malta is census-based, covering all enterprises employing 50 or more persons. Once an electronic questionnaire is submitted to the National Statistics Office (NSO), it is thoroughly reviewed to identify any potential errors or inconsistencies. In cases where discrepancies are detected, the enterprise is contacted to verify and, if necessary, correct the reported information.
13.2. Sampling error
In principle, the survey is a census of all enterprises employing 50 or more persons. Consequently, sampling error is not applicable in the conventional sense. Moreover, most survey questions are categorical in nature, which limits variability in measurement. However, a degree of sampling error is still present, as non-response is accounted for through response patterns across different types of questions, ensuring that the final results remain representative of the target population.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Non-sampling errors are assessed through a range of quality indicators, including response and item non-response rates, edit and imputation rates, and consistency checks against administrative data sources. In principle, non-sampling errors in the GVC survey may arise from respondents’ willingness and ability to provide accurate information. In some cases, enterprises may complete the questionnaire hastily or with limited understanding of the question or without conducting adequate internal verification, which increases the risk of inaccurate or incomplete responses. These behaviours can lead to misreporting, inconsistencies across related questions, or omissions that stem from the response process rather than from sampling. The NSO tries to mitigate this risk by embedding controls in the questionnaire that prevent respondents from submitting contradictory answers and prompt them to revisit earlier questions whenever inconsistencies are detected.
14.1. Timeliness
The triennial Global Value Chains results are transmitted within 21 months from the reference period’s end.
14.2. Punctuality
There is no delay in publishing the statistics on Global Value Chains. The data have been published on the days indicated in the release calendar.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The Global Value Chains (GVC) survey is conducted by the national statistical offices of EU Member States in coordination with Eurostat. Data production for the GVC topic follows Eurostat’s methodological guidelines, ensuring that the underlying concepts and definitions are comparable across European statistical systems. The production processes of participating national statistical offices are regularly reviewed and harmonised under Eurostat’s coordination to maintain consistency and data quality across Member States.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The first regulation-based reference period for the Global Value Chains (GVC) survey, and the first for which official statistics are published, is 2021–2023. Some questions in the survey refer to the entire reference period, while others relate specifically to the final year of that period. Prior to this, data was collected on a voluntary basis under EU-funded projects covering the reference period 2018–2020. The statistical research and methodology for this topic have evolved through these voluntary initiatives, during which the reference periods, sample designs, and questionnaires were refined for each successive survey cycle.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not applicable.
The project is carried out by statistical officers and supporting staff within the Structural Business Statistics (SBS) Unit. Officers in this unit have extensive experience in collecting and processing business data and are accustomed to engaging with large enterprises.
While a census approach is more resource-intensive than a sampled survey, it ensures the highest level of accuracy and reliability, particularly given the relatively small number of Maltese enterprises employing 50 or more persons, which limits the effectiveness of sampling methods.
A notable cost component of the project is the development and continuous enhancement of a customised web-based questionnaire. However, this investment is expected to yield long-term efficiency gains. The online questionnaire has been designed to minimise the response burden and facilitate completion through built-in validation checks and automated navigation features.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Revisions refer to changes made to previously published statistical data when the underlying information used in their compilation has been updated or corrected. This may include updates to respondent data, administrative sources, weighting factors, methodologies, classifications, definitions, survey questionnaires, scope, or data collection methods.
The National Statistics Office (NSO) of Malta follows an established Data Revision Policy, which ensures transparency, consistency, and reliability in the revision of official statistics. The full policy document is available at the following link: Revisions policy.
17.2. Data revision - practice
No revisions to the data is carried out for GVCIS.
18.1. Source data
The data was collected through an electronic questionnaire during the second half of 2024.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
The data is collected every three years.
18.3. Data collection
The data collection questionnaire is based on a standard template developed by Eurostat. Data collection is carried out through an electronic questionnaire to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and respondent convenience. For the reference period 2021–2023, the questionnaire underwent a comprehensive testing phase, resulting in several improvements aimed at enhancing user-friendliness and clarity. The data collection process typically includes at least two reminder rounds of email notifications, issued automatically through the online application, to maximise response rates and data completeness. The observation unit is defined as the legal unit, while the statistical unit is the 'Enterprise'. Enterprise-level data are compiled and aggregated from legal unit information in accordance with Eurostat’s methodological and conceptual guidelines.
18.4. Data validation
The online questionnaire is designed to minimise errors and ensure data validity by implementing validation rules, warning messages, and logical navigation (“go-to”) paths. For example, if international sourcing is indicated, respondents are required to provide information on job changes (gains or reductions), the business function involved, and the corresponding country where the activity occurs. If these conditions are not met, a warning message is displayed to guide the respondent. After submission, the collected data are cross-checked against administrative and internal sources to verify accuracy and ensure consistency.
18.5. Data compilation
Data is compiled using data collected through an online questionnaire specifically developed for the Global Value Chains and International Sourcing Survey (GVCIS). The electronic questionnaire incorporates automated routing and skip logic to facilitate accurate and efficient completion by respondents. Furthermore, integrated validation rules and consistency checks are applied during data entry to prevent logical inconsistencies and reduce potential reporting errors, thereby enhancing the overall quality and reliability of the collected data. These features ensure that the National Statistics Office (NSO) can efficiently compile, verify, and process responses, supporting a streamlined data collection and compilation process in line with Eurostat’s quality standards.
18.6. Adjustment
In general, no adjustments are made prior to data validation. However, after validation, if survey responses do not align with administrative sources or internal information, respondents are queried by being contacted again to confirm their answers and to ensure they correctly understood the questions. All enterprises that reported international sourcing are specifically re-contacted to verify that the reported activities do not reflect other operations, such as business expansion. Once confirmed, the data are adjusted as necessary to accurately reflect the actual activities.
No further comments.
The data is collected through an online questionnaire sent to all enterprises in the Maltese business economy employing 50 or more persons. The Global Value Chains and International Sourcing Survey (GVCIS) includes questions on the distribution of business functions within the enterprise, participation in global value chain activities, and international sourcing of business functions, as well as the motivations for and barriers to international sourcing. The survey also addresses the impact of major external events on international sourcing and global value chains.
30 November 2025
Persons employed by business function - This module collects information on the distribution of persons engaged across the enterprise’s various business functions. Business functions represent the common tasks carried out by an enterprise to deliver goods and services to the market. The list includes: Production of goods, Information Technology, Management and Administration, Marketing, Sales and After-Sales, Transport, Logistics and Storage, Engineering and Related Technical Services, Research and Development, and Other Services.
GVC arrangements - This module focuses on the purchasing and supplying aspects of international trade in goods and services. It aims to measure participation in global value chain activities and to capture certain characteristics of GVC trade.
International sourcing - This module collects statistics on international sourcing within and outside the enterprise group, including the business functions being internationally sourced, the locations of sourcing, and the jobs lost or created as a result of international sourcing, broken down by business function.
Motivation and barriers for international sourcing - This module addresses two key aspects: (1) the motivations driving enterprises to engage in international sourcing, and (2) the barriers that hinder or complicate international sourcing activities.
External events - A Likert scale is used to measure the impact of external events on enterprises, including economic turbulence, pandemic-related effects, and energy policy measures.
Information is collected from Enterprises.
Market producers of NACE Sections B to N with number of employees and self-employed persons greater than or equal to 50, during the last year of the reference period.
Active resident enterprises within the geographical boundaries of the Maltese islands (MALTA).
2021 - 2023
The survey conducted by Malta is census-based, covering all enterprises employing 50 or more persons. Once an electronic questionnaire is submitted to the National Statistics Office (NSO), it is thoroughly reviewed to identify any potential errors or inconsistencies. In cases where discrepancies are detected, the enterprise is contacted to verify and, if necessary, correct the reported information.
The final results are expressed in terms of the number of persons engaged in business functions and the number and percentage of enterprises engaged in GVC arrangements and international sourcing.
Data is compiled using data collected through an online questionnaire specifically developed for the Global Value Chains and International Sourcing Survey (GVCIS). The electronic questionnaire incorporates automated routing and skip logic to facilitate accurate and efficient completion by respondents. Furthermore, integrated validation rules and consistency checks are applied during data entry to prevent logical inconsistencies and reduce potential reporting errors, thereby enhancing the overall quality and reliability of the collected data. These features ensure that the National Statistics Office (NSO) can efficiently compile, verify, and process responses, supporting a streamlined data collection and compilation process in line with Eurostat’s quality standards.
The data was collected through an electronic questionnaire during the second half of 2024.
Triennial.
The triennial Global Value Chains results are transmitted within 21 months from the reference period’s end.
The Global Value Chains (GVC) survey is conducted by the national statistical offices of EU Member States in coordination with Eurostat. Data production for the GVC topic follows Eurostat’s methodological guidelines, ensuring that the underlying concepts and definitions are comparable across European statistical systems. The production processes of participating national statistical offices are regularly reviewed and harmonised under Eurostat’s coordination to maintain consistency and data quality across Member States.
The first regulation-based reference period for the Global Value Chains (GVC) survey, and the first for which official statistics are published, is 2021–2023. Some questions in the survey refer to the entire reference period, while others relate specifically to the final year of that period. Prior to this, data was collected on a voluntary basis under EU-funded projects covering the reference period 2018–2020. The statistical research and methodology for this topic have evolved through these voluntary initiatives, during which the reference periods, sample designs, and questionnaires were refined for each successive survey cycle.
