The Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia

Trade and Services Statistics section

Lāčplēša Street 1, Riga, LV-1010, Republic of Latvia

Data on the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usage and e-commerce in enterprises are survey data. They are collected by the National Statistical Institutes or Ministries and are in principle based on Eurostat's annual model questionnaires on ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises.

Large part of the data collected is used to measure the progress in the implementation of one of the main political priorities of the European Commission for 2019 to 2024 – A Europe fit for the digital age. Part of this is the "European strategy for data", envisioning a single market for data to ensure the EU's global competitiveness and data sovereignty, in which context a comprehensive set of new rules for all digital services was proposed: the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, which are centrepieces of the EU digital strategy. Furthermore, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy presented a new “EU cybersecurity strategy”, which is intended to bolster the EU's collective resilience against cyber threats, safeguard a global and open internet and protect EU values and the fundamental rights of its people. Furthermore, data will allow monitoring the progress towards  A Europe fit for the digital age, one of the six priorities for the period 2019-2024 of the von der Leyen European Commission.

The aim of the European survey on ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises is to collect and disseminate harmonised and comparable information at European level.

 NACE Rev.2 2008

All economic activities in the scope of Annex I of the Commission Regulation are intended to be included in the general survey, covering enterprises with 10 or more employees and self-employed persons. These activities are: NACE Rev. 2 sections C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, M and N, division 95.1.

For micro-enterprises see the sub-concepts below.

Micro-enterprises are not covered in the survey 

The model questionnaire on ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises provides a large variety of variables covering among others the following areas:

-          Access to and use of the Internet

-          E-commerce and e-business

-          Use of cloud computing services

-          Artificial Intelligence

-          Other topics: Data utilisation, sharing, analytics and trading, Invoicing.

The annual model questionnaires and the European businesses statistics compliers’ manual for ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises comprise definitions and explanations regarding the topics of the survey.

Enterprise

Target Population

As required by Annex of the Commission Implementing Regulation, enterprises with 10 or more employees and self-employed persons shall be covered by the survey.

For micro-enterprises see the sub-concepts below.

Not applicable

All the territory of Latvia is considered by the survey.

Years 2022 and 2023.

Not applicable

Percentages of enterprises, Percentages of turnover, Percentages of employees and self-employed persons.

Year 2022 for the data in the modules B (e-Commerce sales), C (Data trading) and F (Invoicing), and year 2023 for all other data

Complementary national legislation constituting the legal basis for the survey on the use of ICT in enterprises:

Not available

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on 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 used 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.

At national level : 

Data are published only at a level of activity at which it is not confidential. Confidential data is not given to users.

Data are confidential if (primary criteria for determining confidentiality):

• A summary score derived from one two or three statistical units (enterprises); 
• Share of the one statistical unit (enterprise) is 80% or more; 
• Share of the summary from two statistical units (enterprise) is 90% or more.

Data are transmitted via eDamis (encrypted) and delivered to a secure environment where they are treated. Flags are added for confidentiality in case results must not be disclosed.

At national level : 

Data are transmitted via eDamis (encrypted) and delivered to a secure environment where they are treated. National Statistical Institutes are requested to add flags for confidentiality in case results must not be disclosed.

Press release was published on the CSB website on 01.11.2023

See below

All data users are introduced to the data at the same time. The press realase and data are published on the CSB website on 01.11.2023. There is calendar, were data users could see when data will be published.

Annual

Press release was published on the CSB website on 1.11.2023

Data will be published in Statistical Yearbook of Latvia, 2023

See detailed section 10.3.1.

Results for selected variables collected in the framework of this survey are available for all participating countries on Digital economy and society of Eurostat website.

At national level :

Before 1st November 2023 the CSB prepared the main results of the ICT survey in enterprises of the year 2023 for the public CSB database.

Not applicable

Not requested

Not requested

The main results and methodological information about survey are available on-line in Latvian and in English languages

Not requested

Quality guidelines of the CSB is an informative document describing the CSB and the main aspects of its activity: stages, methods and organizational principles of producing the national statistics, policy of data protection and dissemination. The objective of these Guidelines is to promote the implementation of the CSB’s operational strategy by involving in this process every employee of the CSB, developing the communication with society and extending the knowledge of every interested person – respondent, data user and all society – about the activity of CSB.

The European businesses statistics compliers’ manual for ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises provides guidelines and standards for the implementation of the surveys. It is updated every year according to the changed contents of the model questionnaires.

At national level :

The National Statistical System of Latvia (hereinafter – NSS of Latvia) is established by statistical institutions and the Statistical Council. The managing institution of the NSS of Latvia is the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (hereinafter – the CSB), which implements functional subordination over other statistical institutions in the field of production of official statistics, providing methodological guidelines, by supervising the conformity of production of official statistics with the laws and regulations, and also by issuing orders that are required to produce official statistics.

To ensure that NSS of Latvia has common principles and requirements, CSB has developed the Quality Policy of the National Statistical System of Latvia and imposed total quality requirements for statistical institutions which are based on European Statistics Code of Practice.

For implementation of Quality Policy of the NSS of Latvia, the CSB has developed a Memorandum of Understanding, by which the statistical institutions confirm their commitment to implementing and promoting quality standards in their statistical institutions.

Guidelines for Implementation of European Statistics Code of Practice were developed to facilitate common perception and understanding of the requirements imposed by the Code of Practice. Based on the situation in Latvia, the Guidelines explain principles of the Code, as well as indicators and statistical terms used, moreover, requirements are supplemented with binding national legislation, explanatory information, and examples of good practice.

The Quality Policy of CSB consists of the CSB's vision, mission, core values and commitment to meet the requirements, follow good practice and ensure continuous improvement. The quality policy is designed and implemented in accordance with the CSB strategy (3-year period) and the action plan.

Statistical dissemination policy defines general principles of statistical data dissemination, availability of CSB`s products and services for data users, communication with data users, cooperation with the media, availability of individual data for scientific and educational purposes.

European level :

At European level, the recommended use of the annual Eurostat model questionnaire aims at improving comparability of the results among the countries that conduct the survey on ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises. Moreover, the Methodological Manual provides guidelines and clarifications for the implementation of the surveys.

National level :

When creating a data entry program, we write validations, that we check before the survey starts. In the questionnaire we have placed a request to be filled out by an IT specialist or at least consult with an IT specialist , if it is possible.

We compare data at the enterprise level with previous periods when necessary.

Instructions for data collectors are included in the annexes.

European level : 

At European level, European Commission users (e.g. DG CNECT, DG GROW, DG JUST, DG REGIO, DG JRC) are the principal users of the data on ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises and contribute in identifying/defining the topics to be covered. Hence, main users are consulted regularly (at hearings, task forces, ad hoc meetings) for their needs and are involved in the process of the development of the model questionnaires at a very early stage.

User needs are considered throughout the whole discussion process of the model questionnaires aiming at providing relevant statistical data for monitoring and benchmarking of European policies.

National level :

 The Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. Main users are consulted regularly for their needs and are involved in the process of the development of the model questionnaires (optional questions, terminology of specific ICT variables etc.)

European level : 

At European level, contacts within the Commission, the OECD and other stakeholders give a clear picture about the key users' satisfaction as to the following data quality aspects: accuracy and reliability of results, timeliness, satisfactory accessibility, clarity and comparability over time and between countries, completeness and relevance. Overall users have evaluated positively (good, very good) the data quality on the ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises.

National level :

There is no satisfaction survey made with relevance to this questionnaire.

Detailed information is available in “ Annex I _ Completeness “ excel file - related to questionnaire, coverage, additional questions.

Not requested. 

Comments on reliability and representativeness of results and completeness of dataset

These comments reflect overall standard errors reported for the indicators and breakdowns in section 13.2.1 (Sampling error - indicators) and the rest of the breakdowns for national and European aggregates, as well as other accuracy measurements. The estimated standard error should not exceed 2pp for the overall proportions and should not exceed 5pp for the proportions related to the different subgroups of the population (for those NACE aggregates for the calculation and dissemination of national aggregates). If problems were found, these could have implications for future surveys (e.g. need to improve sampling design, to increase sample sizes, to increase the response rates).

More detailed information is available in “ Annex II. _ Accuracy “ excel file - related to European aggregates, comments on reliability and use of flag.

For calculation of the standard error see 13.2.1.1.

Standard error (for selected indicators and breakdowns)

Precision measures related to variability due to sampling, unit non-response (the size of the subset of respondents is smaller than the size of the original sample) and other (imputation for item non-response, calibration etc.) are not (yet) required from the Member states for all indicators.  Eurostat will make basic assumptions to compute these measures for all indicators produced (e.g. stratified random sampling assuming as strata the crossing of the variables “Number of employees and self-employed persons” and “Economic Activity” as it was defined in the 3 tables of section 18.1).

More detailed information is available in“ Sample and standard error tables 2023 “ excel file – worksheets starting with “Standard error".

Calculation of the standard error

Various methods can be used for the calculation of the standard error for an estimated proportion. The aim is to incorporate into the standard error the sampling variability but also variability due to unit non-response, item non-response (imputation), calibration etc. In case of census / take-all strata, the aim is to calculate the standard errors comprising the variability due to unit non-response and item non-response.

See detailed sections below.

See concept 18.1.1. A) Description of  frame population.

Over-coverage rate 1.1%

Not requested

No measurement errors detected.

See detailed sections below.

See detailed sub-concepts below.

The following table contains the number of units (i.e. enterprises), by type of response to the survey and by the percentage of these values in relation to the gross sample size.

To minimize the unit of non-response, the following methods were used: 

No comments.

Not available

Other comments relating to the item non-response

No processing errors were detected.

Not requested

See detailed section below.

Not applicable

European level : 

Data are to be delivered to Eurostat in the fourth quarter of the reference year (due date for the finalised dataset is 5th October). European results are released before the end of the survey year or in the beginning of the year following the survey year (T=reference year, T+0 for indicators referring to the current year, T+12 months for other indicators referring to the previous year e.g. e-commerce).

At national level : 

We publish data in accordance with CSB work plan and data publication calendar, T+11.

 See detailed section below.

First data was sent on 4th October 2023

The model questionnaire is generally used by the countries that conduct the survey on ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises. Due to (small) differences in translation, in the used survey vehicle, in non-response treatment or different routing through the questionnaire, some results for some countries may be of reduced comparability. In these cases, notes are added in the data.

Detailed information on differences in the wording of the questions in the national questionnaires is available in “ Annex I _ Completeness “ excel file - related to questionnaire, coverage, additional questions.

Not applicable

See section below.

The length of comparable time series depends on the module and the variable considered within each survey module. Additional information is available in annexes attached to the European metadata.

The sample size practically did not change, so there should be no impact on comparability over time and standard error estimates.

Not applicable

 Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Planned revisions of statistical data are understood as:

• further updates of previously published data of higher aggregation level, by adding more detailed information on the aggregation level;

  revision of published data by applying seasonal adjustment method or changing the definition of reference period;

• revision of published data pursuant to the changes in the methodology or classifications.

In general, statistical data is revised pursuant to the planned revision cycle and timetable: information is stored on the errors in the data sources or calculations after data publishing till the next planned data publishing date, thus following the planned revision cycle and timetable, as well as avoiding to carry out data revision too frequently.

Unplanned revisions of statistical data are such revisions, which cannot be impartially connected to the previously defined revision cycle. Necessity to carry out unplanned revisions can emerge when identifying significant errors in data sources or calculations, as well in cases if methodology or data sources are changed without being planned to. Unplanned data revisions are carried out in exceptional cases when the amount of revision according to the assessment of the CSB’s experts has a significant impact on the quality of remaining statistical data.

Revised and/or further to be revised statistical data, when adding them to publicly available databases or statistical publications, are particularly stipulated or marked. It is carried out as:

• reference to the revision policy or a link to the CSB web site;

• report on the amount of carried out revisions and assessment of their impact.

As the result of significant methodological changes, the revised data is published only after the introduction of the most important data users with reasons for the expected revision, methodology used in recalculations, possible impact of data revision and other related information. Informing the data users can be carried out through a press release of respective content timely placed on the CSB Web site or having discussions with data users

No data revisions over past year.

 Not requested

A) Frame population description and distribution

For more information see concept 18.1.1.

B) Sampling design - Sampling method

Description of the sampling method used (e.g. stratified random sample, quota sampling, cluster sampling; one-stage or two-stage sampling) and information which variables were used to stratify, the categories of those variables, in particular for the NACE Rev. 2 categories related to the "possible calculation of European aggregates", and the final number of strata: 

 Stratified simple random sampling is used as sampling design. Enterprises are stratified by NACE groups and number of groups of employed persons (10-49, 50-249, 250+). Optimal sample size was calculated for ICT use survey. In each NACE group sample allocation is computed using iterative procedure for Neyman optimal allocation, taking into account the proportion 0.5 for each enterprise and maximum of allowed standard error 4%.  Based on previous three years  QR information in several NACE groups allowed standard error was 3%. Large enterprises with number of employees 250 and higher are sampled with sampling fraction 100%. The procedures for the coordination are applied.

C) Gross sample distribution

More detailed information is available in “ Sample and standard error tables 2023  “ excel file (Worksheet: GROSS SAMPLE)

D) Net sample distribution

More detailed information is available in “ Sample and standard error tables 2023  “ excel file (Worksheet: NET SAMPLE)

A) Description of frame population

 B) Frame population distribution

More detailed information is available in “ Sample and standard error tables 2023  “ excel file (Worksheet: FRAME POPULATION)

Annual

See detailed sections below.

The enterprises were able to submit the filled web-questionnaires electronically using our on-line submission system via Internet in the CSB website (95.1% of net sample) or by telephone/mail (4.9% of net sample).

The CSB has validation rules in ISDAVS programme - primary data checking, primary validation of output tables, analysis of results.

Grossing-up procedures

Grossing-up procedures

The design weights were computed as the inverse of the inclusion probabilities.

 The design weights were adjusted within strata for non-response correction.

 No need for imputation.

Not applicable

Not applicable

Problems encountered and lessons to be learnt: