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.
The PRODCOM Survey is traditionally an integral part of the monthly Short-Term Business Statistics Survey (STS-survey) which forms - together with the yearly Structural Business Statistics Survey (SBS) and the Material Input Statistics Survey (MIS) - a unique and coherent statistical framework. In Austria PRODCOM is a monthly survey resp. statistics in Austria.
These three main economic statistical surveys STS, SBS and MIS cover and analyse all statistical activities with reference to NACE Rev. 2 - sections B to F resp. divisions 05 to 43 – in Austria called “Industry and Construction”. They are embedded in a particular conceptual framework which guarantees a maximum of synergies and coherence in accordance to the identification and selection of the statistical observation and reporting units as well as minimizing the response burden for small enterprises.
The PRODCOM survey provides data on industrial products (as well as energy and construction products) manufactured on the national territory. Industrial services are also rendered. The survey covers all legal units and/or KAU's which carry out industrial (as well as energy and construction) activities (regardless of whether as a main or secondary activity).
Within the national PRODCOM survey the following data are collected (these or part of these characteristics are then used to calculate the European PRODCOM variables for Eurostat - see also chapter 3.4.):
value and volume of products from own production intended for sale
value and volume of products from own production intended for further processing
value and volume of products from own production intended for internal deliveries, transactions and performances
value and volume of products under sub-contracted operations
value and volume of products which are carried out by another unit
value and volume of products sold
value and volume of internal deliveries, transactions and performances within the enterprise.
3.2. Classification system
The Austrian national commodity list - the so called "OEPRODCOM list" - is based on the entire list of headings out of the latest PRODCOM-list valid for the reference year. These headings are often extended with two extra digits because of their importance to national market analysis. Therefore the Austrian national codification consists of 10 digits.
The product list is extended by further product headings for the NACE Rev. 2-divisions 05 and 06, 35, 36, 37 and 39 as well as 41 to 43 and additionally for products representing mostly secondary activities in accordance to NACE Rev. 2-divisions 45 to 96 (only market profit oriented activities - in Austria called “product related services”, mostly created as extensions of existing CPA-sub-categories (CPA 2015 6-digits extended to OEPRODCOM 10-digits).
If it is necessary to define further headings for national purposes which cannot be based on valid PRODCOM 8-digits or a certain CPA 2015-level (so called “black box” or “dummy” headings, often reflecting production plants, special industrial services like repairs, establishing, erecting, maintenance or other performances which cannot be identified in the PRODCOM-list) are defined. However, these codes must fit into one of the valid hierarchical levels of the CPA 2015.
The Austrian OEPRODCOM is the groundwork for the branch specific commodity lists 1 (containing all products and services in accordance to the NACE Rev. 2-divisions 05 to 43) and the commodity list 2 (product related services referring to all CPA 2015 based “products” at six digit level – only value – of NACE Rev. 2-division 45 to 96). The commodity lists 1 often do not show the original PRODCOM wording, but instead the description of the headings is to a certain extend hierarchically structured in regards to improve the user-friendliness.
3.3. Coverage - sector
The Austrian STS survey, and hence PRODCOM survey, coverage is limited to Sections B to F of NACE Rev. 2, this means all relevant statistical units which carry out at least one of the activities in Section B (“Mining and Quarrying”), C (“Manufacturing”), D (“Electricity, Gas, Steam and Air Conditioning Supply”), E ("Water supply; Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation Activities) and F (“Construction”) of the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE Rev. 2).
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
In principle the Austrian PRODCOM survey concept differentiates between the following production types:
Own production intended for sale (OS),
Own production intended for further processing (OP),
Own production intended for internal deliveries, transactions and performances (OI),
production under sub-contracted operations (SW),
Subcontract work carried out by another unit (SU),
Production/performances sold (PS),
Internal deliveries, transactions and performances within the enterprise (ID).
For Eurostat-reporting purposes the following reporting types are calculated:
total production = OS + OI + OP + SW,
production sold = PS,
production under sub-contracted operations = SW
Data in accordance to the headings referring to the NACE Rev. 2-groups/class/sub-class 41.1, 43.2, 43.3, 43.91 and 43.99-1 and to the NACE Rev. 2-divisions 45 to 96 are surveyed for production type “production sold” only.
The singular production types have to be recorded for all commodity list OEPRODCOM-headings as far as produced and/or sold in the reporting period.
The General Notes in the PRODCOM-list specify, that the “value of production sold/production intended for sale should be calculated on the basis of the ex-works selling price obtained/obtainable during the reporting period. This price includes packaging costs but does not contain turnover taxes, consumer taxes, separately charged costs of freight or any discounts granted to customers”.
3.5. Statistical unit
The Austrian observation unit for STS-survey and hence for the PRODCOM-survey purposes is the legal unit (LEU) and/or the kind of activity unit (KAU), which is considered to be the actual producer in the production process either as a single-KAU-enterprise or a local-KAU-enterprise or a multi-KAU-enterprise. Thus, in Austria the Regulation (EEC) 696/93 is implemented in the framework of STS and PRODCOM.
However, due to the small-structured economy in Austria, most of the legal units (LEU) correspond to a KAU, this means LEU=KAU. However, there are some important units where this is not the case and relevant KAU-units were formed.
In contrary to this fact, the economical most important operating units in the light of production have alsway been the KAU’s in Austria.
3.6. Statistical population
In general, the target population incorporates all active legal units and LKAU's in the Business register with their main and/or secondary activities listed in NACE Rev. 2- sections B to F.
According to the national STS-regulation - regulation on Short Term Business Statistics in Industries and Construction (Konjunkturstatistik-Verordnung), Federal Law Gazette II No 210/2003, amended by Federal Law Gazette No II 493/2022 - the survey population has to cover:
Legal units with 20 and more persons employed,
At least 90% (or 60% in division 43) of national production per NACE Rev. 2-division (level of representative),
If coverage rule is not fulfilled - additionally legal units with less than 20 persons employed and a turnover of at least 1.5 million Euro (NACE Rev. 2-divisions 05 to 42) and 2.5 million Euro (NACE Rev. 2-division 43).
The coverage of the STS-survey and therefore also the PRODCOM-survey is calculated in terms of total turnover of all units with primary and secondary activities within NACE Rev. 2-section B to F (due to a lack of other corresponding information).
To sum up, it can be stated that in the Austrian STS-survey (and hence Prodcom-survey) an employment threshold represents the population. Additionally - if the national representation goal of 90 per cent per NACE Rev. 2-division cannot be achieved - subsidiary turnover thresholds are applied (this means that units with less than 20 persons employed are in the survey population). Following these principles, the population of the STS-survey and therefore the Prodcom-survey is framed on the information about employment and turnover.
3.7. Reference area
Industrial production on national level.
3.8. Coverage - Time
National requirements: on a monthly basis.
European requirements: yearly.
The Austrian PRODCOM statistics have been compiled according to the EU harmonized concept since 1996.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
For volume: physical measurement unit required by the nomenclature of industrial production (OEPRODCOM-list), specific for each product.
For values: in thousands of Euro to be in line with EBS-Regulation.
The data are from the calendar year 2024.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
This survey is carried out in compliance with following regulations:
National level: The legal base for statistical confidentiality is:
The general obligation to publish statistics and the strict fulfilment of statistical confidentiality is regulated by the “Federal Statistics Act 2000” ("Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000") in the current version.
The protection of personal data is covered by the “Data Protection Act 2000” ("Datenschutzgesetz 2000", in the current version).
Aggregates have to be flagged as "confidential" if the data refers to less than 3 statistical units (primary/active confidentiality).
The secondary confidentiality pattern is calculated by an algorithm making it impossible to restore the original data by subtraction from row and column aggregates. No dominance criterion is applied, but the right of the enterprises to protect their individual data must be respected. Consequential, if a company proves dominance in a specific aggregate, the data in the respective cells of the table must not be displayed/shown, even if there are more than 3 contributing units.
About 60% of the Austria PRODCOM data are confidential.
8.1. Release calendar
Eurostat requirements:
Yearly: t+6 months after the reference period.
National requirements:
Monthly: t+90 days after the reference month for monthly OEPRODCOM data.
Yearly: t+6 months after the reference period.
8.2. Release calendar access
A release calendar as well as a press calendar is on the homepage of Statistics Austria.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Release is simultaneously with:
No prior access before official data release.
The "Federal Statistics Act 2000“ ("Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000) in the current version) explicitly states in §30 (3) the obligation of Statistics Austria to inform without delay the Federal Ministry responsible for the subject matter concerned about the results of statistical surveys and to publish them simultaneously.
According to the release calendar of Eurostat the data are transmitted to Eurostat.
The PRODCOM data are transmitted to Eurostat yearly. On national level (OEPRODCOM) data are available monthly.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
In general, the monthly figures of the STS/PRODCOM survey are published 90 days after the monthly reference period on the website of Statistics Austria.
Press releases
Statistics Austria publishes information on the monthly STS/PRODCOM survey in the form of a press release, which can also be accessed free of charge on the website under "Presse" (for PRODCOM-data there is no separate press release).
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
The most important national paper and electronic publications concerning to STS and PRODCOM data both on a monthly and annual basis are:
"Statistische Übersichten" (Statistical Overviews -Supplement to "Statistische Nachrichten"),
"STATcube" (statistical database of Statistics Austria),
Website of Statistics Austria: STATISTIK AUSTRIA - www.statistik.at > Industry, construction, trade and services > Production in goods > PRODCOM.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Statistical Database - STATcube:
The Database STATcube can be found on the Website of Statistics Austria.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
In general, there are no microdata available for users - except those that have a legal basis.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Other Figures or other special required data in accordance to the special needs of the applicant either in printed form (tables) or in specific file formats (excel, csv, pdf, ...).
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Metadata and quality reports:
Standardised national metadata and quality reports for "Short Term Statistics in industry and construction" (pdf document - available in German only). Metadata can be also found in other disseminations (printed brochures, STATcube, ...).
These reports can be downloaded on our website (see item "Documentation").
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Quality management documentation in form of methodology reports and various analyses can be found on the website of Statistics Austria (available in German only) at website (see item "Documentation").
Quality checks and validation of data are done throughout the whole compilation process. This is described in the standardised metadata and quality report for "Short Term Statistics in industry and construction" (see item "Documentation" - available in German only) on the website of Statistics Austria.
The chapter “Quality” of this report contains the following points:
Following relevant changes discussions with national experts and the Quality Committee of the Statistical Council of Statistics Austria are held for feedback and modification suggestions.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Statistics Austria has its own internal quality management department.
Reports are not only based on best practices, but also on the results of regular (quality) meetings amongst decision-making bodies and users.
Detailed information on the latest Peer Reviews (2022 as well as 2006 and 2014) can be found at webpage.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
External main users
The external main users of the Austrian STS-data (and therefore PRODCOM) data are:
European Commission (General directorates and primarily Eurostat),
Other international institutions (UN, OECD, ECB),
Governmental authorities and public administrations,
Trade associations,
Social partners,
National and international enterprises and enterprise groups,
National Research institutes (WIFO, IHS) and universities,
Media,
Students.
Internal users
Internally the following statistical projects apply for APS-data either as a weighting system or as basis information:
National accounts (commodity flows),
Environmental statistics (material flows),
Production index,
Productivity index,
Output price indices,
Energy balance sheets,
SBR (demanding APS-data as an auxiliary instrument to classify statistical units by activities with regard to the characteristic products).
In general, the monthly production data are among the most popular industrial statistics. Potential users are interested in highly detailed products data as possible. Therefore, the Austrian commodity-list OEPRODCOM includes more breakdowns and subheadings compared to the European PRODCOM-list, including nearly all existing industrial and services activities.
Moreover, users need at least total production and production sold data – by quantity (wherever useful) for all physical products as well as valued for all headings.
Many users demand production data and foreign trade data to calculate national apparent consumption at a higher level (e.g. 6-digit CPA 2015-level). Therefore, the national publication of production at 6-, 4- and 2-digit levels of the CPA 2015 is one of the most pressing demands of multiple users.
Demands on a harmonized survey on production
The main aims of a harmonized survey on production are:
The European Commission needs reliable and quick statistics in order to report on the economic development in each Member State of the Union within the framework of the economic policy of the Union.
They build a main information-source for national and international institutions to decide upon needed policies, analyse the current situation and to make forecasts.
Businesses and their professional associations need such information in order to understand their markets and to know their activity and performance relative to their sector, at national and international level.
Production statistics help EU-companies and analysts to do market research and define their commercial strategy.
Data of production statistics constitute an essential source of information for Balance of Payments Statistics (BOP), for the construction of national accounts (European System of National Account – ESA 2010) and Input-Output-charts and economic studies.
The needs of national users can be described as follows:
Product classification derived from CPA 2015 and (therefore) fully compatible to the valid PRODCOM-list and HS or CN respectively,
Different levels of product aggregations: OEPRODCOM (10-digit) → PRODCOM (8-digit) → CPA 2015 (6-/4-/2-digit)
Desirable measurement unit(s),
Monthly frequency,
Data dissemination at least within 90 calendar days after reference month,
Different types of production to evaluate the production process,
Covering the national production of “physical commodities” as well as “industrial and non- industrial services”, carried out by businesses (legal units and their LKAU’s) with a main activity and at least one secondary activity according to the NACE Rev. 2-sections B to F.
Main reasons for lack of relevance
Users often demand more detailed data as published or they just need data being confidential (much of the PRODCOM-data is of great interest, but due to restrictive data-protection-regulations a lot of information available cannot be published in the required form).
Users are interested in information which enterprises actually produce certain products or offer certain services in accordance with the commodities produced.
Users demand more exhaustive explanations for singular PRODCOM-headings.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
User's satisfaction surveys take place at periodic intervals (in general every 2 years). Information can be found on the website.
On the other hand, there are regular meetings with national experts and essential users to react to new requirements, if they are in line with legal necessities or constraints.
12.3. Completeness
The Austrian PRODCOM figures are complete (in the light of the level of the required representativeness).
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Concept of a cut-off survey, therefore no sampling errors.
13.2. Sampling error
Because of the fact that the Austrian PRODCOM survey is conducted as a non-probability, non-representative (concentrated) sample (cut off threshold) it is impossible to estimate a sampling error.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Unit non-response:
In Austria we calculate an unweighted unit non-response rate, this means the ratio of the number of units with no information or not usable information to the total number of in-scope (eligible) units. From this, an imputation rate can be deducted. Because of the fact, that the monthly PRODCOM statistics is a well-established survey in Austria, the unit-non response rate respectively the imputation rate do not change significantly over time.
The unweighted unit non-response rate and therefore the impuation rate for the Austrian PRODCOM results (t+6 month after the reference year) is only about 0.5 per cent in 2024. Nevertheless, these units are estimated on basis of a model-based imputation programme, where the missing data are replaced with substituted values.
In general, since many years the Austrian PRODCOM data are based on more than 99 per cent on primary statistical data (survey data form the respondents). Only about 0.8 to 0.4 per cent were replaced with substituted values.
Item-non-response:
We do not calculate an item non-response rate, this means a ratio between in-scope units that have not responded and in-scope units that are required to respond to the particular item, separately. The main reason is that we have a monthly PRODCOM survey and missing production variables in one month must not be wrong.
Missing volume data are estimated on the basis of unit values assuming that an average unit value can be calculated. If there is only one unit processing the heading concerned, the time series unit value will be taken and evaluated by the consumer price index. Alternatively, the unit value calculated will be compared with the unit value of the aggregated CN-headings concerned. Additionally, specific questions are clarified by telephone or email.
Data revision - average size:
We do not calculate a data revision average size. The reason is that the Austrian PRODCOM survey is traditionally an integral part of the monthly STS-survey (and hence PRODCOM-survey). So, both STS-data and Prodcom-data are edited. The number of edited enterprises varies from month to month and year to year and can not be related in an reasonable manner. It is not useful to compare monthy and yearly data revision actions.
In general, some non-sampling errors must be considered:
Response rate
Actions to increase the response rate are taken insofar as:
Systematic follow up contacts by one and the same co-worker of Statistics Austria with the respondents of the reporting units often lead to a personal relationship ensuring that the statistical information arrives Statistics Austria in time and (in a high percentage) correctly.
Costless dissemination of printed periodically aggregated information meeting the branch-specific needs of enterprises for observing the economic cycle helps to increase the acceptance of the statistical burden.
Furthermore, it is made clear in the explanatory notes that estimates are accepted if exact figures are not (yet) available.
Legal deadline to report is the 15th of the following month. To ensure this deadline Statistics Austria has established a permanent practice for sending out reminders at two stages: 1st reminder – one week after, 2nd reminder three weeks after the legal deadline (informal and formal requests). If the reporting unit is not willing to meet the legal obligation to report within 6 weeks after deadline Statistics Austria is obliged to report them to the legal district authority which might impose them a fee up to 2.180 EUR.
Missing observation units are listed top down according to their branch importance to see the priority for contacting them immediately.
Coverage
Among other things the national STS-regulation also includes a degree of coverage (90 per cent criteria for the industrial sectors).
The SBS or administrative data are taken as the source to calculate the coverage as ratio between:
Total turnover from industrial activities or total production value of the APS-observation units and,
Total turnover or total production value respectively of all enterprises with primary and secondary activities within NACE Rev. 2-section B to F, measured at NACE Rev. 2-class level.
In general, it can be distinguished between the following types of coverage error:
Undercoverage: there are target population units which are not accessible via the frame (e.g. enterprises carrying out “industrial activities” but not accessed by the survey).
Overcoverage: there are units accessible via the frame which does not belong to the target population (e.g. service enterprises classified and surveyed as “industrial” enterprises).
Multiple listings: target population units are present more than once in the frame (e.g. identical enterprises under different firm names and addressed listed twice in the SBR).
Incorrect auxiliary information: the auxiliary information provided by the frame may be inaccurate for some population units (e.g. wrong employment or turnover size of units in a business register).
Coverage errors may lead to bias and underestimation of variance.
Reasons for undercoverage
The following reasons for undercoverage are evident but must be accepted at the moment because of national legal restrictions:
local KAU's with a main activity in the services sector but with secondary activities within NACE Rev. 2-divisions 05 to 43 and,
LEU's with less than 20 persons employed and carrying out a main activity and/or secondary activities within NACE Rev. 2-divisions 05 to 43 are generally excluded from the survey population (with the exception of the "turnover"-criteria - see point 3.6).
The reason to exclude these LEU's and KAU’s is to minimize or to avoid the respondent burden of mainly in the services sector active single LKAU as well as of small sized enterprises totally. These exclusions however, make it partly impossible to cover the 90% representativeness in some NACE Rev. 2-classes (“small structured branches”) and obviously the use of such a cut off threshold leads to bias as such small enterprises are underrepresented in the survey.
Further reasons for undercoverage can be assumed in cases of
Unit-non-response (LEU's and KAU’s not returning questionnaire though part of the frame),
Activity classification errors (wrong or missing secondary activities),
Commodity classification errors.
Overcoverage
In contradiction to the above mentioned undercoverage
Commodity classification errors (e.g. reporting of “product related services” instead of physical commodities produced) or,
Activity classification errors (in case of enterprises erroneously classified in Sections B to F instead of e.g. Section G of the NACE Rev. 2) may also lead to overcoverage.
Multiple listings
No units are present more than once in the frame. Each LEU/LKAU is characterized by an identity number relating to name and address of the unit.
Incorrect auxiliary information
Two types of auxiliary information in the SBR may lead to errors in the frame of the survey:
Incorrect NACE activity information may lead to a unit not apparent in the frame.
Incorrect information in SBR derived from administrative data sources concerning number of persons employed and or turnover may also lead to a unit not apparent in the frame.
14.1. Timeliness
According to the new EBS-regulation Statistics Austria transmits the yearly PRODCOM data within six months after the end of the reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
As stated by Eurostat the PRODCOM compliance result for Austria for the last reference year was "Very Good".
Statistics Austria punctually submits the final data for the reference year 2024 to Eurostat in June 2025 and hence timely.
On a national level, the first preliminary monthly data are available 90 days after each reference month.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
In general, requirements and definitions of the PRODCOM-regulation are applied.
General remarks:
Concerning the degree of comparability between similar surveys measuring the same characteristics, while being conducted by multiple statistical agencies referring to populations in different geographical entities.
Whenever there occur differences between national concepts and European concepts (definition of statistical units, reference population, classifications and definition of observed characteristics), details about these differences in terms of concept and estimation of consequences for resulting statistics should be mentioned.
The combination of both information sources will allow an assessment on the level of comparability for the statistics.
Comparisons between countries are carried out by EUROSTAT within the framework of the vilification of PRODCOM-data.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Comparability over time:
Data up to 2007,
Data from 2008 onwards (Introduction of NACE Rev. 2 in to the European statistical system).
Further remarks concerning the comparability in general:
Comparability with other statistics
Some users, especially those working in the macroeconomic field, use time series rather than point estimates for a date. The stability of the concepts and methods of measurement is very important to them. Inconsistencies over time occur when the respective data collected for a specific reference period are not entirely comparable with the data of the following periods due to a number of peculiarities in certain time periods. In such cases we say that we have a break in time series. The difference in concepts and methods of measurements between two reference periods should be examined. Micro as well as macro-data (aggregated to NACE-classes or -groups) can be compared with results from previous months and years.
Comparability with the Structural Business Statistic (SBS)
PRODCOM-data can directly be compared with data from the annual structural business statistic in the production sector on the basis of establishments. As these two statistics are carried out at different points of time, minor deviations (e.g. due to retrospective reorganization) have to considered.
Comparability with Foreign Trade Statistic
At present a matching between the foreign trade register and the business register is in progress. This will allow the identification of corresponding statistical units and builds the basis for regular comparison between production and foreign trade data.
Combinations of the above
Comparability problems can arise in pairs, for instance if someone wants to use time series of several countries in order to compare forecasted values.
Possible errors
The data are comparable over time making certain reservations:
Change due to Classifications
The PRODCOM-list is changed once a year mainly due to changes in the CPA and the CN. The number of changes varies a lot from year to year.
Change due to number of employees
Once a year the population is updated with enterprises having surpassed or fallen below the threshold of observation (in general at least 20 employees). During the calendar year no update based on the number of employees implemented.
Change due to NACE activity
The population is updated with LEU's and KAU's changing primary or secondary activity into NACE Rev. 2 05 to 33 as well as 38 or out of NACE 05 to 33 as well as 38 once a year. During the calendar year no population update is conducted due to changes in activities.
Possible mechanisms for ensuring or increasing comparability
Comparability over space
Comparability over time
Changes due to definitions, coverage or methods and other changes will have an impact on continuity. The changes of definition caused by this changeover do not only result in structural changes within detailed results, as shown by changes in the nomenclature, but also in changes of quality aspects such as coherence and comparability between domains and over space.
Other changes, such as raising/decreasing the cut off threshold as well as changes in the representativeness criteria or changes in the completeness of the Business Register lead to unexplainable distortions in time series.
New Variable Sub-Contracted Work
In Austria subcontracted work is a collected variable since many years and added to total production within our publications and data sent to EUROSTAT. Therefore, we do not expect a break in our time series.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Apart from the fact that provisional and final production data must be coherent to another, information on production can be found in
Short Term Business Statistics,
Annual Structural Business Statistics,
National Accounts Statistics,
Foreign Trade Statistics,
Certain branch statistics such as agro-industrial, energy and environmental statistics which must relate to one another.
However, the compilation of the data and the production of the above mentioned statistics follow different recommendations (sources and methods) of mostly different international organizations, i.e. Eurostat, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United Nations (UN), World Trade Organization, etc. and therefore the interpretation of the data as well as the understanding sometimes seems to be different and not necessarily coherent.
Coherence concerning the number of enterprises in the business register (BR)
The STS survey (and therefore the PRODCOM surveys) is based on active enterprises in the BR at the end of a predetermined reference period. Furthermore, in BR enterprises with a yearly turnover of at least 1 000 EUR (per year) or with employees are recorded as active, in general. In STS survey the same thresholds for defining an enterprise as active are applied.
Coherence between STS-data and production data
The production data serve as a base for calculation of the index of production as well as of the national indices of productivity. "Total technical production“ is used for this purpose. Production OEPRODCOM-data are used as well for selection and weighting purposes in the concept of calculation producer price indices. Data obtained according to OEPRODCOM have a high level of information by whom, when, what, how much and in which structure industrial products are processed.
Coherence between structural business and final production statistics
Production sold in total values can be linked with variable "turnover" of Structural Business Statistics and therefore can serve as a control variable on the conditions that valuation of production sold is coherent with turnover.
Coherence between National Accounts and final production statistics
Production statistics is one of the most important sources for calculating input-/output tables and therefore the demand for coherence between National Accounts and production statistics is indispensable.
Coherence between foreign trade and final production statistics
Linking the results of external trade statistics to the results of production statistics could lead to problems in some cases. On the one hand there is no difference made between trade in goods produced in Austria and trade in goods imported and afterwards exported again, which may be called “re-exported imports”. On the other hand, detailed production data are available in accordance with the national PRODCOM, while external trade results conform to the Combined Nomenclature (CN). Since the two classifications are not completely compatible, the only alternative is to link them at aggregated level in accordance with CPA.
Nevertheless, a precise connection to CN can be realized for 90% per cent.
Coherence between certain branch and final production statistics
Needs of information concerning production of sugar, milk and milk-products, oils, fats and other food products as well as of products of the wood industry are of great interest for agricultural and forestry statistics. Production statistics supply data concerning production of certain environmental relevant products especially mining of raw materials and their processing, chemical industry etc. Although energy statistics has own statistics observing production, distribution and consumption of electricity production data are urgently used for comparison and validation of results.
New Variable Sub-Contracted Work
In Austria subcontracted work is a collected variable since many years and added to total production within our publications and data sent to EURSTAT. Therefore, we do not expect a break in our time series nor in any coherence to other statistics.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Provisional data serve as a first source of publication. New and better or revised information of the observation units makes it necessary to adapt the former information until the data are regarded as final. These data are at least unalterable at national level. Regarding to this fact it is impossible for Statistics Austria to alter data sets submitted on demand of Eurostat in case of possible unit value deviations or apparent consumption analysis.
The Federal Statistics Law 2000 stipulates that the institutions of official statistics have to organise their statistical system in a way that the response burden on enterprises is as small as possible. Thus, it was seen necessary to evaluate the actual response burden and to develop a system which facilitates monitoring of the response burden.
In the context of a co-operation contract between Statistics Austria and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber signed in 2001, one of the aims was to develop a system to monitor the development of the response burden. Based on the experience in other countries this monitoring system was named “response burden barometer”. The response burden barometer is a quantitative and objective indicator on the response burden and its temporal development. It takes into consideration the various surveys as well as the different situations at the branches and size bands.
Detailed results of the response burden barometer by surveys can be found on the homepage of Statistics Austria at webpage.
17.1. Data revision - policy
General principles relating to the data revision policy (available in German only) can be found at this webpage.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The Austrian PRODCOM data are transmitted to Eurostat at the latest t+6 month after the reference year. These are already final data. Therefore, and in general, no more data revision is foreseen.
In general, a revision after the legal transmission deadline (t+6 months) will only be done if the external factors have been changed in such a manner that a significant impact on the results may be expected (extraordinary revision).
18.1. Source data
The Austrian PRODCOM data are based on a primary survey (whereby the PRODCOM survey is traditionally an integrated part of the monthly Short Term Statistics surveys) of about 10 000 respondents. Detailed information can be found at here (available in German only) (see point "Documentation")
The Austrian STS/PRODCOM survey coverage is limited to Sections B to F od NACE Rev. 2, this means all relevant statistical units which carry out at least one of the activities in Sections
B (“Mining and Quarrying”),
C (“Manufacturing”),
D (“Electricity, Gas, Steam and Air Conditioning Supply”),
E ("Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities) and
F (“Construction”)
of the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE Rev. 2).
According to the national regulation [regulation on Short-Term Statistics in Industries and Construction (Konjunkturstatistik-Verordnung), Federal Law Gazette II No 210/2003, amended by Federal Law Gazette No II 493/2023] the survey population has to cover:
Legal units with 20 and more persons employed,
At least 90% of national production per NACE Rev. 2-class (level of representative),
If coverage rule is not fulfilled - additionally legal units with less than 20 persons employed and a turnover of at least 1.5 bn Euro (NACE Rev. 2-divisions 05 to 42) and 2 bn Euro (NACE Rev. 2-division 43).
The coverage of the STS-survey and therefore also the PRODCOM-survey is calculated in terms of total turnover from industrial activities of observation units/total turnover of all enterprises with primary and secondary activities within NACE Rev. 2-section B to F (due to a lack of other corresponding information).
As previously discussed, the Austrian PRODCOM-survey is a cut-off survey (non-probability sampling) or in other words a “non-representative, concentrated sample” with regard to a certain degree of coverage in national production.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
In Austria the PRODCOM survey is a monthly survey. Annual data are calculated based on the monthly data.
18.3. Data collection
Regarding the data submissions by the enterprises of this - in Austria - monthly survey it is mandatory for the respondents to use an electronic questionnaire.
18.4. Data validation
In Austria questionnaires pass through the following processes:
1.) Plausibility checks during entering data in the online questionnaires as a first step
Filling in the questionnaire the respondents face several interactive plausibility checks. Obviously this became possible with the mandatory usage of electronic questionnaires (so called "eQuest/Web").
2.) Processing incoming electronic questionnaires (in the context of the data transfer)
In the context of the data transfer Statistics Austria also developed standardized software systems as special instruments for treating, validating and correcting “incoming data” to accept and process the raw data. Incoming e-Quest/Web questionnaires can be directly viewed and edited in the intranet by subject matter experts using the same browser application developed for the respondents – albeit enhanced by specific internal functions. Questionnaires which have been checked in this manner and are then transferred via an interface component to the electronic application (so-called "KJE-Korr").
3.)Further processing by using an electronic application for treating, validating and correcting
An efficient integration of electronic questionnaires into the existing processing flows was achieved with the PC correction application "KJEKorr“. This program allows data from the monthly Short-Term Statistics Survey already residing in the host database to be viewed, augmented, validated and corrected. This fulfils all requirements of Statistics Austria for extensive documentation and modification history, which were formerly complied with handwritten notes on the paper forms. Without having to take regress to the paper questionnaires, the subject matter expert can now process the survey data quickly and efficiently and can rely on automatic data editing support:
automatic calculations (sums, quotas, entry counters, units of measure),
online search in the classification hierarchies (PRODCOM, NACE),
modification history, comments and validation checks on the currently active field are highlighted,
questionnaires that have been "set aside“ or deleted can be reactivated,
automatic data validation at the moment when the data are stored.
Therefore, a lot of micro- and macro plausibility checks on different aggregate levels are performed followed by comparisons between historical and actual data:
Checking coherence between different variables of the STS-questionnaire (production types, employment, volume of orders, turnover),
Checking coherence of the singular OEPRODCOM-headings in comparing the actual mean price and the mean price of an observation unit as well as the actual minimum and the maximum price of the same product of the totals,
Checking coherence of the singular OEPRODCOM-headings in comparing the actual mean price and the historical mean price of the observation unit as well as the actual minimum and the maximum price of the same product of the totals,
Checking plausibility between the variable "sold production" and foreign trade results are carried out via PC correction application "KJEKorr".
As can be seen, all incoming questionnaire are checked for plausibility and validation, in terms of both form and content. On the one hand, the micro data are checked by the statisticians based on their sound knowledge on the respective singular units as well as economic branches; on the other hand, special computerized analysis (plausibility checks) are performed on different levels of aggregation aiming to calculate the macro level. Thus, the STS-data must pass about 200 plausibility checks, about 30 checks refer to the production data (PRODCOM) and data in context with turnover, whereby the check of one plausibility item may include several further checks. Moreover, the calculation of unit values and comparisons with foreign trade data help to verify the correctness of above mentioned data.
Actually, all economic surveys in Mining and Manufacturing Industries (STS, SBS and MIS) are handled by the people in charge what opens up a wide range of possibilities to compare different variables (i.e. value of material input compared with OEPRODCOM-output, turnover by value from STS and SBS compared with production sold), in some economic branches orders received and unfilled orders at the end of a period compared with value of production sold), too. Further controls are performed when the monthly production index (basing on the variables "own production" and "subcontract work carried out by the observation unit as a subcontractor"), turnover indices, indices of orders received and all the other indices are calculated. Hence, development trends in total turnover on detailed NACE level are mentioned continuously supported by comparisons to prior periods.
18.5. Data compilation
In general, data are available from a primary statistical survey.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
No further comments.
The PRODCOM Survey is traditionally an integral part of the monthly Short-Term Business Statistics Survey (STS-survey) which forms - together with the yearly Structural Business Statistics Survey (SBS) and the Material Input Statistics Survey (MIS) - a unique and coherent statistical framework. In Austria PRODCOM is a monthly survey resp. statistics in Austria.
These three main economic statistical surveys STS, SBS and MIS cover and analyse all statistical activities with reference to NACE Rev. 2 - sections B to F resp. divisions 05 to 43 – in Austria called “Industry and Construction”. They are embedded in a particular conceptual framework which guarantees a maximum of synergies and coherence in accordance to the identification and selection of the statistical observation and reporting units as well as minimizing the response burden for small enterprises.
The PRODCOM survey provides data on industrial products (as well as energy and construction products) manufactured on the national territory. Industrial services are also rendered. The survey covers all legal units and/or KAU's which carry out industrial (as well as energy and construction) activities (regardless of whether as a main or secondary activity).
Within the national PRODCOM survey the following data are collected (these or part of these characteristics are then used to calculate the European PRODCOM variables for Eurostat - see also chapter 3.4.):
value and volume of products from own production intended for sale
value and volume of products from own production intended for further processing
value and volume of products from own production intended for internal deliveries, transactions and performances
value and volume of products under sub-contracted operations
value and volume of products which are carried out by another unit
value and volume of products sold
value and volume of internal deliveries, transactions and performances within the enterprise.
6 August 2025
In principle the Austrian PRODCOM survey concept differentiates between the following production types:
Own production intended for sale (OS),
Own production intended for further processing (OP),
Own production intended for internal deliveries, transactions and performances (OI),
production under sub-contracted operations (SW),
Subcontract work carried out by another unit (SU),
Production/performances sold (PS),
Internal deliveries, transactions and performances within the enterprise (ID).
For Eurostat-reporting purposes the following reporting types are calculated:
total production = OS + OI + OP + SW,
production sold = PS,
production under sub-contracted operations = SW
Data in accordance to the headings referring to the NACE Rev. 2-groups/class/sub-class 41.1, 43.2, 43.3, 43.91 and 43.99-1 and to the NACE Rev. 2-divisions 45 to 96 are surveyed for production type “production sold” only.
The singular production types have to be recorded for all commodity list OEPRODCOM-headings as far as produced and/or sold in the reporting period.
The General Notes in the PRODCOM-list specify, that the “value of production sold/production intended for sale should be calculated on the basis of the ex-works selling price obtained/obtainable during the reporting period. This price includes packaging costs but does not contain turnover taxes, consumer taxes, separately charged costs of freight or any discounts granted to customers”.
The Austrian observation unit for STS-survey and hence for the PRODCOM-survey purposes is the legal unit (LEU) and/or the kind of activity unit (KAU), which is considered to be the actual producer in the production process either as a single-KAU-enterprise or a local-KAU-enterprise or a multi-KAU-enterprise. Thus, in Austria the Regulation (EEC) 696/93 is implemented in the framework of STS and PRODCOM.
However, due to the small-structured economy in Austria, most of the legal units (LEU) correspond to a KAU, this means LEU=KAU. However, there are some important units where this is not the case and relevant KAU-units were formed.
In contrary to this fact, the economical most important operating units in the light of production have alsway been the KAU’s in Austria.
In general, the target population incorporates all active legal units and LKAU's in the Business register with their main and/or secondary activities listed in NACE Rev. 2- sections B to F.
According to the national STS-regulation - regulation on Short Term Business Statistics in Industries and Construction (Konjunkturstatistik-Verordnung), Federal Law Gazette II No 210/2003, amended by Federal Law Gazette No II 493/2022 - the survey population has to cover:
Legal units with 20 and more persons employed,
At least 90% (or 60% in division 43) of national production per NACE Rev. 2-division (level of representative),
If coverage rule is not fulfilled - additionally legal units with less than 20 persons employed and a turnover of at least 1.5 million Euro (NACE Rev. 2-divisions 05 to 42) and 2.5 million Euro (NACE Rev. 2-division 43).
The coverage of the STS-survey and therefore also the PRODCOM-survey is calculated in terms of total turnover of all units with primary and secondary activities within NACE Rev. 2-section B to F (due to a lack of other corresponding information).
To sum up, it can be stated that in the Austrian STS-survey (and hence Prodcom-survey) an employment threshold represents the population. Additionally - if the national representation goal of 90 per cent per NACE Rev. 2-division cannot be achieved - subsidiary turnover thresholds are applied (this means that units with less than 20 persons employed are in the survey population). Following these principles, the population of the STS-survey and therefore the Prodcom-survey is framed on the information about employment and turnover.
Industrial production on national level.
The data are from the calendar year 2024.
Concept of a cut-off survey, therefore no sampling errors.
For volume: physical measurement unit required by the nomenclature of industrial production (OEPRODCOM-list), specific for each product.
For values: in thousands of Euro to be in line with EBS-Regulation.
In general, data are available from a primary statistical survey.
The Austrian PRODCOM data are based on a primary survey (whereby the PRODCOM survey is traditionally an integrated part of the monthly Short Term Statistics surveys) of about 10 000 respondents. Detailed information can be found at here (available in German only) (see point "Documentation")
The Austrian STS/PRODCOM survey coverage is limited to Sections B to F od NACE Rev. 2, this means all relevant statistical units which carry out at least one of the activities in Sections
B (“Mining and Quarrying”),
C (“Manufacturing”),
D (“Electricity, Gas, Steam and Air Conditioning Supply”),
E ("Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities) and
F (“Construction”)
of the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE Rev. 2).
According to the national regulation [regulation on Short-Term Statistics in Industries and Construction (Konjunkturstatistik-Verordnung), Federal Law Gazette II No 210/2003, amended by Federal Law Gazette No II 493/2023] the survey population has to cover:
Legal units with 20 and more persons employed,
At least 90% of national production per NACE Rev. 2-class (level of representative),
If coverage rule is not fulfilled - additionally legal units with less than 20 persons employed and a turnover of at least 1.5 bn Euro (NACE Rev. 2-divisions 05 to 42) and 2 bn Euro (NACE Rev. 2-division 43).
The coverage of the STS-survey and therefore also the PRODCOM-survey is calculated in terms of total turnover from industrial activities of observation units/total turnover of all enterprises with primary and secondary activities within NACE Rev. 2-section B to F (due to a lack of other corresponding information).
As previously discussed, the Austrian PRODCOM-survey is a cut-off survey (non-probability sampling) or in other words a “non-representative, concentrated sample” with regard to a certain degree of coverage in national production.
The PRODCOM data are transmitted to Eurostat yearly. On national level (OEPRODCOM) data are available monthly.
According to the new EBS-regulation Statistics Austria transmits the yearly PRODCOM data within six months after the end of the reference year.
In general, requirements and definitions of the PRODCOM-regulation are applied.
General remarks:
Concerning the degree of comparability between similar surveys measuring the same characteristics, while being conducted by multiple statistical agencies referring to populations in different geographical entities.
Whenever there occur differences between national concepts and European concepts (definition of statistical units, reference population, classifications and definition of observed characteristics), details about these differences in terms of concept and estimation of consequences for resulting statistics should be mentioned.
The combination of both information sources will allow an assessment on the level of comparability for the statistics.
Comparisons between countries are carried out by EUROSTAT within the framework of the vilification of PRODCOM-data.
Comparability over time:
Data up to 2007,
Data from 2008 onwards (Introduction of NACE Rev. 2 in to the European statistical system).
Further remarks concerning the comparability in general:
Comparability with other statistics
Some users, especially those working in the macroeconomic field, use time series rather than point estimates for a date. The stability of the concepts and methods of measurement is very important to them. Inconsistencies over time occur when the respective data collected for a specific reference period are not entirely comparable with the data of the following periods due to a number of peculiarities in certain time periods. In such cases we say that we have a break in time series. The difference in concepts and methods of measurements between two reference periods should be examined. Micro as well as macro-data (aggregated to NACE-classes or -groups) can be compared with results from previous months and years.
Comparability with the Structural Business Statistic (SBS)
PRODCOM-data can directly be compared with data from the annual structural business statistic in the production sector on the basis of establishments. As these two statistics are carried out at different points of time, minor deviations (e.g. due to retrospective reorganization) have to considered.
Comparability with Foreign Trade Statistic
At present a matching between the foreign trade register and the business register is in progress. This will allow the identification of corresponding statistical units and builds the basis for regular comparison between production and foreign trade data.
Combinations of the above
Comparability problems can arise in pairs, for instance if someone wants to use time series of several countries in order to compare forecasted values.
Possible errors
The data are comparable over time making certain reservations:
Change due to Classifications
The PRODCOM-list is changed once a year mainly due to changes in the CPA and the CN. The number of changes varies a lot from year to year.
Change due to number of employees
Once a year the population is updated with enterprises having surpassed or fallen below the threshold of observation (in general at least 20 employees). During the calendar year no update based on the number of employees implemented.
Change due to NACE activity
The population is updated with LEU's and KAU's changing primary or secondary activity into NACE Rev. 2 05 to 33 as well as 38 or out of NACE 05 to 33 as well as 38 once a year. During the calendar year no population update is conducted due to changes in activities.
Possible mechanisms for ensuring or increasing comparability
Comparability over space
Comparability over time
Changes due to definitions, coverage or methods and other changes will have an impact on continuity. The changes of definition caused by this changeover do not only result in structural changes within detailed results, as shown by changes in the nomenclature, but also in changes of quality aspects such as coherence and comparability between domains and over space.
Other changes, such as raising/decreasing the cut off threshold as well as changes in the representativeness criteria or changes in the completeness of the Business Register lead to unexplainable distortions in time series.
New Variable Sub-Contracted Work
In Austria subcontracted work is a collected variable since many years and added to total production within our publications and data sent to EUROSTAT. Therefore, we do not expect a break in our time series.
