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.
Division: Economic and business statistics and national Account.
Sector: Business statistics Den Haag.
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Postbus 24500 2490 HA Den Haag The Nethetlands
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
11 July 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
11 July 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
11 July 2025
3.1. Data description
PRODCOM is the European Union (EU) survey providing statistics on the production of manufactured goods. It is based on a list of products; for each product in the list, the statistics show the amount produced in each year in the Netherland and whole Europe.
The list aims to include all manufactured products. But to keep it manageable, similar products are grouped into single items. The list is updated every 2 to 3 years – it currently contains just under 4000 items.
Prodcom data are collected according to the EU Regulations:
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics
The indicators requested are: value and volume of industrial production and/or actual production in the Netherlands during the reference period.
The sample comprises all industry legal units that are representative for the national economy and of each produces good included in the PRODCOM List.
Companies are addressed by letter and asked to fill in a web form with information of their probable produced goods.
Response is checked and analysed. Estimations are done for missing values results are validated. Results are disseminated and published on the site of Statistic Netherlands.
All enterprises with an industrial activity in Section B (Divisions 07 and 08), Section C (Divisions 10 to 18, 20 to 33) and section E (38.3) of NACE rev. 2 and with 20 employees or more. A few exceptions are made for smaller enterprises in Prodcom 13.
The purpose of the Prodcom statistic is to report, for each product in the Prodcom List, how much has been produced in the reporting country during the reference period. This means that Prodcom statistics relate to products (not to activities) and are therefore not strictly comparable with activity-based statistics such as Structural Business Statistics. The NACE codes on which Prodcom codes are based merely serve to identify the enterprises that should be surveyed in order to determine the amount of production of the product.
The products: the Prodcom List defines the products to be included in the survey. There are approximately 4000 headings representing manufactured products and some industrial services.
The value and the volume of production: The value is expressed in national currency in thousands but where necessary, converted to Euro by Eurostat. The volume is expressed in a unit specified for each product, such as kilograms, square metres etc.
PRODCOM variables on industrial production:
Variable 251001 Sold production: Production which was invoiced during the reference year and for which raw materials or parts for assembly were purchased by the enterpise on own account. This includes industrial services which were invoiced during the reference year.
Variable 251002 Production under sub-contracted operations: Production which was invoiced during the reference year and for which raw materials or parts were (partly) supplied by a third party. The enterprise did not have (full) ownership of the end product.
Variable 251003 Actual production: Any production whch was completed during the refence year. Including production which is intended for sale, used for the manufacturing of other products or put into stock.
3.5. Statistical unit
Reporting unit: Enterprise (legal unit). Observation unit(s): Enterprise and parts of enterprises (presumed to be KAUs).
3.6. Statistical population
Products produced by industrial enterprises, with activities in Section B (Divisions 07 and 08), Section C (Divisions 10 to 18, 20 to 33) and section E (38.3) of NACE rev. 2 and with 20 employees or more on the NL territory.
Products must be produced in NL.
3.7. Reference area
Industrial production on national level.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The period observed is one calendar year. Prodcom data is available from 2008 till 2024.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
For volumes: Units of measure are specific to each Prodcom code. For a comprehensive list of of volume units per Prodcom code see the Annex below.
For values: Data are collected and stored as thousand euros.
There is a methodological guide available at Statistics Netherland with the overall policy for confidentiality (annex in Dutch only).
We apply the p%-rule as specified in the policy approved by our director general. The statistical division that produces the prodcom statistics is responsible for the choice of the value of parameter p.
For disclosure reasons, the exact value of p is not available to people outside CBS.
The confifdentiality policy is in compliance with tyhe following regulations:
National level: The Law on the CBS of 2003 (Wet op het Centraal bureau en de Centrale commissie voor de statistiek).
Disclosure of individual units is not allowed. When there is a possibility to disclose data of an individual unit, the cells are suppressed.
Output is automatically controlled in order not to disclose confidential data.
Waivers are used to publish more product groups. Because of the waivers more data can be disclosed.
For the 2024 provisional data (transmitted in june 2025) 66% of all sold production values were marked as confidential, which accounted for 52% of the total sold production value of The Netherlands.
8.1. Release calendar
According to Eurostat legislation:
The first provisional data on the reference year is published on 30 June (t + 6 months, t = reference year).
The second provisional data is published in January (t + 18 months, t = reference year).
The final data is published in June (t + 30 months, t = reference year).
8.2. Release calendar access
Users are informed about the next date of Prodcom data release through the Prodcom online database.
8.3. Release policy - user access
National Prodcom data are made available to the users, on the online database of Statistics Netherlands, in the same day when the data is delivered to Eurostat.
Users are informed about the next date of release through the Prodcom online database.
The dissemination on the website of Statistics Netherlands is twice a year, in June and in December.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
There are no news releases.
There is a yearly publication on the website.
Articles related to Prodcom results are published on a unregular base. The articles are linked to the datasets.
There have been publications on the website of Statistic Netherlands about the production of specific products: beer, fried potatoes, soy sauce. Usually comparing the production in NL with the production in the other EU countries.
At least once a year an article is published about a specific product out of Prodcom.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Prodcom data is published annually in an Online database on the website of Statistics Netherlands.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Micro data is available for researchers under strict regulations. The accessed data can be used only for research purposes.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
National Prodcom results are disseminated by Eurostat in an online database.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Process documentation is available as well as technical documentation about the production system.
There is an instruction manual for using the production system as well as a set of instructions for handling data.
Before freezing the data, analyses on micro and macro level are done. A statistical researcher validates the production process round before freezing the data and preparing the results for publication.
This statistical researcher is not involved into the Prodcom process.
There is a yearly Working Group meeting where developments and issues are discussed. There has been Task Forces for introducing new variables.
Methodological standards are available.
There is an user guide available for the production system, as well as for all the surrounding tools.
Next to analyses on a high level and data checks there is a validation on the whole process.
After each production round there is an evaluation:the researcher involved in validation asks questions and gives some hints for improvement, for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 these improvements (in the process) are introduced. The conclusion of the validation is nevertheless that Prodcom results are plausible.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Prodcom data collection and dissemination is an harmonised and standardised process, based on yearly Working Group meetings and the metadata delivered to Eurostat.
Data collection is standardised by Statistics Netherlands and there is generic process for data handling.
In 2012 a new process and production system was designed. Since then every year there have been small adjustments to the process and to the system. The production process and system are stable at this moment. All documentation is available on the intern network.
At this moment there is a quality improvement; more staff members are involved with plausibility checks, so more people know about the specificity of the Prodcom process.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Internal use of Prodcom data: National Account, Producer prices, Environmental statistics, International Trade statistics, Turnover statistics. All are depending on Prodcom data.
External use of Prodcom data: Eurostat, United Nations, Trade associations and Press.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
User comments are gathered for internal uses. Most of the users are satisfied with the results, but sometimes they prefere more detailed data.
There has not been an user satisfaction survey recently.
12.3. Completeness
The legal acts are fully implemented. NL is compliant and has the score "very good" for the quality of data.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Methodology is designed according to the requirements for Prodcom. All steps in the process are designed accordingly to the quality standards required by Statistics Netherlands.
13.2. Sampling error
The Business Register and the requirements for the coverage of Prodcom are the base for the sample survey.
All enterprises with an industrial activity in Section B (Divisions 07 and 08), Section C (Divisions 10 to 18, 20 to 33) and section E (38.3) of NACE rev. 2 and with 20 employees or more are surveyed. A few exceptions are made for smaller enterprises in Prodcom 13.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Coverage errors: small under - and over coverage is possible because of a time lack between preparing the sample and the reference period of the inquiry.
Measurement errors: Respondents have problems with the questions about the produced volume, sometimes they have to provide estimations.
Non-response errors: At the moment of finalizing the results for the provisional year, the response rate is typically around 90%. In order to provide complete data to Eurostat, the missing data are imputed. After the first publication new response will cause adjustments.
Processing errors: Errors identified during plausibility checks are analysed and the data are corrected.
Response rates (2024 provisional data transmitted in june 2025):
Unweighted response rate (number of enterprises)
84,5%
Weighted response rate (weighted by production value)
90,9%
Imputation rates (2024 provisional data transmitted in june 2025):
Sold production value
Sold production quantity
Actual Production quantity
Unweighted imputation rate (number of items)
18.9%
22,5%
16,3%
Weighted imputation rate (weighted by production value)
14.1%
15,4%
8,0%
Item non-response
Item non-response was not calculated as it would not be very informative. Statistics Netherlands provides each respondent with a selection of Prodcom codes which are expected to be relevant to the respondent, based on historical data and the NACE classification. This selection will often contain Prodcom codes in which the respondent has no production. This would mean that a calculation of the item non-repsonse rate would be heavily influenced by the accuracy of the selection made by Statistics Netherlands. It would not be representative for the actual item non-response.
14.1. Timeliness
Prodcom data are available in less than half a year from the end of the reference period (year).
14.2. Punctuality
Prodcom data are provided to Eurostat on time:
t + 6 months (t = reference year): provisional results.
t + 18 months (t = reference year): second provisional results.
t + 30 months (t = reference year): final results.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Prodcom data are comparable across EU countries.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Statistics Netherlands compares corresponding data over successive years, to identify big increases or decreases in production. A sudden change from one year to the next does not necessarily signal an error, but if the level reverts to the preceding norm in the following year there is almost certainly an error. Such cases are notified to the reporting country for checking and correction if necessary.
Due to changes resulting from the revision of the international product classification of the Harmonized System (HS) every five years, there are significant changes also in the Combined Nomenclature (CN) and PRODCOM List. The classification PRODCOM List is updated every 2-3 years. Due to annual changes and updates, the time series are not comparable for all codes.
Starting with the year 2021, with the implementation of the EBS Regulation a break of series appears as a result of the fact that the production under sub-contracted operations was collected separately from the own account production made by the units.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Prodcom data is compared with the turnover reported by the same enterprises for the short-term business statistics (STS) survey. There are methodological differences between these statistics, so comparison is not completely possible.
The consistency of the information provided by the large companies are compared amoung other business statistics surveys.
15.4. Coherence - internal
For internal consistency there is a comparison with the business register data.
The Prodcom process is handled by 3,5 Hours Full Time Equivalent. The whole process was redesigned efficiently in 2013.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Data of one reference period is revised as follows:
t + 6 months (t = reference year): provisional results.
t + 18 months (t = reference year): second provisional results.
t + 30 months (t = reference year): final results.
17.2. Data revision - practice
No real revisions are delivered. All revised data is communicated by the standard procedure.
18.1. Source data
Prodcom information is gathered by making use of PRODCOM List and Business register and by collecting data from enterprises such as :
Value and volume of production registered by the enterprises for previous years.
Unit Values.
Turnover statistics (for references).
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Yearly.
18.3. Data collection
Customized web-based questionnaires are used for data collection. Companies can add new product groups along with values and volumes to their data by the same webform.
18.4. Data validation
Next to analyses on a high level and data checks there is a validation for the whole process.
After analysing the data the quality of this analysing phase is checked by a statistical researcher. Thus, the quality of data is approved by the production leader, as well as by this statistical researcher according the four eyes principle.
18.5. Data compilation
Several customized tools are available and used for data compilation such as for:
Tools for the yearly preparation;
Data editing and imputation;
The confidential treatment of the data;
Compiling the final output;
Preparing the file format of the datasets to be transmitted to Eurostat (Excel file formatted as required by GESMES/TS Guide);
The special format of the output to be disseminated on the website etc.
18.6. Adjustment
There is no seasonal ajustment.
Not applicable.
PRODCOM is the European Union (EU) survey providing statistics on the production of manufactured goods. It is based on a list of products; for each product in the list, the statistics show the amount produced in each year in the Netherland and whole Europe.
The list aims to include all manufactured products. But to keep it manageable, similar products are grouped into single items. The list is updated every 2 to 3 years – it currently contains just under 4000 items.
Prodcom data are collected according to the EU Regulations:
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics
The indicators requested are: value and volume of industrial production and/or actual production in the Netherlands during the reference period.
The sample comprises all industry legal units that are representative for the national economy and of each produces good included in the PRODCOM List.
Companies are addressed by letter and asked to fill in a web form with information of their probable produced goods.
Response is checked and analysed. Estimations are done for missing values results are validated. Results are disseminated and published on the site of Statistic Netherlands.
11 July 2025
The purpose of the Prodcom statistic is to report, for each product in the Prodcom List, how much has been produced in the reporting country during the reference period. This means that Prodcom statistics relate to products (not to activities) and are therefore not strictly comparable with activity-based statistics such as Structural Business Statistics. The NACE codes on which Prodcom codes are based merely serve to identify the enterprises that should be surveyed in order to determine the amount of production of the product.
The products: the Prodcom List defines the products to be included in the survey. There are approximately 4000 headings representing manufactured products and some industrial services.
The value and the volume of production: The value is expressed in national currency in thousands but where necessary, converted to Euro by Eurostat. The volume is expressed in a unit specified for each product, such as kilograms, square metres etc.
PRODCOM variables on industrial production:
Variable 251001 Sold production: Production which was invoiced during the reference year and for which raw materials or parts for assembly were purchased by the enterpise on own account. This includes industrial services which were invoiced during the reference year.
Variable 251002 Production under sub-contracted operations: Production which was invoiced during the reference year and for which raw materials or parts were (partly) supplied by a third party. The enterprise did not have (full) ownership of the end product.
Variable 251003 Actual production: Any production whch was completed during the refence year. Including production which is intended for sale, used for the manufacturing of other products or put into stock.
Reporting unit: Enterprise (legal unit). Observation unit(s): Enterprise and parts of enterprises (presumed to be KAUs).
Products produced by industrial enterprises, with activities in Section B (Divisions 07 and 08), Section C (Divisions 10 to 18, 20 to 33) and section E (38.3) of NACE rev. 2 and with 20 employees or more on the NL territory.
Products must be produced in NL.
Industrial production on national level.
2024 ref. year.
Methodology is designed according to the requirements for Prodcom. All steps in the process are designed accordingly to the quality standards required by Statistics Netherlands.
For volumes: Units of measure are specific to each Prodcom code. For a comprehensive list of of volume units per Prodcom code see the Annex below.
For values: Data are collected and stored as thousand euros.
Several customized tools are available and used for data compilation such as for:
Tools for the yearly preparation;
Data editing and imputation;
The confidential treatment of the data;
Compiling the final output;
Preparing the file format of the datasets to be transmitted to Eurostat (Excel file formatted as required by GESMES/TS Guide);
The special format of the output to be disseminated on the website etc.
Prodcom information is gathered by making use of PRODCOM List and Business register and by collecting data from enterprises such as :
Value and volume of production registered by the enterprises for previous years.
Unit Values.
Turnover statistics (for references).
The dissemination on the website of Statistics Netherlands is twice a year, in June and in December.
Prodcom data are available in less than half a year from the end of the reference period (year).
Prodcom data are comparable across EU countries.
Statistics Netherlands compares corresponding data over successive years, to identify big increases or decreases in production. A sudden change from one year to the next does not necessarily signal an error, but if the level reverts to the preceding norm in the following year there is almost certainly an error. Such cases are notified to the reporting country for checking and correction if necessary.
Due to changes resulting from the revision of the international product classification of the Harmonized System (HS) every five years, there are significant changes also in the Combined Nomenclature (CN) and PRODCOM List. The classification PRODCOM List is updated every 2-3 years. Due to annual changes and updates, the time series are not comparable for all codes.
Starting with the year 2021, with the implementation of the EBS Regulation a break of series appears as a result of the fact that the production under sub-contracted operations was collected separately from the own account production made by the units.
