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.
State Statistical Office of Republic of North Macedonia
1.2. Contact organisation unit
National Accounts Department
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Dame Gruev 4, 1000 Skopje, MKD
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
31 March 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
31 March 2026
2.3. Metadata last update
31 March 2026
3.1. Data description
Regional accounts, as a regional specification of national accounts, follow the NA methodology as much as possible due to the availability of data at regional level.
As the compilation of National Accounts follows the rules of the European System of Accounts ESA2010, the same rules, principles, concepts and definitions are also valid for the Regional Accounts. At national and regional level, the same classifications are applied for industry, territories and business registers during data processing. Sources are the same as in National Accounts but considering the respective regional dimension.
The main figures of the Regional Accounts’ gross value added (GVA) of industries and GDP for all regions add up to the corresponding data of National Accounts. They are based on the same concepts (ESA2010) and classifications (NACE Rev.2) as the National Accounts.
For the compilation of regional GVA, the production approach is primarily used. National GVA is the difference between output and intermediate consumption, is the aggregation of regional GVA by industries at NACE Rev.2 - 2-digit. Calculated regional GVA is further adjusted for the imputed rents. The main condition is that regional GVA of an industry must add up to the corresponding national one.
Total Regional GVA is available for 97 industries by NKD, (this is the Macedonian industry classification, which is harmonized with NACE Rev. 2) at NUTS level 3, for 8 regions. However, this detail of industries is not published. Regional figures for GDP, in million denars, GDP per capita, by region (NUTS level 3) are published. Gross Value Added (at current prices) and GFCF are published at section-level A*10 at NUTS level 3. Employment data at section-level A*10 at NUTS level 3 are transmitted to Eurostat, on NUTS level 1 and 2 are published by SSO.
Please see this website, where are all classifications used.
3.3. Coverage - sector
All sectors of the National classification of activities, NKD Rev.2.
Main regional aggregates are compiled for the total economy of the country. A sectoral breakdown is only available for the household sector, and transactions are limited to income distribution and redistribution. Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) is compiled for the entire national economy without a breakdown by institutional sector.
The basic categories that are calculated in the regional accounts are:
Gross domestic products at market prices is the final result of the production activity of the resident producer units and it is the sum of gross value added of the various institutional sectors or the various industries at basic prices plus value added, import duties less subsidies on products.
Gross value added at basic prices is the basic category of GDP and it is defined as a balance between gross output and intermediate consumption.
Gross fixed capital formation in the reference year represents the total value of acquisition of fixed assets less disposals (sales) of fixed assets in the accounting period and increased by some additions of value of non-produced assets.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical unit consists of the business entities that carry out their economic activity on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia.
National and Regional Accounts have been compiled on the institutional unit level, using mainly administrative data sources.
3.6. Statistical population
All Business Entities.
National accounts are exhaustive. All resident statistical units are covered directly by statistical/administrative surveys.
The population data are compiled as a mid-year (June 30) estimate.
3.7. Reference area
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units - NTES is based on the territorial organization of the local self-government in the Republic of North Macedonia and it is harmonized with the classification of the European Union - Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics – NUTS, established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003.
NTES is the basis for collecting, processing and dissemination of regional statistics and it is used for planning and maintaining the regional policy in the country.
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics – NTES of 2019 consists of 5 levels:
NUTS level 1 and level 2 represent the whole territory of the Republic of North Macedonia as an administrative unit,
NUTS level 3 consists of 8 non-administrative units – statistical regions that are formed by grouping the municipalities as administrative units of lower level,
NUTS level 4 consists of 80 municipalities as administrative units, and
NUTS level 5 consists of 1792.
3.8. Coverage - Time
National accounts data are usually compiled for years and quarters.
The length of annual and quarterly data series starts from 2000.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
National currency:
Million denars,
Denars (den.)
With the exception of some variables concerning population and labour that are expressed in number of persons and hours worked, data is showed in Million denars (national currency).
Year (calendar year from 01.01. to 31.12.)
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Regional and National accounts are compiled in accordance with the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010) which was published in the Official Journal as Annex A of Regulation (EU) No 549/2013.
All users have equal access to statistics at the same time: this means that the publication dates are announced in advance, and no user has access to official statistics before they are published. Statistical data are first published in the "News Releases" edition on the website of the State Statistical Office at 12:00.
Annual.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
In accordance with the Dissemination Strategy, news releases are published annually and they are available on the website of the SSO in the section: "News Releases".
The use of microdata by external users is possible only for research purposes and is done in accordance with the Law on State Statistics (Article 41, Article 42 and Article 43). Access to anonymized microdata is defined by an internal procedure of the State Statistical Office "Access to anonymized microdata for scientific research purposes".
10.5. Dissemination format - other
At the request of users, data is also prepared in a form according to their needs.
Twitter is used by SSO for presentation of data and other interesting news.
The State Statistical Office carries out statistical activities in accordance with the Statistical Business Process Model, which is based on the international model - Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM). The application of this model and international standards in statistical production ensures a high level of accuracy and comparability of data. Member States are required to provide the Commission with a report on the quality of the data transmitted on national and regional accounts. The modalities, structure, periodicity and assessment indicators of the quality reports on data transmitted are specified in Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/2304 of 19 December 2016. The implementation of the quality reporting and assessment exercise started in 2017 and is carried out annually.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
National accounts provide key information for monitoring and decision making, for forecasting, for administrative purposes, for informing the general public about economic developments (directly or indirectly via news agencies), and as input for economic research.
At national level, ministries of finance and regional development, scientific and academic communities and economic researchers are the main users of our national and regional accounts data. National accounts data are also used by analytics, journalists, entrepreneurs, students.
International organizations such as Eurostat, OECD, IMF and different NSIs are frequent users of national account data.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Starting from 2009, the State Statistical Office conducts a User Satisfaction Survey every three years.
The levels of aggregation according to the regulations of the European Parliament and the Council for regional accounts are calculated and published nationally and transmitted to Eurostat. A time series from 2000 to 2022 is available.
Information on completeness rates can be seen in the National Quality Report (NQR).
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Data is periodically revised and differences between new and old versions in each round of revision are analysed.
Information on completeness rates can be seen in the National Quality Report (NQR)
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
TThe final data for regional accounts are published with a time lag of 22 months.
14.2. Punctuality
The data are transmitted in accordance with the transmission deadlines set by Eurostat.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
There is geographic comparability of the disseminated data at the national and regional level and comparability with EU countries.
The published data for GDP, GVA, and GFCF at NUTS level 3 are comparable with each other.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The length of a comparable time series is 23 reference years, from 2000 to 2022.
There are no breaks in the regional accounts data for the period 2000 to 2022, which ensures their comparability.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Gross domestic product by regions, gross fixed capital formations by regions are compared with the data on total gross domestic product and total gross fixed capital formations. The comparison is made at the level of departments of NKD Rev.2.
The regional accounts are consistent with the annual national accounts. Detailed information on external coherency can be seen in the National Quality Report (NQR).
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal coherence of data is ensured.
The reginal account data, GDP, GVA and GFCF are calculated in accordance with Eurostat ‘s Regional Accounts Manual, 2013 edition. Detailed information on internal coherency can be seen in the National Quality Report (NQR).
National Statistical Offices and National Central Banks have agreed to gradually implement the Harmonised European Revision Policy for Macroeconomic Statistics (HERP) in national accounts and balance of payments statistics to specify the general Eurostat revision policy for national accounts.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Revision of regional accounts data is done in a case when there are methodological improvements, changes in the National Classification of Activities, changes at European level such as transition from the European System of Accounts, ESA 2010 or due to the revisions in statistical surveys used as input for the calculation. Major revisions were made during:
methodological improvements in 2010, for data series 2003-2007, according to Methodology ESS 95,
methodological improvements and change of the Classification of activities NKD Rev.1 with NKDRev.2, in 2014 for series 2000-2012, according to Methodology ESS 2010.
The process for preparation of changes in the ESA 1995 methodology began with the revision of the System of National Accounts (SNA 1993), which was conducted by UN, OECD, World Bank, IMF and Eurostat. In the System of National Accounts, a total of 44 changes were detected and officially adopted, some of which are methodological in nature or provide further clarification of definitions, while others are of an essential nature and they affect the changes in the GDP values of the countries, which reflect the developments and the changes in the economies in the world.
The European System of Accounts is a system created with consistent methodology as a mutual framework based upon common definitions, classifications and calculation methods, which ensure closest comparability of data for all European countries, especially for gross domestic product, i.e. gross national income and especially the percentage of public debt in relation to GDP as an indicator for the fiscal policy. The System also defines the methodological bases for calculation of regional GDP.
In 2014, the State Statistical Office revised the data on gross domestic product and the aggregates of national accounts for the period 2000-2012. The revision was carried out in accordance with the Five-Year Statistical Programme (Official Gazette No. 20 from 2013) and the Revision Policy.
Information About revised national accounts data and implementation of the new methodology ESA 2010, It is available at the following website.
18.1. Source data
Data sources for the compilation of regional gross value are national accounts data, the data warehouse, labour and earnings statistics and the PRODCOM. The regional accounts methodology basically regionalises national GVA of industries at NACE Rev.2, 2-digit level, by regional distribution keys.
National accounts and regional accounts use, in principle, the same data sources for the compilation of GVA.
The main data source regarding the market sector for both the national and regional accounts is the Data Warehouse (DWH), designed in the SSO as the main database for the compilation of National Accounts. The database contains administrative data from annual financial statements of registered companies, collected by the Central Register.
Though DWH is a relatively complete data source, there is a concern that the statements are not always fully completed by the enterprises or that the administrative concepts are not in line with national accounts concepts.
Also, for the non-market sector, data sources are available and incorporated in GVA according to the production approach: it regards data from the Ministry of Finance, Public Revenue Office, Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, Health Insurance Fund.
The regional distribution keys are mainly based on the “Survey on employees and wages” or on different statistical sources when data from the wages sample survey are not representative at the regional level.
The main data source for calculation of Gross domestic product by region is the statistical survey "Gross domestic product by production approach, at current prices, at annual level, BDP.PT. Additional sources are statistical surveys that provide reliable data at the regional level. Also, the data source is the system of annual financial statements, as collected in the Central Register. Summarized are the main data sources:
Annual financial statements of companies from the Central Register.
Ministry of Finance (public revenue, public expenditure, treasury system).
National Bank (monetary and BOP statistics).
Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (payment contributions).
Public Revenue Office (tax information base).
Statistical surveys conducted by SSO (Survey on investment, Labor cost survey.
Labour force survey, HBS, Agriculture and industry and construction surveys and other surveys from Business statistics).
The main source for distribution of Investments by regions is "Annual Statistical Survey for Gross fixed capital formation" INV.1.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Main instruments for data collection are administrative data i.e. the balance and profit and loss accounts. Collected data from annual reports are stored in one integrated database named Data Warehouse (DWH).
The other data sources available and incorporated in GDP estimates from the production side are: Ministry of Finance, Public Revenue Office, Pension and Disability Insurance Fund and Health Insurance Fund.
Besides administrative sources, data from the statistical surveys conducted by the SSO:
“Labour Force Survay (ARS),
"Regional accounts in agriculture at current prices" (ESZ.RS),
"Annual statistical survey on employees and wages" (TRUD.1),
"Annual survey on industry"(IND.1),
"Annual report on turnover in wholesale trade" (TRG.21),
"Annual survey on Gross fixed capital formation"" (INV.1),
"Annual report on constructions built by business entities" (GRAD.11),
"Annual report on constructions built by private owners" (GRAD.11A),
"Statistical survey on passenger transport" (SОМ.11А),
"Statistical survey on catering trade and services" (UG.11),
"Statistical survey on forest exploitation" (SUM.22),
"Statistical survey on municipal waste" (ZSKOMO.2) etc.
18.4. Data validation
The check is made by comparing the data on the gross value added, the gross fixed capital formation and employment data by regions with the total, at the level of the sector and at the level of the divisions of NKD Rev.2.
18.5. Data compilation
The level at which regional accounts are compiled is the NUTS-3 level. Regional GVA is calculated for 8 regions with activity breakdown at NACE Rev.2, 2-digit level. GVA totals by activity are distributed by applying generally the top-down method.
Financial statements of the enterprises contain administrative data on the balance sheets and profit and loss accounts, which allows GVA to be calculated by production method as a residual between gross output and intermediate consumption. However, in the available data source, the enterprise (with or without establishments) is considered as the basic reporting statistical unit for which information is available. Enterprises are classified to the corresponding NKD (National Classification of Activities) section on the basis of their principal activity and coded by their residence/headquarters. Limitation of this data source is that there is no information at establishment level, even for the main variables such as employment or turnover.
Although the local KAU /establishment is recommended by ESA 2010 and SNA 2008 for regional GVA compilation, in practice, data sources are not always available at the mentioned level, but at higher levels. Thus, unavailability of data sources has a significant impact on the selection of the regionalization method. In Macedonian regional accounts, the top-down method is predominant in compiling the gross domestic product. Data on enterprises are allocated to regions and activity, by means of a distribution key, which reflects as closely as possible the variable to be estimated.
Mostly indicators from the compensation of employees, the labour statistics, such as persons in employment, number of employees, or other data that have some relationship with the value added in the particular activity are used.
Regional Employment and employees are calculated for 8 regions with activity breakdown at NACE Rev.2, 2-digit level. For uni-regional enterprises the number of employees is available and information on the balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. This data can directly be used in the regional accounts estimates for employees.
For multi-regional enterprises the same information is available, though not for local units of the multi-regional enterprise. The same regional distribution keys as for regional GVA of multi-regional enterprises may be used for the allocation of the employees to the regions of the local units.
Estimates for GFCF have been produced at the NUTS-3 level. The regional GFCF estimates have been compiled for total GFCF by industry. Regional GFCF estimates have been provided for total investment in construction by industry. A sample survey on GFCF is available. This survey has been used as a bottom-up method for regionalization. The remaining part, which represents the difference between national GFCF by industry and the sum of GFCF by industry in construction and the data from the investment survey, will be regionalized using the regional distribution of GFCF obtained from the investment survey.
18.6. Adjustment
No Adjusment.
No comment.
Regional accounts, as a regional specification of national accounts, follow the NA methodology as much as possible due to the availability of data at regional level.
As the compilation of National Accounts follows the rules of the European System of Accounts ESA2010, the same rules, principles, concepts and definitions are also valid for the Regional Accounts. At national and regional level, the same classifications are applied for industry, territories and business registers during data processing. Sources are the same as in National Accounts but considering the respective regional dimension.
The main figures of the Regional Accounts’ gross value added (GVA) of industries and GDP for all regions add up to the corresponding data of National Accounts. They are based on the same concepts (ESA2010) and classifications (NACE Rev.2) as the National Accounts.
For the compilation of regional GVA, the production approach is primarily used. National GVA is the difference between output and intermediate consumption, is the aggregation of regional GVA by industries at NACE Rev.2 - 2-digit. Calculated regional GVA is further adjusted for the imputed rents. The main condition is that regional GVA of an industry must add up to the corresponding national one.
Total Regional GVA is available for 97 industries by NKD, (this is the Macedonian industry classification, which is harmonized with NACE Rev. 2) at NUTS level 3, for 8 regions. However, this detail of industries is not published. Regional figures for GDP, in million denars, GDP per capita, by region (NUTS level 3) are published. Gross Value Added (at current prices) and GFCF are published at section-level A*10 at NUTS level 3. Employment data at section-level A*10 at NUTS level 3 are transmitted to Eurostat, on NUTS level 1 and 2 are published by SSO.
The basic categories that are calculated in the regional accounts are:
Gross domestic products at market prices is the final result of the production activity of the resident producer units and it is the sum of gross value added of the various institutional sectors or the various industries at basic prices plus value added, import duties less subsidies on products.
Gross value added at basic prices is the basic category of GDP and it is defined as a balance between gross output and intermediate consumption.
Gross fixed capital formation in the reference year represents the total value of acquisition of fixed assets less disposals (sales) of fixed assets in the accounting period and increased by some additions of value of non-produced assets.
The statistical unit consists of the business entities that carry out their economic activity on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia.
National and Regional Accounts have been compiled on the institutional unit level, using mainly administrative data sources.
All Business Entities.
National accounts are exhaustive. All resident statistical units are covered directly by statistical/administrative surveys.
The population data are compiled as a mid-year (June 30) estimate.
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units - NTES is based on the territorial organization of the local self-government in the Republic of North Macedonia and it is harmonized with the classification of the European Union - Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics – NUTS, established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003.
NTES is the basis for collecting, processing and dissemination of regional statistics and it is used for planning and maintaining the regional policy in the country.
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics – NTES of 2019 consists of 5 levels:
NUTS level 1 and level 2 represent the whole territory of the Republic of North Macedonia as an administrative unit,
NUTS level 3 consists of 8 non-administrative units – statistical regions that are formed by grouping the municipalities as administrative units of lower level,
NUTS level 4 consists of 80 municipalities as administrative units, and
NUTS level 5 consists of 1792.
Year (calendar year from 01.01. to 31.12.)
Data is periodically revised and differences between new and old versions in each round of revision are analysed.
Information on completeness rates can be seen in the National Quality Report (NQR)
National currency:
Million denars,
Denars (den.)
With the exception of some variables concerning population and labour that are expressed in number of persons and hours worked, data is showed in Million denars (national currency).
The level at which regional accounts are compiled is the NUTS-3 level. Regional GVA is calculated for 8 regions with activity breakdown at NACE Rev.2, 2-digit level. GVA totals by activity are distributed by applying generally the top-down method.
Financial statements of the enterprises contain administrative data on the balance sheets and profit and loss accounts, which allows GVA to be calculated by production method as a residual between gross output and intermediate consumption. However, in the available data source, the enterprise (with or without establishments) is considered as the basic reporting statistical unit for which information is available. Enterprises are classified to the corresponding NKD (National Classification of Activities) section on the basis of their principal activity and coded by their residence/headquarters. Limitation of this data source is that there is no information at establishment level, even for the main variables such as employment or turnover.
Although the local KAU /establishment is recommended by ESA 2010 and SNA 2008 for regional GVA compilation, in practice, data sources are not always available at the mentioned level, but at higher levels. Thus, unavailability of data sources has a significant impact on the selection of the regionalization method. In Macedonian regional accounts, the top-down method is predominant in compiling the gross domestic product. Data on enterprises are allocated to regions and activity, by means of a distribution key, which reflects as closely as possible the variable to be estimated.
Mostly indicators from the compensation of employees, the labour statistics, such as persons in employment, number of employees, or other data that have some relationship with the value added in the particular activity are used.
Regional Employment and employees are calculated for 8 regions with activity breakdown at NACE Rev.2, 2-digit level. For uni-regional enterprises the number of employees is available and information on the balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. This data can directly be used in the regional accounts estimates for employees.
For multi-regional enterprises the same information is available, though not for local units of the multi-regional enterprise. The same regional distribution keys as for regional GVA of multi-regional enterprises may be used for the allocation of the employees to the regions of the local units.
Estimates for GFCF have been produced at the NUTS-3 level. The regional GFCF estimates have been compiled for total GFCF by industry. Regional GFCF estimates have been provided for total investment in construction by industry. A sample survey on GFCF is available. This survey has been used as a bottom-up method for regionalization. The remaining part, which represents the difference between national GFCF by industry and the sum of GFCF by industry in construction and the data from the investment survey, will be regionalized using the regional distribution of GFCF obtained from the investment survey.
Data sources for the compilation of regional gross value are national accounts data, the data warehouse, labour and earnings statistics and the PRODCOM. The regional accounts methodology basically regionalises national GVA of industries at NACE Rev.2, 2-digit level, by regional distribution keys.
National accounts and regional accounts use, in principle, the same data sources for the compilation of GVA.
The main data source regarding the market sector for both the national and regional accounts is the Data Warehouse (DWH), designed in the SSO as the main database for the compilation of National Accounts. The database contains administrative data from annual financial statements of registered companies, collected by the Central Register.
Though DWH is a relatively complete data source, there is a concern that the statements are not always fully completed by the enterprises or that the administrative concepts are not in line with national accounts concepts.
Also, for the non-market sector, data sources are available and incorporated in GVA according to the production approach: it regards data from the Ministry of Finance, Public Revenue Office, Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, Health Insurance Fund.
The regional distribution keys are mainly based on the “Survey on employees and wages” or on different statistical sources when data from the wages sample survey are not representative at the regional level.
The main data source for calculation of Gross domestic product by region is the statistical survey "Gross domestic product by production approach, at current prices, at annual level, BDP.PT. Additional sources are statistical surveys that provide reliable data at the regional level. Also, the data source is the system of annual financial statements, as collected in the Central Register. Summarized are the main data sources:
Annual financial statements of companies from the Central Register.
Ministry of Finance (public revenue, public expenditure, treasury system).
National Bank (monetary and BOP statistics).
Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (payment contributions).
Public Revenue Office (tax information base).
Statistical surveys conducted by SSO (Survey on investment, Labor cost survey.
Labour force survey, HBS, Agriculture and industry and construction surveys and other surveys from Business statistics).
The main source for distribution of Investments by regions is "Annual Statistical Survey for Gross fixed capital formation" INV.1.
Annual.
TThe final data for regional accounts are published with a time lag of 22 months.
There is geographic comparability of the disseminated data at the national and regional level and comparability with EU countries.
The published data for GDP, GVA, and GFCF at NUTS level 3 are comparable with each other.
The length of a comparable time series is 23 reference years, from 2000 to 2022.
There are no breaks in the regional accounts data for the period 2000 to 2022, which ensures their comparability.
