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.
Direzione centrale delle statistiche economiche (DCSE).
Servizio Statistiche strutturali sulle imprese, istituzioni pubbliche e non-profit (DCSE/SEC).
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
Via Tuscolana 1788, 00173, Roma, Italy.
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
18 July 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
18 July 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
18 July 2024
3.1. Data description
Structural business statistics (SBS) describes the structure, conduct and performance of economic activities, down to the most detailed activity level (several hundred economic sectors). SBS covers all activities of the business economy with the exception of agricultural activities, public administration and (largely) non-market services such as education and health. Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:
• "Business demographic" variables (e.g. Number of active enterprises);
• "Output related" variables (e.g. Net turnover, Value added);
• "Input related" variables: labour input (e.g. Number of employees and self-employed persons, Hours worked by employees); goods and services input (e.g. Purchases of goods and services); capital input (e.g. Gross investments).
Business services statistics (BS) collection contains harmonised statistics on business services. From 2008 onwards BS become part of the regular mandatory annual data collection of SBS. The BS’s data requirement includes variable “Turnover” broken down by products and by type of residence of client.
The annual regional statistics collection includes three characteristics due by NUTS-2 country region and detailed on NACE Rev 2division level (2-digits).
3.2. Classification system
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE): NACE Rev.2 is used from 2008 onwards. Key data were double reported in NACE Rev.1.1 and NACE Rev.2 only for 2008. From 2002 to 2007 NACE Rev. 1.1 was used and until 2001 NACE Rev.1
Starting reference year 2021 onwards SBS cover the economic activities of market producers within the NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96. Until 2007 the SBS coverage was limited to Sections C to K of NACE Rev.1.1 and from the reference year 2008 to 2020 data was available for Sections B to N and Division S95 of NACE Rev.2. From 2013, as the first reference year, to 2020 information is published on NACE codes K6411, K6419 and K65 and its breakdown.
From 2008 reference year data collection Business Services covers NACE Rev 2 codes: J62, N78, J582, J631, M731, M691, M692, M702, M712, M732, M7111, and M7112.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
SBS constitutes an important and integrated part of the new European Business Statistics Regulation N° 2152/2019.
Data requirements, simplifications and technical definitions are defined in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.
3.5. Statistical unit
Enterprise - the definition is in line with the Regulation.
3.5.1. Treatment of complex enterprise
Data treatment
Sample frame based on enterprises
no
Surveying all legal units belonging to a complex enterprise
no
Surveying all legal units within the scope of SBS belonging to a complex enterprise
no
Surveying only representative units belonging to the complex enterprise
yes
Other criteria used, please specify
Surveying all legal units
Comment
3.5.2. Consolidation
Consolidation method
Consolidation carried out by the NSI
yes
Consolidation carried out by responding enterprise/legal unit(s)
no
Other methods, please specify
Comment
3.6. Statistical population
All active enterprises (active at least one day in the reference year) that are, according to their main activity, for all SBS domains.
3.7. Reference area
The enterprises active in Italy; the branches of foreign enterprises are included, while the activities abroad are excluded.
3.8. Coverage - Time
1996-2022.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
• Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
• Monetary data are expressed in millions of €.
• Employment variables are expressed in units.
• Per head values are expressed in thousands of € per head.
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
2022.
The Italian SBS data reference year is the calendar year, and in most cases it corresponds to the fiscal year. For each enterprise with a different financial year, the longest financial year in the SBS reference period is taken into account. This decision is upheld over the years for comparability reasons. Only in very few cases, when the fiscal year is more than 12 months, we estimate the 12 month calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Starting with reference year 2021 two new regulations currently form the legal basis of SBS:
The Council Regulation No 58/97 has been amended three times: by Council Regulation No 410/98, Commission Regulation No 1614/2002 and European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2056/2002. As a new amendment of the basic Regulation it was decided to recast the Regulation No 58/97 in order to obtain a new "clean" legal text.
In 2008 the European Parliament and Council adopted Regulation No 295/2008 and the provisions of this Regulation were applicable from the reference year 2008 to reference year 2020. Regulation No 295/2008 was amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 446/2014.
Confidentiality primary rules are based on the number of enterprises (a cell is confidential when counts less than three statistical units).
For secondary suppressions the Tau-Argus software is used, based on the rule that the total number of enterprise of secondary suppression is minimum.
7.2.1. Confidentiality processing
Data treatment
Confidentiality rules applied
yes
Threshold of number of enterprises (Number)
<3
Number of enterprises non confidential, if number of employments is confidential
no
Dominance criteria applied
no
If dominance criteria applied specify the threshold (Number)
Secondary confidentiality applied
yes
Comment
Number of employment is always confidential if n. of enterprises is confidential and viceversa. The confidentiality flag rule (<3) is applied on number of enterprises
8.1. Release calendar
At the national level the data are published on Istat website in general in October/November t+2 for National data, in January t+3 for Regional data.
Istat provides microdata files from its surveys free of charge for study and research purposes or for statistical-scientific purposes, in compliance with the regulations in force. The files released are those available at the time of the request and may be subject to statistical revisions and confidentiality rules. Please for more information visit this website.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Data are sent to Eurostat in CSV format, labelled and formatted respecting the tecnichal instructions.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Rivista di statistica ufficiale n.1/2016: The paper summarises the main features, methodological and technological details of the new statistical register on economic accounts of the Italian units. This documentation is only in English language.
Rivista di statistica ufficiale n.1-2-3/2017, 2nd issue: The paper describes the Regulations on data confidentiality, the methods applied to protect data, the IT aspects, and the channels used to disseminate the information. This documentation is only in English language.
The Information System on Quality (SIQual - accessible only from the intranet) contains metainformation on the statistical production processes (primary surveys, statistical compilations and informative systems) and secondary processes (pilot surveys, ad hoc modules, oversampling, quality control surveys or experiments) carried out by Istat. It includes metadata on process content, its operational characteristics (process phases and operations) and the quality considered both in terms of activities of prevention, monitoring and evaluation of errors (quality actions) and in terms of documentation on process and product quality with different degree of complexity (Methodological notes of the Statistical Yearbook, Quality declaration, Extensive documents on Quality). This documentation is only in Italian.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The quality report is transmitted to Eurostat, on an annual basis, when the compilation and validation of SBS data are completed.
Documentation is available on Eurostat website, quality reports are only available in English language.
11.1. Quality assurance
Administrative sources are used for all variables requested by the EU Regulations, except for investments and payment for agency workers, collected by a sample survey on SME enterprises. A census is conducted for all larger enterprises. Samples are extracted by reducing response burden on enterprises, quality checks are done in any phases of the data production process.
For Regional data, a survey on local units is conducted.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Italian SBS data are compiled with the use of administrative data covering basic statistical variables. A survey on enterprises is supplementarly conducted, in order to collect data for the statistical variables that cannot be retrived from administrative data. The use of administrative data is in terms of completeness, coverage of enterprises, and timeliness is very effective.
The data collection phase is continuously monitored. Sub phases of it are: 1) survey data collection monitoring, 2) survey data editing, 3) administrative data editing, 4) comparisons among different sources (administrative and survey), 5) estimation of missing data. In addition, the data are compared with those from the previous year and checked for large changes in the data, especially large deviations in the main variables.
The continuous cooperation of Istat with the tax and other administrative authorities providing data is fundamental.
The quality is assessed as high.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
SBS data are used to compile the Italian National Accounts.
The main national users of SBS data are researchers, economic analysts, students, enterprises, public authorities, politicians, scientists, economists, journalists.
At international level, SBS data are used by Eurostat.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No survey related to the user's satisfaction is compiled.
12.3. Completeness
Structural Business Statistics cover the total set of variables defined by the relevant Regulations of the European Union.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
For the compilation of SBS, data administrative sources are used, and a survey is used to collect data for variables not available in administrative sources, as admin data do not cover all the required statistical variables. The accuracy and reliability of SBS data depends largely on the accuracy and completeness of the admin data. In general, it is difficult to evaluate their accuracy. The admin data checked for their completeness and relevance in terms of definitions of variables. When admin data are missing (3% of Italian enterprises) or incorrect, an imputation method based on donor tecnique for total non response is applied.
13.2. Sampling error
Starting from SBS2012, Istat have combined administrative sources with survey data aiming at reducing the sampling error and improving data quality.
SBS data have traditionally been transmitted by combining the estimates from the survey on small and medium enterprises with less than 250 persons employed (PMI) with those from the total survey on enterprises with 250 persons employed and more (SCI)*. Both surveys use administrative sources to integrate total non-responses.
The innovation in the production process involves the enterprises with less than 100 persons employed: variables estimates are based on exhaustive administrative sources for the main economic variables (turnover, purchases of goods and services, value added, personnel costs, etc.), combined with other economic variables not available from administrative sources, which are estimated exploiting PMI direct survey data by using either weighted regression estimators, or calibration (e.g. investments). The structural variables (number of persons employed, number of employees, economic activity, administrative region) come from the Business Register (Asia).
The administrative sources (Financial Statements of the corporate enterprises from Chambers of Commerce, Sector Studies survey and Tax Return data from the fiscal authority, and Social security data), have been analysed in terms of both coverage of the SBS target population as listed in the Business Register, and available variables. A comparative analysis of the variables observed in each administrative source and in the PMI survey has led to the integrated use of the relevant administrative sources according to a specific “hierarchy”. The sources’ hierarchy is based on how the variable definitions are close to the SBS ones and on the reliability of the sources (stability, availability, completeness, etc.).
Target variables not available in the administrative sources have been estimated through massive imputation, using a mixed approach, depending on the coverage rate of the target variables to be estimated: classical predictive model-based approaches have been used for estimating highly covered variables, while models based on PMI data have been adopted for estimating the remaining variables.
In this way a multidimensional micro data matrix has been built up (called “Frame”), containing the Business Register variables and the economic variables for all the SBS population units.
The activities carried out for building the Frame consist of: 1) analysis of available administrative sources (metadata analysis); 2) construction of the variables of interest; 3) comparison of variables at the micro level among the administrative sources and PMI survey data; 4) hierarchical selection of the sources; 5) analysis of the coverage of the business register; 6) estimation procedure with an approach based on a predictive model-based approach for the main variables (mass imputation) and a design-based approach for the other variables.
The main SBS variables are obtained from the Frame by sum (number of enterprises, number of persons employed, number of employees, turnover, personnel cost, value added at factor cost, etc) while others (such as investments) are estimated from the survey through calibration methodology.
From the reference year 2017 the SBS Regulation No 295/2008 has been implemented with regards to the Statistical Unit Regulation (No. 696/93).
* Until the referece year 2016 the sample survey PMI used to survey the enterprises with less than 100 persons employed while the total survey SCI regarded the enterprises with 100 and more persons employed.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Some variables, such as the investments, are estimated by surveys while the other SBS ones are directly calculated from the micro database Frame built on the base of administrative sources.
For the variables "investments" which are estimated from the survey by using the calibration method, the bias resulting from non-response is limited. For the other variables of interest the bias is resulting by the use of administrative sources.
The main source of errors is the non-responses and incomplete data provided by the enterprises.
As regards non-sampling errors, under-coverage or over-coverage, falsely classified units in the sample frame as well as unit or item non-response may occur.
Out-of-scope units are detected by including specific questions in the survey.
14.1. Timeliness
National level data are transmitted to Eurostat 18 months after the reference year, in line with the Regulation.
Regional level data (estimated/preliminary) for the reference year 2022 are transmitted to Eurostat 18 months after the reference year, in line with the Regulation. At T+18 not all the sources needed to estimate the regional data are available, so this implies that a new release (final/definitive) has to be sent later, when regional estimations are replaced by final data, resulting from all sources available.
Data are disseminated via Istat web sites and datawharehouses 23 months after the reference year for national level and 25 months after the reference year for regional level.
14.2. Punctuality
Italian SBS data is currently transmitted to Eurostat on time.
Starting from the reference year 2022, Regional data, are transmitted in two versions: the first one (estimations/preliminary) at T+18 and a second one (final) at T+24.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The same statistical concepts are applied in the entire national territory.
2008: change in NACE classification (from NACE rev 1.1 to NACE rev 2); 2017: change from legal to enterprise unit
Length of comparable time series (from calendar year to calendar year)
2008-2016; 2017-2022
Comment
-
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The coherence between number of enterprises and number of persons employed is checked between SBS and the Statistical Business Registers (SBR).
As for non-financial activities and the number of enterprises, both SBS and BD use the SBR as source. As for the number of persons employed and employees, SBS in very few cases uses information from surveys and BD information from the SBR. As for section K, the number of enterprises and the number of persons employed and employees for SBS comes from external sources (Banca d'Italia), while BD uses the SBR.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The aggregates are always consistent with their main sub-aggregates.
Istat reduces the burden on the enterprises through the sample coordination methodology.
17.1. Data revision - policy
We do not apply any revision policy, once data are pubblished they are definitive, except for limited revision due to errors detected in the sources.
For Regional data, starting form the reference year 2022, we send a fisrt version of data (preliminary) in June and a final version of data in December/January. Only the second realease is disseminated in the Istat web site, so it is necessary to update the first version sent to Eurostat. As the first one is based on only few sources, the second one, based on all available dministrative sources, does not represent a "revision", it is a new estimation.
Preliminary data are estimates on the basis of only few of the sources used for final data.
17.2. Data revision - practice
No revision policy.
18.1. Source data
Administrative sources combined with sample survey information.
Sample survey PMI for the enterprises with less than 250 persons employed: stratified design based on economic activity, size classes of persons employed and regions (76,000 units).
Total survey SCI for the enterprises with 250 and more persons employed.
RFI survey in larger enterprises groups to detect intra-group flows.
The administrative source used in the process of data production are the following: Financial statement of the corporate enterprises from Chambers of Commerce; ISA (synthetic indices of reliability) data and Tax return data from the Fiscal authority; Social security data.
Main economic variables (turnover, purchases of goods and services, personnel cost, value added, etc.) are directly available from the administrative sources. The number of enterprises, number of persons employed and number of employees are extracted from the Business Register.
The administrative sources are available at micro level and are used as basic data and for imputation in case of non-response.
Data for number of active enterprises, number of employees and self-employed persons, value added and net turnover comes from the entire population.
Only for section K, data comes from external sources, and this can cause some little inconsistency in number of enterprises and persons employed.
18.1.1. Data sources overview
Data sources overview
Survey data
yes
VAT data
yes
Tax data
yes
Financial statements
yes
Other sources, please specify
Social security sources, Bank of Italy source, Ivass and Covip sources, intra-flow data
Comment
Only investment for SME are estimated by sample surveys
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual data collection.
18.3. Data collection
There is an exchange protocol with public bodies that supply data to Istat.
The enterprises involved in the survey receive a communication via PEC (Certified Electronic Mail), containing an official letter by the Istat data collection department who invites to fill out an online questionnaire via the Business Portal.
Many remainders, via phone or email, are made.
18.4. Data validation
Intra-dataset checks special for the administrative sources;
Intra-source checks for choosing the best administrative source to use for the statistical purposes;
Intra-dataset checks for the process of micro data validation using also the administraive sources;
Intra-domain on the purpose to analyze some breaks.
In the process of data validation, the Integrative Notes of the Financial Statement, available from the Chambre of Commerce, are also used.
18.5. Data compilation
Data for non-respondent units is imputed using adminstrative sources (financial statements and tax data).
18.6. Adjustment
Not available.
No further comments.
Structural business statistics (SBS) describes the structure, conduct and performance of economic activities, down to the most detailed activity level (several hundred economic sectors). SBS covers all activities of the business economy with the exception of agricultural activities, public administration and (largely) non-market services such as education and health. Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:
• "Business demographic" variables (e.g. Number of active enterprises);
• "Output related" variables (e.g. Net turnover, Value added);
• "Input related" variables: labour input (e.g. Number of employees and self-employed persons, Hours worked by employees); goods and services input (e.g. Purchases of goods and services); capital input (e.g. Gross investments).
Business services statistics (BS) collection contains harmonised statistics on business services. From 2008 onwards BS become part of the regular mandatory annual data collection of SBS. The BS’s data requirement includes variable “Turnover” broken down by products and by type of residence of client.
The annual regional statistics collection includes three characteristics due by NUTS-2 country region and detailed on NACE Rev 2division level (2-digits).
18 July 2024
SBS constitutes an important and integrated part of the new European Business Statistics Regulation N° 2152/2019.
Data requirements, simplifications and technical definitions are defined in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.
Enterprise - the definition is in line with the Regulation.
All active enterprises (active at least one day in the reference year) that are, according to their main activity, for all SBS domains.
The enterprises active in Italy; the branches of foreign enterprises are included, while the activities abroad are excluded.
2022.
The Italian SBS data reference year is the calendar year, and in most cases it corresponds to the fiscal year. For each enterprise with a different financial year, the longest financial year in the SBS reference period is taken into account. This decision is upheld over the years for comparability reasons. Only in very few cases, when the fiscal year is more than 12 months, we estimate the 12 month calendar year.
For the compilation of SBS, data administrative sources are used, and a survey is used to collect data for variables not available in administrative sources, as admin data do not cover all the required statistical variables. The accuracy and reliability of SBS data depends largely on the accuracy and completeness of the admin data. In general, it is difficult to evaluate their accuracy. The admin data checked for their completeness and relevance in terms of definitions of variables. When admin data are missing (3% of Italian enterprises) or incorrect, an imputation method based on donor tecnique for total non response is applied.
• Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
• Monetary data are expressed in millions of €.
• Employment variables are expressed in units.
• Per head values are expressed in thousands of € per head.
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
Data for non-respondent units is imputed using adminstrative sources (financial statements and tax data).
Administrative sources combined with sample survey information.
Sample survey PMI for the enterprises with less than 250 persons employed: stratified design based on economic activity, size classes of persons employed and regions (76,000 units).
Total survey SCI for the enterprises with 250 and more persons employed.
RFI survey in larger enterprises groups to detect intra-group flows.
The administrative source used in the process of data production are the following: Financial statement of the corporate enterprises from Chambers of Commerce; ISA (synthetic indices of reliability) data and Tax return data from the Fiscal authority; Social security data.
Main economic variables (turnover, purchases of goods and services, personnel cost, value added, etc.) are directly available from the administrative sources. The number of enterprises, number of persons employed and number of employees are extracted from the Business Register.
The administrative sources are available at micro level and are used as basic data and for imputation in case of non-response.
Data for number of active enterprises, number of employees and self-employed persons, value added and net turnover comes from the entire population.
Only for section K, data comes from external sources, and this can cause some little inconsistency in number of enterprises and persons employed.
Annual.
National level data are transmitted to Eurostat 18 months after the reference year, in line with the Regulation.
Regional level data (estimated/preliminary) for the reference year 2022 are transmitted to Eurostat 18 months after the reference year, in line with the Regulation. At T+18 not all the sources needed to estimate the regional data are available, so this implies that a new release (final/definitive) has to be sent later, when regional estimations are replaced by final data, resulting from all sources available.
Data are disseminated via Istat web sites and datawharehouses 23 months after the reference year for national level and 25 months after the reference year for regional level.
The same statistical concepts are applied in the entire national territory.
