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National reference metadata

Spain

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.

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Structural business statistics - historical data (sbs_h)

National Reference Metadata in Euro SDMX Metadata Structure (ESMS)

Compiling agency: Annexes I, II, III: National Statistical Institute (INE) Annex IV: Ministry for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda

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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 non-financial business economy with the exception of agricultural activities and personal services. Limited information is available on banking, insurance and pension funds.

Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:

  • Business demographic variables (e.g. Number of enterprises)
  • "Output related" variables (e.g. Turnover, Value added)
  • "Input related" variables: labour input (e.g. Employment, Hours worked); goods and services input (e.g. Total of purchases); capital input (e.g. Material investments)
29 March 2022

The statistical characteristics are defined in Annex I of Commission Regulation (EC) No 250/2009

National data refer to enterprises. The enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organisational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. An enterprise may be a sole legal unit.   

 

Until the 2017 reference year, Spain identified, for operational purposes of SBS, the statistical unit Enterprise with the Legal Unit. Thus, each Legal Unit formed an Enterprise. However, the progressive complexity of the way in which enterprise groups operate internally nowadays caused the European Statistical System to search for an improvement as regards the way in which the activity of these groups is reflected in enterprises’ official statistics. Legal Units that belong to enterprise groups sometimes sell their products or provide their services exclusively or mainly within the group, without being market-oriented or having decision-making power over the entire production process.

 

For these reasons, and in accordance with the European Statistical System, from the SBS exercise 2018 onwards, the statistical unit 'enterprise' can be formed by one or several legal units. For enterprises consisting of more than one legal unit, new compilation methods, based on guidelines and recommendations of Eurostat, have been applied in order to measure the economic characteristics of the Enterprise, considering the set of their legal units and eliminating intra-enterprise transactions. Due to these changes in methodology, figures of SBS-2018 are affected, to a greater or lesser extent, by a  break in the time series compared to previous years. It should be noted that most of the Enterprises are independent Legal Units, so the Enterprise = Legal Unit identity remains valid. The change will only affect Legal Units that are part of Enterprise Groups.

 

Regional data refer to local units. The local unit is an enterprise or part thereof (e.g. a workshop, factory, warehouse, office, mine or depot) situated in a geographically identified place. At or from this place economic activity is carried out for which - save for certain exceptions - one or more persons work (even if only part-time) for one and the same enterprise.

The target population consists of enterprises (companies, societies, and natural persons) that have been active during the reference year and whose main activity is in the following sections and divisions of NACE Rev.2.:

  • Industrial Sector: Sections B, C, D, E
  • Construction Sector: Section F
  • Trade Sector: Section G
  • Services Sector: Sections H, I, J, L, M, N and Division S95

 

The current Regulation (EC) nº 295/2008 concerning structural business statistics groups the information in various Annexes depending on the sector of activity. This report summarizes the characteristics of the following Annexes:

  • Annex I:   Services Sector
  • Annex II:  Industrial Sector
  • Annex III: Trade Sector
  • Annex IV:  Construction Sector

Coverage: No threshold is applied regarding the size of enterprises.

All the enterprises in the entire national territory of Spain are considered.


Foreign affiliates resident in Spain are included (INWARD FATS).
Spanish affiliates abroad are excluded (OUTWARD FATS).

2020

Annexes I, II, III:  The reference period for the data is generally the calendar year. Exceptionally, companies that operate seasonally or during campaigns that cover two different years and have their data recorded this way, provide the information of the season or campaign that finishes that year.

Annex IV: The reference period for the data is the calendar year.

The sampling design tries to minimize sampling errors and the different survey processes are intended to eliminate or decrease its errors in the collection stage (response rate and filter control) as well as in edition and imputation stages.

 

Collection, coverage control, error filtering and non-response imputation allow obtaining a highly reliable statistic

  • 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.

Use of statistical surveys and administrative sources

  • Annexes I, II, III: For a subset of the sample of Industry, Trade and Services Sector, characteristics listed in 18.1 are estimated using administrative sources. The other characteristics, not available in administrative sources, are estimated using model based estimation. A ratio imputation is used, based on information from previous reference period, and previous and new administrative data for this subset of the sample. Then, this subset of the sample is integrated with those obtained though the statistical surveys.
  • Annexes I, II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K), III: The estimation of employment variables has been improved by using administrative sources.
  • Annex IV: For a small subset of the Construction Sector sample, characteristics are estimated using administrative sources and, if unavailable in administrative sources, they are estimated using a ratio imputation

 

 Description of imputation methods used for dealing with unit non-response:

  • Annexes I, II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K), III: Since reference year 2016 all the non-response is subject to automatic imputation (based on administrative sources and/or information from previous year and/or other kind of imputations as average per stratum, nearest neighbor...) which allows it to be borne in mind as an effective sample.
  • Annex II (series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K): If no data are available, we use available information from previous reference period. For invalid and inconsistent responses we use different methods of imputation: average per stratum, same distribution as previous year… For the non-response of other enterprises corrector factor in the weighting procedure is used.
  • Annex IV: Corrector factor in the weighting procedure.

 

 Inference (grossing-up)

  • Annexes I, II and III: We have applied non-biased estimators in stratified sampling with correction of the population for grossing-up the figures covered by the SBS Regulation.
  • Annex IV: Corrector factor in the weighting procedure.

Statistical operations

  • Annexes I, II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K), III:

Until the reference year 2014 included, the structural business statistics produced by the INE (Industrial, Trade and Services Sectors) were elaborated according to different surveys, through separate processes and with different collection and publication schedules.   

Since the reference year 2015 and with the aim to standardize and improve the process of elaboration of these operations, the statistical results and the dissemination of the information, the ‘Integration Project of the Structural Business Statistics’ was put into effect. The project, developed in two consecutive exercises,  has signified a reform of the following statistical operations, which have changed their denomination to emphasize even more the idea of integration:

- Structural Business Statistics: Industrial Sector (previously named 'Industrial Companies Survey')
- Structural Business Statistics: Trade Sector (previously named 'Annual Trade Survey')
- Structural Business Statistics: Services Sector (previously named 'Annual Services Survey')

The reform includes, among other aspects:

1) the use of practically uniform questionnaires for the three sectors under study (keeping some specific issues for the Industrial Sector) and adapting to the regulated models for the Annual Accounting for the juridical persons;
2) more efficient sample design with the purpose of reducing the burden on the reporting parties and obtaining a better use of the administrative registers;
3) a new and homogeneous release plan for each operation that eases the comparison of the statistical results for the different sectors.
4) improvements relating to the treatment of companies that enter or leave the target population during the reference year, as well as the imputation of non-response. Additionally, the estimation of employment variables has been improved by using administrative sources.

       From reference year 2012 onwards, SBS for Industry, Services and Trade sectors are compiled by combination of statistical surveys and administrative data. The proportion of sample units obtained from administrative sources has been increasing progressively. For 2020 reference year, more than 39% of the sample units of industry, commerce and services are obtained from administrative sources, thus avoiding the statistical burden of said units.

  

  • Annex II. Series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K. Information collected in the Survey on Expenditure on Environmental Protection
  • Annex IV. Information collected in the Structural survey on Construction

 

Data source:

  • Annex I: Statistical survey combined with administrative sources
  • Annex II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K): Statistical survey combined with administrative sources
  • Annex II (series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K): Statistical survey
  • Annex III: Statistical survey combined with administrative sources   
  • Annex IV: Statistical survey combined with administrative sources

 

Type of sample design:

  • Annexes I, II , III, IV: Stratified

 

Stratification criteria:

  • Annexes I, II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K), III, IV: Activity, Employment size class, Region. 
  • Annex II (series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K): Activity. Employment size class, Groups of regions.

 

Selection schemes and sampling rates:

  • Annexes I, II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K), III, IV:

            Legal units with 50 or more persons employed are investigated exhaustively.

            For legal units with less than 50 persons employed, stratified sampling with optimal allocation (Neyman) is used, with the following samplig rates.
              - Annex I: 5.2%  
              - Annex II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J, and 2K): 21.4%   
              - Annex III: 8.6%   
              - Annex IV: 4.9% 

  • Annex II (series 2H, 2I, 2J, and 2K): sampling rate 24.3% and legal units with 200 or more persons employed are investigated exhaustively.

 

Threshold values:

  • Annexes I, II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K), III, IV: No thresholds are applied.
  • Annex II (series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K): Establishments with more than 10 employees. In order to meet the total requirements of SBS we use model–based techniques.

 

The effective sample size and final sampling rates by employment size class (in % of population):

  • Annex I: 90,180 of which, based on administrative sources 41.1%

              Sampling rate: Total: 5.4%    By persons employed classes: 0-9: 3.7%   10-49: 32.4%   50 or more: 99.7%   

  • Annex II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J, and 2K): 46,328 of which, based on administrative sources 34.1%

              Sampling rate: Total: 23.6%  By persons employed classes: 0-9: 14.4%   10-49: 62.2%   50 or more: 99.7%

  • Annex II (series 2H, 2I, 2J, and 2K): 7,948
  • Annex III: 64,838 of which, based on administrative sources 40.8%

              Sampling rate: Total: 8.8%   By persons employed classes: 0-9: 6.5%    10-49: 47.4%    50 or more:100%    

  • Annex IV: 12,891

              Sampling rate: Total: 3.1%  By persons employed classes: 0-9: 2.1%    10-49: 19.0%    50 or more: 97.3%  

 

Administrative sources

For SBS the following administrative sources are used:

   - Tax data: Corporation Tax, VAT Tax, Income Tax
   - Social Security
   - Business Register
 

These administrative data are subject to several revisions with (increasing) degree of completeness.
The frequency to which these used administrative data are updated is annual. For the purposes of SBS we assess this frequency as very good.

 

Characteristics directly available or with a proxy in the administrative source:

   -  Number of employees
   -  Turnover
   -  Production Value
   -  Gross margin on goods for resale
   -  Value Added at Factor Cost
   -  Gross Operating Surplus
   -  Purchases of goods and services purchased for resale in the same condition as received
   -  Wages and Salaries
   -  Social Security Costs
   -  Change in stocks of goods and services for resale
   -  Change in stocks of finished products and work in progress
   -  Gross investment in land
   -  Gross investment in existing buildings and structures
   -  Gross investment in construction and alteration of buildings
   -  Gross investment in machinery and equipment

 
Kind of administrative data accessed: Micro data

Relation between reporting units and the legal units / enterprise (statistical unit):

  • Annexes I, II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K), III, IV:

    Reporting unit = legal unit (in some exceptional cases, the reporting unit is the head of the group)

    Statistical unit = enterprise (the enterprise can be formed by one or several legal units)

  • Annex II (series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K): Reporting unit = local unit (an enterprise or part thereof situated in a geographically identified place )

 

Frame

   -  The variable used for identifying principal and secondary activities is the Value added. When value added is not available, turnover is used.  
   -  The method used for identifying activities is the Top-down method.
   -  Frequency of updating the unit's principal activity (stability rules): Yearly 
   -  Frequency of updating the business register in our NSI: Yearly

Annual

Annexes I, II (except series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K), III:  

Data-collection:                       12/2021
Post-collection phase:              06/2022
Dissemination in the country:   06/2022

 

Annex II (series 2H, 2I, 2J and 2K): 

Data-collection:                        12/2021                       
Post-collection phase:               06/2022
Dissemination in the country:    11/2022

 

Annex IV:

Data-collection:                        10/2021                       
Post-collection phase:               12/2021
Dissemination in the country:    12/2021

The availability of a methodology, a common collecting design and process, filtering, edition and elevation in its entire geographical scope, guarantees comparability of results among the different Autonomous Communities. Moreover, the methodological adjustment to the SBS regulation allows comparability with the rest of European Union countries which disseminate the same information for their respective sectors.

Length of comparable time series

  • Annexes I, II, III: 1998-2008; 2008-2017, 2018-2020 (full implementation of the statistical unit Enterprise)
  • Annex IV: 2001-2007, 2008-2017, 2018-2020 (full implementation of the statistical unit Enterprise)

 

Reasons or differences in concepts and methods of measurements for break in time series

2008. Change in NACE classification (from NACE Rev. 1.1 to NACE Rev. 2); 2008 is the double reporting year. 

2018: Full implementation of the statistical unit Enterprise