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.
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)
3.2. Classification system
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE): NACE Rev.1 was used until 2001, NACE Rev. 1.1 since 2002, and NACE Rev 2 is used from 2008 onwards. Key data were double reported in NACE Rev.1.1 and NACE Rev.2 for 2008. From 2009 onwards, only NACE Rev.2 data are available.
The regional breakdown of the EU Member States is based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). Detailed information about the consecutive NUTS Regulations can be found at Eurostat's website
The SBS coverage was limited to Sections C to K of NACE Rev.1.1 until 2007. Starting from the reference year 2008 data is available for Sections B to N and Division S95 of NACE Rev.2. With 2013 as the first reference year information is published on NACE codes K6411, K6419 and K65 and its breakdown.
Both the enterprise and local unit are used/collected for national (Annex 1/2/3/4A) and regional statistics (Annex 1/2/3/4C) these are got from the Business Register and is coherent with Business Demography.
3.6. Statistical population
Branches of foreign enterprises are included, if they represent separate entities in administrative sources.
Activities of branches of enterprises that are registered as separate companies abroad are excluded, however, activities of Irish-registered companies abroad are included.
3.7. Reference area
Republic of Ireland
3.8. Coverage - Time
1998-2020
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.
Reference year is 2020. Calendar year is used.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Individual companies’ data are treated as strictly confidential under section 33 of the Statistics Act, 1993.
All information supplied to the CSO is treated as strictly confidential. The Statistics Act, 1993 sets stringent confidentiality standards: Information collected may be used only for statistical purposes, and no details that might be related to an identifiable person or business undertaking may be divulged to any other government department or body. These national statistical confidentiality provisions are reinforced by the following EU legislation: Council Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics for data collected for EU statistical purposes. Further details are outlined in the CSO's Code of Practice on Statistical Confidentiality. For more information on the CSO confidentiality policy please visit: https://www.cso.ie/en/aboutus/lgdp/csodatapolicies/statisticalconfidentiality/
Individual companies’ data are treated as strictly confidential under section 33 of the Statistics Act, 1993. Section 33 is outlined below.
"Prohibition on disclosure of information.
33.—(1) No information obtained in any way under this Act or the repealed enactments which can be related to an identifiable person or undertaking shall, except with the written consent of that person or undertaking or the personal representative or next-of-kin of a deceased person, be disseminated, shown or communicated to any person or body except as follows—
(a) for the purposes of a prosecution for an offence under this Act;
(b) to officers of statistics in the course of their duties under this Act;
(c) for the purposes of recording such information solely for the use of the Office in such form and manner as is provided for by a contract in writing made by the Director General which protects its confidentiality to his satisfaction.
(2) The Office may, for statistical purposes only, assign codes derived from information collected under this Act classifying undertakings listed in the administrative systems of other public authorities by economic activity and size (persons engaged) categories.
(3) The Taoiseach may by order prescribe such further prohibitions on the disclosure of identifiable records or information obtained under this Act or the repealed enactments for such periods as may be prescribed.
(4) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require any person or undertaking to provide information in relation to a matter on which information was sought in circumstances that would entitle the person or undertaking to decline to give the information in a civil proceeding in any court or on grounds of privilege."
The level of breakdown is determined by making sure that the data in the resulting categories does not violate the confidentiality of the returns.
Individual companies’ data are treated as strictly confidential under the Statistics Act, 1993. The aggregates are published broken down by principal activity of the enterprise as well as by regions, turnover and employment size classes, nationality of ownership etc. The level of breakdown is determined by making sure that the data in the resulting categories does not violate the confidentiality of the returns. Eurostat k-rules are used, i.e. a cell is confidential, if 80+% of total comes from 1 company or 90+% comes from 2 companies. A cell is confidential if it contains less than 3 enterprises.
Secondary confidentiality is where a cell has to made confidential so that a primary confidential cell would be identified.
8.1. Release calendar
We published the results of the 2019 reference period on 27th September 2021.
The current national release calender is up for review. We are currently expecting to publish the next instance of the survey for reference period 2020 in September 2022.
8.2. Release calendar access
The CSO release calendar is available to all on our website
Access is available to a limited set of registered main users within the CSO. Researchers from outside the CSO can apply for access to micro data. We also publish our Business in Ireland publication in Q4 which gives a detailed review of our SBS data. Main variables and breakdowns are available on PxStat for all users. Any adhoc quests for data are released as long as confidentiality is maintained.
Annual
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
A national publication (electronic) is scheduled each September.
Microdata access is available after national publication to any approved users to apply via our RMF application process. See weblink below for details on our RMF application process.
Data is only disseminated via an electronic national release and Pxstat tables on the CSO website. Queries are handled and data given out based on SDC rules where and when possible.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Survey documentation is available at the following URLs:
In fulfilling its mandate the CSO applies the best statistical standards and methodology, and adheres to the highest professional standards of impartiality, integrity and independence. The Office fully subscribes to the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.
The CSO operates under a strict legal regime, supported by a robust quality framework, the backbone of which is the European Statistics Code of Practice (ESCOP). This Code of Practice is made up of 16 principles covering the institutional environment, the statistical production process and the output of statistics. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) as a member of the European Statistical system is duty-bound and committed to following the Code. Each of the 16 principles has a number of specific indicator measures which are enacted through the policies, standards and practices of the CSO.
In accordance with the ESCOP quality standards, the quality requirements of CSO’s statistical outputs are:
• to be relevant with regard to meeting users information needs • to be accurate so that estimates or indicators accurately and reliably portray reality • to be timely so that statistics are made available to users in a timely and punctual manner • to be accessible so that statistics are presented to users in a clear, understandable form, released in a suitable and convenient manner, available and accessible on an impartial basis with supporting metadata • to be comparable and coherent to enable comparison internally, over time or among related sources
The Quality Policy for the Office is set out in “Quality in Statistics - A Handbook of Quality Standards and Guidelines” . This provides information and recommendations on best practice and contains clear guidelines and standards to ensure that the quality of our processes and outputs are of the highest standard.
The CSO’s commitment to the quality of the statistics produced and disseminated is set out in its quality statement (see Central Statistics Office Quality Statement (PDF 101KB) ). This is further supported by the Government of Ireland adopted “Commitment on Confidence in Statistics” which declares support for the existing laws and for those policies and practices instigated by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to meet its obligations under the European Statistics Code of Practice.
11.1. Quality assurance
The quality of statistical information and its production process is ensured by the provisions of the European Statistics Code of Practice. The documentation on quality management is available here.
The main quality assurance activity for SBS is the data validation.
A number of validation procedures, from data collection to data dissemination are performed: • Automatic checks - performed in the process of data entry. • Logical checks - data control of correctness of the suspicious size of the values or incompleteness of the data. Errors of this type are corrected through direct contacts with the enterprises. • Micro checks - at the level of enterprise. • Macro checks - at the level of NACE class (2/3/4-digit code).
Micro and macro plausibility checks are performed as historical and actual data are compared; comparison with other sources (External trade and STS especially) is also made.
CIP data is compared against Prodcom, annualised monthly industrial production inquiry.
Services data is compared with monthly Retail Trade and Services data.
Construction data is compared with quarterly construction data.
All SBS data is compared with National Income and Expenditure data.
For the seventy or so largest companies in Ireland, the Large Cases Unit deal with their data and provide each survey area with the data as required. This makes this data very coherent.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
National Accounts use the data that is not available from other sources. Government bodies and researchers use aggregates and microdata for compilation of reports and papers. We also meet with customers (government and research community once a year via an Economic Statistics Liaison Group (ESLG) to discuss our surveys and data.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
We conduct an ESLG meting with users annually to gauge user satisfaction and feedback. A user canvass was carried out in 2019.
12.3. Completeness
Data on all variables are collected and submitted to Eurostat.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Survey data has inbuilt errors relating to sample error, input error, etc.
Sample error is reduced by having a census of the largest companies. Consistnecy and coherence is imporved by the Large Cases Unit as they collect the data from the 70 or so largest companies in Ireland. Edits are done on the data comparing pervious years returns and data is verified to reduce input error. Admin data is checked with previous years and where possible corporate accounts are looked at for vefification.
13.2. Sampling error
It is not clear how variations of coefficients can be generated in mixed mode survey using survey data and administration data.
A breakdown of the response rate for 2020 Annex 1 and Annex 3 is available below:
No. Forms issued Responded Usable
17,649 8348 7238
100% 47% 41%
In 2020 the coverage rate for Turnover was 54.4% therefore the turnover non response rate was 45.6%. The coverage rate for Gross Value Added was 50.0%
For Annex 2
The unweighted response rate for the 2020 survey was 40.3% which represented 41.5% of total employment
13.3. Non-sampling error
Statistical inference using ratio estimators. Non-respondents are treated as not being selected; the final sample from which inference is made consists of respondents only. The sample is increased to the population size using Administrative data.
14.1. Timeliness
Tax deadline in Ireland is Mid November each year and is in relation to either the previous year or two years prior. The file we receive from Revenue is not availabe until April. National accounts data is not available for coherence checks until Mid June / early July.
Due to Covid the chasing of companies via telephone was not as effective as previous years as the contact people were working from home.
Data is transmitted to Eurostat by the agreed deadline of the 31st of July to avoid revisions when the National account data is finalised. Construction data was sent by the 30th of June 2022.
14.2. Punctuality
Data for reference period 2020 was submitted to Eurostat prior to the June 30th deadline for Construction.
Data for Industry and Services was submitted by the 31st of July as per the extended deadline agreed with Eurostat.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Not applicable at Member States level. CSO collects data for the whole country; there is no regional variation.
15.2. Comparability - over time
NACE classification was changed in 2008.
Target population changed in 2008, due to change in methodology in Business Register.
A major revision of the 2008-2014 series was carried out previously. This new methodology was applied from 2015 reference period data onwards. This mean SBS data was much closer alligned to Business Demography data and to National accounts.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
A major revision of the 2008-2014 series was carried out previously. This new methodology was applied from 2015 reference period data onwards. This mean SBS data was much closer alligned to Business Demography data and to National accounts.
15.4. Coherence - internal
SBS data is checked against Tax data and National accounts data to improve coherency.
Annex 1 is compared with the monthly Services Index.
Annex 2 is compared with Prodcom and the IPT index.
Annex 3 is compared with the Retail Sales Index
Annex 4 is compared with the Quarterly Constuction Index and Planning permissions
For the seventy or so largest companies in Ireland, the Large Cases Unit deal with their data and provide each survey area with the data as required. This makes this data very coherent.
Not Available
17.1. Data revision - policy
A major revision of the 2008-2014 series was carried out in 2015 and 2016. The new methodology was applied to the 2015 reference period thereafter. This means SBS data was much closer alligned to Business Demography data.
If an error or new data becomes available which will affect any major variable at division level by 5%, a revision will be made and published. Users will be made aware of the revision by inserting a grey box outlying the revision and/or a footnote in PxStat.
A major revision of the 2008-2014 series was carried out in 2015 and 2016. The new methodology was applied to the 2015 reference period thereafter.
Annex I and III – matched sample based on units that have responded to both in 2016
Annex II, data is imputed for non-respondents
Annex IV - matched sample based on units that have responded to both in 2016
If an error or new data becomes available which will affect any major variable at division level by 5%, a revision will be made and published. Users will be made aware of the revision by inserting a grey box outlying the revision and/or a footnote in PxStat. The revised data would be sent to Eurostat.
Annex I + III: Mainly carried out through stratified survey. For enterprises with 50+ persons engaged a census is taken. All non respondents are imputed from administrative data sources.
Annex II: Census of all enterprises employing 3 or more persons. We do not survey enterprises with less than three persons but instead use administrative data for estimating these enterprises. All non respondents are imputed from Adminstrative data sources. Census of all industrial enterprises. We issue a survey form to all enterprises with 20 or more persons. Enterprises with between 3 and 19 persons engaged are sampled on a stratified sample basis. We do not issue any survey form to industrial enterprises with less than three persons engaged. For these enterprises and non-respondent enterprises, we use administrative data to estimate/impute a return. We also use other CSO collected data from Monthly Industrial Inquiry (STS), National Accounts and Prodcom to estimate/impute/validate data returns.
Annex IV: Mainly carried out through survey. All non respondents are imputed from Administrative data sources.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual data collection
18.3. Data collection
SBS data are collected from enterprises via a paper form and an electronic form.
Number of employees and persons engaged and wages are got from Administrative data (Employment Tax files)
18.4. Data validation
A large number of edits is run on the received data.
Year-on-year comparisons for key variables;
Consistency checks, e.g. sum of parts against the total;
Plausibility checks, e.g. profit to turnover ratio too high/low;
Compared with other survey returns for coherence.
We also use other CSO collected data from STS, eg. Industrial Production and Turnover, Retail Trade, Quarterly Construction and Services Turnover, National Accounts and Prodcom to validate data returns. Tax returns are also used for plausibility checks.
18.5. Data compilation
Sample survey combined with administrative information - CRO accounts, other CSO survey returns and past CIP Industry survey returns.
Unit non-response estimated using administrative data and then using ratio extensions based on similar sized respondent enterprises to build up a full suite of variables for these non-respondents and admin cases.
Inference - Annexes I, III, IV – ratio estimator with number of persons engaged as auxiliary parameter. Annex II – no inference
18.6. Adjustment
The reference period does not differ from the calendar year - not applicable.
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 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)
Both the enterprise and local unit are used/collected for national (Annex 1/2/3/4A) and regional statistics (Annex 1/2/3/4C) these are got from the Business Register and is coherent with Business Demography.
Branches of foreign enterprises are included, if they represent separate entities in administrative sources.
Activities of branches of enterprises that are registered as separate companies abroad are excluded, however, activities of Irish-registered companies abroad are included.
Republic of Ireland
Reference year is 2020. Calendar year is used.
Survey data has inbuilt errors relating to sample error, input error, etc.
Sample error is reduced by having a census of the largest companies. Consistnecy and coherence is imporved by the Large Cases Unit as they collect the data from the 70 or so largest companies in Ireland. Edits are done on the data comparing pervious years returns and data is verified to reduce input error. Admin data is checked with previous years and where possible corporate accounts are looked at for vefification.
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.
Sample survey combined with administrative information - CRO accounts, other CSO survey returns and past CIP Industry survey returns.
Unit non-response estimated using administrative data and then using ratio extensions based on similar sized respondent enterprises to build up a full suite of variables for these non-respondents and admin cases.
Inference - Annexes I, III, IV – ratio estimator with number of persons engaged as auxiliary parameter. Annex II – no inference
Annex I + III: Mainly carried out through stratified survey. For enterprises with 50+ persons engaged a census is taken. All non respondents are imputed from administrative data sources.
Annex II: Census of all enterprises employing 3 or more persons. We do not survey enterprises with less than three persons but instead use administrative data for estimating these enterprises. All non respondents are imputed from Adminstrative data sources. Census of all industrial enterprises. We issue a survey form to all enterprises with 20 or more persons. Enterprises with between 3 and 19 persons engaged are sampled on a stratified sample basis. We do not issue any survey form to industrial enterprises with less than three persons engaged. For these enterprises and non-respondent enterprises, we use administrative data to estimate/impute a return. We also use other CSO collected data from Monthly Industrial Inquiry (STS), National Accounts and Prodcom to estimate/impute/validate data returns.
Annex IV: Mainly carried out through survey. All non respondents are imputed from Administrative data sources.
Annual
Tax deadline in Ireland is Mid November each year and is in relation to either the previous year or two years prior. The file we receive from Revenue is not availabe until April. National accounts data is not available for coherence checks until Mid June / early July.
Due to Covid the chasing of companies via telephone was not as effective as previous years as the contact people were working from home.
Data is transmitted to Eurostat by the agreed deadline of the 31st of July to avoid revisions when the National account data is finalised. Construction data was sent by the 30th of June 2022.
Not applicable at Member States level. CSO collects data for the whole country; there is no regional variation.
NACE classification was changed in 2008.
Target population changed in 2008, due to change in methodology in Business Register.
A major revision of the 2008-2014 series was carried out previously. This new methodology was applied from 2015 reference period data onwards. This mean SBS data was much closer alligned to Business Demography data and to National accounts.
