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.
Import price index (IPI). The purpose of publishing data on import price indices is to present monthly changes in the prices of imports.
3.2. Classification system
Polish Classification of Goods and Services (PKWiU 2015) and CN (Combined Nomenclature).
3.3. Coverage - sector
The survey covers imported goods classified to section B, C and D of the Polish Classification of Goods and Services (PKWiU). The source of data for the selection of goods for the survey is information derived from foreign trade statistics.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The price is an actual transaction price collected when the ownership of the goods is transferred.
The price is the c.i.f. (cost, insurance and freight) price at the national border, excluding all duties and taxes on imports to be shouldered by the reporting unit.
The objective of the import price indices is to measure the monthly transaction price development of imported goods purchased from non-domestic areas by domestic residents.
3.5. Statistical unit
Observation unit – items of products (CN code). Reporting unit - industrial and commercial enterprises.
3.6. Statistical population
The survey covers about 3356 economic entities employing 10 or more persons. Units belonging to the population are identified on the basis of the Statistical Business Register (BJS).
3.7. Reference area
Entire country. Poland.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The import price index is produced on a monthly basis and its results are available since January 2010.
3.9. Base period
Data are transmitted to Eurostat as price indices with the base year 2021=100.
The weighting system was created on the basis of the value of imports of 2021 year for price indices beginning from 2021 year. Nationally data are disseminated with reference to various base periods, for example - corresponding period of the previous year, previous month of the current year.
Data are collected at current basic prices in PLN.
Month (monthly average price).
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics. Implementing Regulation (EU) of the Commission 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics.
The legal basis of Statistics Poland's responsibility for collection, processing and dissemination of statistics is the Act on Official Statistics passed on 29th June 1995 with subsequent amendments. Information on surveys is given in the “Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics” which exists as an annual regulation of the Council of Ministers. Data on Import prices in industry are collected on the basis of the “Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics”, which fulfils requirements of relevant Regulations.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data on Import price index are transmitted to Eurostat, National Bank of Poland, government administration.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
All statistics collected and published by Statistics Poland's are governed by the Act on Official Statistics. This Act establishes the statistical independence of Statistics Poland. Statistics Poland cannot publish, or otherwise make available to any individual or organization, statistics that would allow the identification of data for any individual person or entity.
The question of confidentiality is explained in the art. 10, 38 and 38a of the Act on Official Statistics.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Confidential data are treated in accordance with the policy described in the item 7.1. The following data are subject to special protection and are not disseminated:
data for individuals,
aggregates consisting the values for one or two entities,
aggregates with the share of one entity higher than the three-fourths of the total value in aggregate.
8.1. Release calendar
Advance dissemination of release calendar : Import industrial price indices are published around m+45.
The statistical release dates according to the preannounced schedule are publicly accessible on the Statistics Poland website.
Article 14 point 2 of the "Act on Official statistics" states that shall provide equal, non-discriminatory and simultaneous access to statistical information, and especially to major figures and indicators.
Data are released simultaneously to all users and are available on Statistics Poland's website in the form of announcement.
Price indices are released in the following Statistics Poland's publications:
“Yearbook of Foreign Trade Statistics of Poland”: — Import and export price indices according to PKWiU - annually, based on previous period = 100,
“Statistical Yearbook of Forestry...”: — Import and export price indices according to PKD divisions in the wood sector — annually, based on previous year = 100
According to article 3 of Act on Official Statistics - the official statistics shall ensure reliable, objective and systematic information for the society, the state and public administration bodies and economic entities. Documentation on procedures applied for quality management and assessment is available on the website: Quality in statistics.
11.1. Quality assurance
The legal basis of the quality measurement and assessment is the internal Regulation of the President of Statistics Poland No. 35 of 28th December 2011 which came into force in the 4th quarter of 2012. The quality assessment of statistical surveys is conducted according to an annual quality program for the official statistics which is in line with the Regulation of the President of Statistics Poland No. 35 of 28th December 2011.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The quality of statistical surveys is assessed by means of standard quality reports and quality indicators recommended in the ESS Handbook for Quality Reports with further amended versions as well as by self-assessment checklist and quality audits and reviews. The price indices for the surveyed month, both on the level of enterprises and NACE groups, are analysed taking into consideration the enterprises in case of which the price indices differ from an average national price index for the given NACE group. The aim of this analysis is to confirm a real price movement in an enterprise (a drop or a growth) or to detect incorrect calculation of the index due to errors reported in the questionnaire. When an error is detected an impact of this error on the index of an enterprise is analysed.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Relevance of data means the extent to which the survey meets current and potential user requirements. In order to meet the needs and improve the satisfaction of the users, analyses of the data ordered are carried out. In the absence of data or the inability to make data available due to statistical confidentiality, the data aggregates closest to the demand of users are provided. The data are made available in accordance with the deadlines contained in the survey schedule. In case of individual orders, delivery dates are agreed each time with the ordering party. The dataset is analysed in detail in terms of comparability of goods (type, model, kind) in subsequent reporting periods, so that the examined price refers to the same goods.
Eurostat and internal users use them for economic analysis. Enterprises use them for indexation of contracts and as economic indicators. Researchers and students need them for economic analysis.
12.3. Completeness
See point 3.3
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The criterion of accuracy of the data is understood as the convergence between the actual value of the population parameter and the resulting value of its estimate (after collection, imputation, estimation of data, etc.). The survey is estimated to have a low level of under-coverage errors. In order to reduce these errors and to ensure that the sample is representative, goods and reporting units are analysed and verified.
13.2. Sampling error
The indicator is based on exhaustive import figures from international trade statistics.
13.3. Non-sampling error
The response rate is about 94.5%. Actions to increase the rate of response are telephone and e-mail contacts with the reporting units and analysis of the reasons for their non-response.
14.1. Timeliness
This indicator is released 45 days after the end of the reference period. The monthly data is considered to be definitive one year after the end of the calendar year in which the reference month falls.
14.2. Punctuality
100% releases delivered on time according to the scheduled release dates.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The same statistical concepts and classifications are applied in the entire national territory. Definitions and classifications applied accordance requirements of EU regulations. The data are comparable from country to another. However, the countries may apply different collection and calculation methods for the data. No geographical regions, Poland as a whole.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Comparability of surveyed data is ensured, among other things, by applying conversions to comparable values, e.g. base periods, linkage keys (in case of changes in classification). No breaks in time series or other changes affecting temporal and spatial comparability occur during the performance of the survey.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The IPI is not compared or confronted with other data.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Lower level aggregations are derived to the higher level indices according CPA 2.1.
In 2024 the costs of the NSI where approximately 19255 hours per year, burden of respondents – approximately 6068 hours per year.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Data released on the website has the same revision policy as data send to Eurostat.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Mean Absolute Revision (MAR) = 0
Mean Revision (MR) = 0
18.1. Source data
The survey of import price indices is carried out by means of observation of representative items on a purposively selected sample of goods and enterprises on a monthly basis.. The selection of goods and enterprises for the survey is based on data from foreign trade statistics for previous years. On the basis of business registers and the volume and regularity of turnover recorded in foreign trade statistics, a representative group of enterprises is selected, for each chosen for the survey group of goods (8-digit CN level). Enterprises with a significant turnover in the selected CN groups are classified for the survey.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly collection of data.
18.3. Data collection
Questionnaires used in the survey: one type of questionnaire. Prices are collected through an electronic reporting form, which is sent out to selected companies. The questionnaires are filled in by the reporting units on which the reporting obligation was imposed. Non-response is monitored by means of the completeness reports.
18.4. Data validation
Prices data are reviewed by the price statistics staff. In case of problems or doubtful cases the respondents are contacted for clarification. The price statistics staff verifies the computation of the index at various stages of its compilation. Checks are carried out at the time of data collection and throughout the production chain indices.
18.5. Data compilation
Price indices at the level of the representative item are calculated as geometric mean. For higher levels of aggregation the price indices are calculated using the Laspeyres formula, i.e., as weighted averages of the price indices of lower level aggregates.
The weighting system for the appropriate levels of PKWiU for calculating aggregate indices (price indices) is created based on the share of turnover in imports using data from foreign trade statistics. Thus, a system of differentiated weights, called share weights, is in force. The weights are updated every five years. The degrees of aggregation and hence the levels for which the weights have to be created are determined by the classification structure according to which the price indices are calculated.
18.6. Adjustment
The import price index is not seasonally adjusted.
No further comments
Import price index (IPI). The purpose of publishing data on import price indices is to present monthly changes in the prices of imports.
15 May 2025
The price is an actual transaction price collected when the ownership of the goods is transferred.
The price is the c.i.f. (cost, insurance and freight) price at the national border, excluding all duties and taxes on imports to be shouldered by the reporting unit.
The objective of the import price indices is to measure the monthly transaction price development of imported goods purchased from non-domestic areas by domestic residents.
Observation unit – items of products (CN code). Reporting unit - industrial and commercial enterprises.
The survey covers about 3356 economic entities employing 10 or more persons. Units belonging to the population are identified on the basis of the Statistical Business Register (BJS).
Entire country. Poland.
Month (monthly average price).
The criterion of accuracy of the data is understood as the convergence between the actual value of the population parameter and the resulting value of its estimate (after collection, imputation, estimation of data, etc.). The survey is estimated to have a low level of under-coverage errors. In order to reduce these errors and to ensure that the sample is representative, goods and reporting units are analysed and verified.
Data are collected at current basic prices in PLN.
Price indices at the level of the representative item are calculated as geometric mean. For higher levels of aggregation the price indices are calculated using the Laspeyres formula, i.e., as weighted averages of the price indices of lower level aggregates.
The weighting system for the appropriate levels of PKWiU for calculating aggregate indices (price indices) is created based on the share of turnover in imports using data from foreign trade statistics. Thus, a system of differentiated weights, called share weights, is in force. The weights are updated every five years. The degrees of aggregation and hence the levels for which the weights have to be created are determined by the classification structure according to which the price indices are calculated.
The survey of import price indices is carried out by means of observation of representative items on a purposively selected sample of goods and enterprises on a monthly basis.. The selection of goods and enterprises for the survey is based on data from foreign trade statistics for previous years. On the basis of business registers and the volume and regularity of turnover recorded in foreign trade statistics, a representative group of enterprises is selected, for each chosen for the survey group of goods (8-digit CN level). Enterprises with a significant turnover in the selected CN groups are classified for the survey.
Monthly – both to Eurostat and nationally.
This indicator is released 45 days after the end of the reference period. The monthly data is considered to be definitive one year after the end of the calendar year in which the reference month falls.
The same statistical concepts and classifications are applied in the entire national territory. Definitions and classifications applied accordance requirements of EU regulations. The data are comparable from country to another. However, the countries may apply different collection and calculation methods for the data. No geographical regions, Poland as a whole.
Comparability of surveyed data is ensured, among other things, by applying conversions to comparable values, e.g. base periods, linkage keys (in case of changes in classification). No breaks in time series or other changes affecting temporal and spatial comparability occur during the performance of the survey.
