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.
National Statistics Office, Lascaris Valletta, VLT 2000, Malta
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
19 June 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
19 June 2026
2.3. Metadata last update
19 June 2026
3.1. Data description
For short-term business statistics, the index of industrial turnover describes the development of sales in the industrial sector. It is a monthly value indicator which is influenced by changes in prices and volumes of the traded industrial goods.
3.2. Classification system
The classifications used in STS is NACE rev.2.
3.3. Coverage - sector
The following NACE divisions are covered:
0800 - Quarrying
1000 - Manufacture of food products
1100 - Manufacture of beverages
1300 - Manufacture of textiles
1400 - Manufacture of wearing apparel
1600 - Manufacture of wood and of wood products
1700 - Manufacture of paper and paper products
1800 - Printing and reproduction of recorded media
2000 - Manufacture of chemical and chemical products
2100 - Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and preparations
2200 - Manufacture of rubber and plastic products
2300 - Manufacture of other non-metallic products
2500 - Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment
2600 - Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products
2700 - Manufacture of electrical equipment
2800 - Manufacture of machinery and equipment
2900 - Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers.
3100 - Manufacture of furniture
3200 - Other manufacturing
3300 - Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
3500 - Electricity and gas
3600 - Water collection, treatment and supply
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The main indicator is industrial turnover. It comprises the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the reference period and this corresponds to market sales of goods supplied to third parties. Turnover also includes all other charges (transport, packaging, etc.) passed on to the customer, even if these charges are listed separately in the invoice.
Turnover excludes VAT.
3.5. Statistical unit
Kind of Activity Unit (KAU)
3.6. Statistical population
The statistical population is around 2000 units and includes all those falling under NACE Divisions 8 - 36. The population is maintained by the Business Registers unit.
3.7. Reference area
The indicator covers the national territory of the Maltese Islands.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The data for the index of industrial turnover are available from the year 2000.
3.9. Base period
Base year (year on which weights are based): 2021
Reference year (year when the index equals 100): 2021
The same base and reference years are used for data published locally and that transmitted to Eurostat.
The data are provided in index form.
The data are collected and provided on a monthly basis.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
European Legislation: The legal basis for the short-term business statistics is the European Business Statistics (EBS) Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on 27 November 2019, followed by the Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to the mentioned EBS Regulation (General Implementing Act).
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data Sharing matters are governed by the Malta Statistics Authority Act XXIV of 2000. Industrial turnover indices are sent to Eurostat.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Apart from the established legislative framework, the NSO is also guided by an internal general confidentiality policy. Data tagged as confidential are not available for publication.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Confidentiality matters are regulated by the Malta Statistics Authority Act XXIV of 2000. Such data are marked as such.
8.1. Release calendar
An advance release calendar is published on the NSOs website.
8.2. Release calendar access
All releases are published and disseminated at 1100 hrs as scheduled in the Advance Release Calendar. The calendar is published on the NSO website and includes a 3 month advance notice (the current month and the next two months).
8.3. Release policy - user access
National statistical releases are issued according to the release calendar and are made available to all users simultaneously. All releases are posted on the organisation's website.
Data are also transmitted to Eurostat.
Eurostat transmissions for the index of industrial turnover are carried out on a monthly basis and 60 days after the end of the reference period. National news releases for the index are carried out on a quarterly basis and according to the national news release calendar.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
The main dissemination channel for official statistics is the NSO website.
A quarterly local news release is published on the industrial turnover index.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
The short-term statistics only publishes its figures in an annual compendium named Malta in Figures or Trends in Malta. These can be accessed from the NSO website: www.nso.gov.mt.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
The NSO website offers an online statistical database (StatDB) that provides a more in-depth analysis for the more expert statistical user or researcher. The StatDB requires registration as only registered users can extract data from the database. Registration is free-of-charge.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
In general, index results made available to Eurostat ensure a sufficient degree of representativeness of data. More detailed data than that published locally and internationally are available on request but are subject to the confidentiality clauses.
In such cases, data are provided in index form. Micro data are not provided to users.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Data are transmitted to Eurostat on a monthly basis
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The main document used for the production of this index is the following:
The NSO quality assurance principles are developed according to the ESS Handbook for Quality Reports (2014).
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Aspects of quality are divided into several steps. These are specifying needs, designing and building data instruments and collecting, processing, analysing, disseminating, archiving and evaluating data. The main guiding principles in quality management are found in the:
Overall, the quality of the index of industrial turnover is of good quality and very reliable.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main users of the industrial turnover index are the Eurostat, the Central Bank of Malta, the Ministry of Finance, Malta and other international organisations.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available
12.3. Completeness
Data are compliant with relevant European and local regulations and requirements are fully fulfilled.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The overall accuracy of this indicator is considered to be of very good quality.
Sampling error is negligible, non-sampling error is small and the first estimates are not biased.
13.2. Sampling error
Last computed coefficient of variation for this index was 6.8%. However, the current sample design is the 80% cut-off method.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Non-sampling errors relate to problems such as under or over coverage, non-response, data-processing and estimation.
Non-sampling errors in the index of industrial turnover are mainly due to non-response error. Hence, the Short-term Business Statistics unit make use of administrative data and good imputation techniques to fill in non-response.
Weighted response rate is around 85%.
14.1. Timeliness
The index of industrial turnover is disseminated 60 days after the reference period.
14.2. Punctuality
The NSO is committed to adhere to the timelines established by the STS Regulations and also issues news releases according to its pre-published calendar.
All deadlines were respected during the course of the year.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
To ensure geographical comparability across member states the index is compiled according to the STS Regulations and STS Methodological Guidelines. Minor methodological deviations may exist due to specific conditions that apply to each member state.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The data series has been compiled since the year 2000. The first set of indicators was based on NACE Rev 1. Following 2009, the indicator was published according to the new NACE Rev 2 classification. Furthermore, for every year ending in 0 or 5, new fixed aggregation weights are introduced.
There is no break in series in the data.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Data are compared to administrative data.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Aggregates are consistent with the other components.
Data burden is considered high but no data are available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Revisions are carried out according to the European Business Statistics Regulation. Internal procedures are also established.
The same revision policy is applied to both data released nationally and that sent to Eurostat.
Revision analysis is carried out before every neews release published locally or sent to Eurostat and clear explanations are also sought. Detailed explanations at micro data level are also analysed but only used internally for quality information purposes. Generally, this index will have routine minor revisions due to actual data replacing estimates due to non-response. Major revisions may also be done but this will be on an exceptional basis.
A revision calendar does not exist.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Data marked as provisional are revised when actual data are received and estimates are replaced.
18.1. Source data
Data on industrial turnover are based on a sample survey of around 200 units which is refreshed every 5 years.
Turnover and employment are the main variables used to stratify the sample into three size classes. A cut-off sample is also used whenever it is deemed possible and reliable.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly.
18.3. Data collection
Data is collected by means of a monthly statistical questionnaire. Questionnaires are sent by post and their collection is done via post, fax, e-mail or online systems.
18.4. Data validation
Validations of format and file structure checks and intra-dataset checks are checked with the use of in-house excel sheets and access databases.
Revisions analysis is also carried out for every data transmission sent to Eurostat using in-house access queries. When data revisions are significantly large, a short explanation is also given to Eurostat.
18.5. Data compilation
Non-response is treated by micro-estimation to ensure a full response for all surveyed units.
A Laspeyres type index is used for compilation and the weights are updated every 5 years from the Structural Business Statistics survey.
The current file type that is used to send data to Eurostat is the SDMX-ML version.
18.6. Adjustment
Unadjusted data are transformed into working day and seasonally adjusted data using the JDemetra+ 2.2.2 software.
Automatic filter is used and models and parameters are re-estimated every year. There are no seasonal breaks and the direct adjustment is used. Filter length is chosen automatically and residual seasonality is checked.
Further information on seasonal adjustment methods are found in the annex.
For short-term business statistics, the index of industrial turnover describes the development of sales in the industrial sector. It is a monthly value indicator which is influenced by changes in prices and volumes of the traded industrial goods.
19 June 2026
The main indicator is industrial turnover. It comprises the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the reference period and this corresponds to market sales of goods supplied to third parties. Turnover also includes all other charges (transport, packaging, etc.) passed on to the customer, even if these charges are listed separately in the invoice.
Turnover excludes VAT.
Kind of Activity Unit (KAU)
The statistical population is around 2000 units and includes all those falling under NACE Divisions 8 - 36. The population is maintained by the Business Registers unit.
The indicator covers the national territory of the Maltese Islands.
The data are collected and provided on a monthly basis.
The overall accuracy of this indicator is considered to be of very good quality.
Sampling error is negligible, non-sampling error is small and the first estimates are not biased.
The data are provided in index form.
Non-response is treated by micro-estimation to ensure a full response for all surveyed units.
A Laspeyres type index is used for compilation and the weights are updated every 5 years from the Structural Business Statistics survey.
The current file type that is used to send data to Eurostat is the SDMX-ML version.
Data on industrial turnover are based on a sample survey of around 200 units which is refreshed every 5 years.
Turnover and employment are the main variables used to stratify the sample into three size classes. A cut-off sample is also used whenever it is deemed possible and reliable.
Eurostat transmissions for the index of industrial turnover are carried out on a monthly basis and 60 days after the end of the reference period. National news releases for the index are carried out on a quarterly basis and according to the national news release calendar.
The index of industrial turnover is disseminated 60 days after the reference period.
To ensure geographical comparability across member states the index is compiled according to the STS Regulations and STS Methodological Guidelines. Minor methodological deviations may exist due to specific conditions that apply to each member state.
The data series has been compiled since the year 2000. The first set of indicators was based on NACE Rev 1. Following 2009, the indicator was published according to the new NACE Rev 2 classification. Furthermore, for every year ending in 0 or 5, new fixed aggregation weights are introduced.
