Statistics Poland

Trade and Services Department

Al. Niepodległości 208, 00-925 Warsaw, Poland

The Producer Price Index of Services (SPPI) is an output price index for the service production of resident producers. The index covers services provided to customers that are enterprises or persons that represent enterprises as well as consumers.

Published data refer to the whole country – no regional breakdown is available.
Quarterly and annual data are presented (monthly for activities belonging to Section H and division 61 till 2018).

Price indices are published with the following reference periods:

• Preceding period = 100,
• Corresponding period of preceding year = 100,
• Fourth quarter of preceding year = 100,
• Base year 2021= 100 (from 2024).

PKD - Polish Classification of Activities (compatible with NACE rev.2) - applied at the level of categories of economic activities.
PKWiU – Polish Classification of Products and Services (compatible with CPA rev. 2.1) – applied at product level.

The survey covers service branches belonging to NACE rev. 2 Sections H, J, L, M (excl. 70.1, 72 and 75) and N.

H Transportation and storage

• 49 Land transport and transport via pipelines
• 50.1+ 50.2 Sea and coastal passenger and freight water transport
• 50.3 + 50.4 Inland passenger and freight water transport
• 51 Air transport
• 52.1 Warehousing and storage
• 52.2 Support activities for transportation
• 53.1 Postal activities under universal service obligation
• 53.2 Other postal and courier activities

J Information and Communication

• 58 Publishing activities
• 59 Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities
• 60 Programming and broadcasting activities
• 61 Telecommunications
• 62  Computer programming, consultancy and related activities
• 63  Information service activities

L Real estate activities

M Professional, scientific and technical activities

• 69.1 Legal activities
• 69.2 Accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy
• 70.2 Management consultancy activities
• 71 Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis
• 73 Advertising and market research
• 74 Other professional, scientific and technical activities

N Administrative and support service activities

• 77 Rental and leasing activities
• 78 Employment activities
• 79 Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities
• 80 Security and investigation activities
• 81 Services to buildings and landscape activities
• 82 Office administrative, office support and other business support activities

Only units employing 10 and more persons are covered.

The methods used for price observation are as follows: direct use of prices of repeated services, contract pricing, unit value method, time based methods and percentage fee method.
The variables collected on questionnaires depend on the used pricing method. The variables collected when using the different methods:
Direct use of prices of repeated services - unit of measure, type of customer, customer's location, type of price information, price in the reporting period, price in the previous period, reasons for price change, description of the service;
Contract pricing - unit of measure, duration of the contract, customer name, type of customer, customer's location, price in the reporting period, price in the previous period, reasons for price change, description of the service;
Unit value method - unit of measure, type of customer, customer's location, value of the sold service in the reporting period, value of the sold service in the previous period, amount of the sold service in the reporting period, amount of the sold service in the previous period; reasons for price change, description of the service;
Time based methods - type of customer, customer's location, staff category, number of hours worked in the reporting period, charge out rate in the reporting period, charge out rate in the previous period, reasons for price change, description of the service;
Percentage fee method - type of customer, customer's location, percentage fee in the reporting period, percentage fee in the previous period, the value of the product to which the fee relates in the reporting period, the value of the product to which the fee relates in the previous period, reasons for percentage fee change, description of the service.

The applied concepts and definitions conform to the definitions set forth in the Regulation 2020/1197. In particular the following rules are applied:

• The observed price is the basic price  - deductible taxes directly linked to turnover (VAT) as well as taxes on products are excluded, whereas subsidies received by the producer are added,
• Any applicable discounts, rebates, surcharges, etc. are taken into account,
• The appropriate price measure is the transaction price, price lists can be used as long as they reflect the evolution of actual transaction prices,
• The price collected in period t refer to the service delivered during period t,
• The index reflect the average price during the reference period,
• The service producer price index for an economic activity measures the average price development of all services, Business-to-All,
• Reporting units are asked to specify on the reporting form the most important price-determining characteristics of the observed representatives (according to the features specified for particular kind of services) in order to follow prices of products with comparable quality in consecutive periods.

The legal unit is a reporting unit.

Legal units’ activities (primary or secondary) according to service products sold in particular classes (CPA) are observation units.

The survey is directed at legal units employing 10 or more persons which principal or secondary kind of activity is classified in the branches mentioned in concept 3.3.

Units belonging to the population are identified on the basis of the Statistical Business Register (BJS) as well as results of the survey on the form SP "Annual survey of enterprises". 

All regions of Poland are covered.

SPPI indices for activities belonging to:

• Sections H and division 61 are available from 1990 onwards,
• Divisions 62, 63, 71, 73, 78, 80 and the group 81.2 - from 2006 onwards,
• Division 69 and the group 70.2 – from 2010 onwards,
• Divisions 68, 74, 77 and groups 81.1 and 81.3 - from 2015 and for divisions 58, 59, 60, 79 and 82 from 2016 onwards. 

Until 2023 the base year was 2015, from 2024 the base year is 2021.
The reference year applied to the data transmitted to Eurostat is 2021.

Also other reference periods are applied to the data released nationally (preceding period = 100, corresponding period of preceding year = 100, fourth quarter of preceding year = 100, base year 2021 = 100).

Data are presented as indices.

Quarter (for activities belonging to Sections H and division 61 till 2018– month).

Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics (EBS-Regulation).

Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 mentioned above. 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 (consolidated text published in the Journal of Laws 2021 no. 955).  
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 producer price index of services are collected on the basis of the ”Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics”, which fulfils requirements of EBS Regulation.

Data on producer price index of services are transmitted only to Eurostat.

All statistics collected and published by Statistics Poland 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:

Article 10.

Identifiable individual data collected in statistical surveys are subject to absolute protection. Such data may only be used to prepare statistical studies, compilations and analyses, as well as to create a statistical survey sampling frame by the President of Statistics Poland; making such data available or using them for purposes other than those specified herein is prohibited (statistical confidentiality).

Article 38. 

1. Identifiable unit data obtained in statistical surveys may not be published nor made available.

2. Statistical data obtained in statistical surveys that can be linked and identified as data concerning a specific natural person, as well as information and statistical data characterising economic and financial results of national economy entities conducting economic activity, may not be published nor made available if the given aggregation consists of fewer than three entities or the share of one entity in a given compilation is greater than three-fourths of the whole.

3. In the case of national economy entities, the information and statistical data referred to in sec. 2 may be published if the person authorised to represent a given entity has consented to the publication of specific data characterizing the economic and financial results of that entity.

Article 38a. 

1. The President of Statistics Poland, at the request of entities referred to in Art. 25 25 sec. 1 point 9, justified by the preparation of specific programmes, forecasts and analyses, may provide these entities with identifiable unit data of public finance sector entities within the meaning of Art. 9 of the Act of 27 August 2009 on public finances.

2. The data made available in accordance with sec. 1 may be used only for the purpose indicated in the application, subject to the rules referred to in art. 38 sec. 1 and in Regulation No. 223/2009.1. Identifiable unit data obtained in statistical surveys may not be published nor made available.

Confidential data are treated in accordance with the policy described in concept 7.1.
The following data are subject to special protection and are not disseminated:

• Data on individual entities,
• Aggregates comprising the values for one or two entities,
• Aggregates with the share of one entity higher than the three-fourths of the total value in the aggregate.

The basic information on the types of statistical information and the forms and time of its availability is specified in the “Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics”, which is published once a year (in the second half of the year) as a regulation of the Council of Ministers and includes information for the next year.

Not available.

According to Article 14 of the ‘Act on Official Statistics’ the official  statistics shall provide to all equal, non‑discriminatory and simultaneous access to the statistical information.

The data are published quarterly. The data for activities 49; 49.4; 50; 50.1+50.2; 51; 52; 52.1; 52.24; 53; 53.1; 53.2; 61; 62; 63; 63.1; 68; 69_702; 69; 70.2; 71; 73; 74; 77; 78; 80; 81; 81.2 with base year 2015=100 were sent to Eurostat quarterly ending with data for Q4 2023. Starting from 2024 data are sent for NACE Sections and Divisions: H, I, J, L, M (excluding M701, M72 and, M75) and N and aggregate of NACE Sections H+I+J+L+M (excl. M701, M72 and M75)+N with base year 2021=100 (including data for 2021-2023).

Producer price indices for business services in the quarter (News release)  – quarterly indices previous quarter=100, corresponding quarter of the previous year=100 and fourth quarter of the previous year =100 for divisions of NACE Rev. 2

Price indices are released in the following Statistics Poland's publications:

"Statistical Bulletin" (monthly publication) – quarterly indices previous quarter=100 and corresponding quarter of the previous year=100 for sections and divisions of NACE Rev. 2

"Prices in the national economy" (annual publication) – annual indices previous year=100, base year =100 for sections, divisions, groups and classes of NACE Rev. 2 (till 2022 edition)

“Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Poland” (annual publication) – annual indices previous year=100 and base year=100 for sections and divisions of NACE Rev. 2.

"Knowledge Database - Prices" - quarterly indices with the previous period =100 and corresponding period = 100 for NACE rev. 2 codes: H, 49, 49.1, 49.2, 49.3, 49.31, 49.32, 49.39, 49.4, 50, 50.1+50.2, 50.3+50.4, 51, 51.1, 52, 52.1, 52.2, 52.21, 52.22, 52.23, 52.24, 52.29, 53, 53.1, 53.2, 61 from Q1 2019 (from January 2010 to December 2018 monthly); quarterly indices with the previous period =100 and corresponding period =100 for NACE rev.2 codes: 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 68, 69_702, 71, 73, 74, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 81.2, 82 from Q1 2010 (from 2021 69 and 702 separately). From 2021 quarterly indices with base year 2021 =100 for NACE Sections and Divisions: H, I, J, L, M (excluding M701, M72 and, M75) and N and aggregate of NACE Sections H+I+J+L+M (excl. M701, M72 and M75)+N. 

"Poland – macroeconomic indicators" - quarterly indices with the previous period = 100, corresponding period = 100 and from the beginning of the year to the end of the period  (corresponding period of the previous year=100) for Section H and division 61, from 2017; monthly indices with the previous period = 100, corresponding period = 100 and December of the previous year = 100 for Section H and division 61, from January 2006 to December 2018.

No access to micro-data.

The quarterly indices for activities 49; 49.4; 50; 50.1+50.2; 51; 52; 52.1; 52.24; 53.1; 53.2; 61; 62; 63; 63.1; 68; 69_702; 69; 70.2; 71; 73; 74; 77; 78; 80; 81; 81.2 with base year 2015=100 were  regularly sent to Eurostat ending with data for Q4 2023. Starting from 2024 data are sent for NACE Sections and Divisions: H, I, J, L, M (excluding M701, M72 and, M75) and N and aggregate of NACE Sections H+I+J+L+M (excl. M701, M72 and M75)+N with base year 2021=100 (including data for 2021-2023). 

Additional, not published but non-confidential data are available upon request.

According to article 3 of Act on Official Statistics - the official statistics ensure reliable, objective and systematic information to the public, state authorities and public administration as well as to national economy entities about the economic, demographic, social and natural environment situation.

Documentation on procedures applied for quality management and assessment is available on the website: Quality in statistics

The applied quality policy is based on the following International and European standards:

• Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics,
• European Statistics Code of Practice,
• Quality Assurance Framework QAF,
• Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics.

In order to assure an appropriate quality of SPPI indices quality checks and validations are made throughout data collection as well as data processing process.

Quality assessment of the survey conducted with the use of C-06 forms is carried out annually since 2013. 
A quality report was elaborated on the basis of standard quality procedures recommended in the ESS Handbook for Quality Reports. The quality of the survey was described by means of standard quality indicators characterizing the following quality aspects: relevance, accuracy and reliability, timelines and punctuality, comparability and coherence.

Quality report for survey on C-09 form is carried out from 2019.

The quality reports starting from 2020 are available to external users. https://raportyjakosci.stat.gov.pl/

Relevance is maintained every year while drafting the “Statistical Survey Program of Official  Statistics”. User satisfaction survey was conducted at the end of 2013.
In terms of accuracy and reliability some non-sampling errors occur which are eliminated by using appropriate procedures.
Concerning timeliness and punctuality all releases are delivered on time. 
Comparability of series is maintained geographically and over time within the same base period (5 years) but is limited over several base periods. 
As regards coherence the statistical outputs are internally consistent.

User needs are systematically monitored and taken into consideration while drafting the “Statistical Survey Program of Official  Statistics” for the next year. The organs of the state power, government and self-government administration, organizations of employers and other institutions, provide opinions on statistical surveys and recommend implementation of the new ones.
Data users, e.g. universities, research institutes, enterprises or individuals may indicate their needs by data inquiries and orders. 
Classification of national data users with an indication of their importance for official statistics, taking into account the purpose of data usage, is the following:

1. Key users – government and self-government administration, National Central Bank, Polish Financial Supervision Authority;
2. Important users – research institutes, universities, organizations of employers, enterprises, insurance institutions, media;
3. Other users – social organizations, professional self-government, economic self-government, trade unions, students, individuals.

The SPPI indices are used for macroeconomic analysis and as deflators to convert the value of service output into volume measures.
The main users of SPPI indices are:

• Other parts of Statistics Poland (used for National Accounts needs and for developing Index of Service Production);
• National Bank of Poland;
• Government and self-government administration;
• Eurostat and other international organizations;
• Representatives of business and science.

User satisfaction survey was conducted at the end of 2013. The survey covered the following data users: government and self-government administration, National Central Bank, Polish Financial Supervision Authority, research institutes, universities, organizations of employers, enterprises, insurance institutions, media, social organizations, professional self-government, economic self-government, trade unions, students, individuals.
User satisfaction survey was carried out via internet. For this purpose, an electronic questionnaire has been elaborated and was placed on Statistics Poland's server. Questions included in the questionnaire have been adjusted to all data users mentioned above and they comprised, among others, the following issues:

• General information on using statistical data (which data were used, how often and for what purpose),
• Assessment of data availability, transparency, timelines, comparability and level of details,
• Evaluation of services provided by Statistics Poland and assessment of the internet website www.stat.gov.pl,
• Assessment of statistical metadata (methodology, glossaries, classification applied, etc.),
• Users' needs and expectations concerning disseminated statistics and offered services,
• General assessment of statistics (according to the European Statistics Code of Practice).

 The report on user satisfaction (in Polish) is available on the Statistics Poland's website.

All NACE activities required by EBS regulation are surveyed (except of NACE 55 and 56 which will be obtained from CPI survey).

The accuracy of SPPI indices is considered to be good. An appropriate actions are taken to identify and eliminate potential sources of errors and bias.

Sampling errors are not calculated for SPPI indices because the sample is not based on random sampling. In order to ensure good representativeness the units which play an important role on the market are included in the sample.

There are four main types of non-sampling errors which can occur in the survey of producer prices for services:

• Errors made by respondents,
• Errors due to non-response,
• Over-coverage,
• Quality change bias.

In order to minimize the impact of errors in data provided by respondents on SPPI indices appropriate validation procedures are applied. 

In case of non-response missing values are imputed. The response rate for the third quarter of 2023 was 94,0%. In order to increase the rate of response a telephone and e-mail follow-up of non-respondents takes place. There are no significant differences in response rate over the course of a year.

In order to minimalize the impact of over-coverage, units with activity out of scope of SPPI are excluded from the sample.

In order to follow prices of products with comparable quality in consecutive periods, reporting units are asked to specify on the reporting form the most important price-determining characteristics of the observed representatives (according to the features specified for particular kind of services).

Data for activities belonging to Sections H and division 61 are released within 55 days after the end of the reference period and for other activities – within about 70 days.

The data collection starts on the first day after the reference period. The deadline for replies is 15 days after the reference period. The data collection is closed about 20 days after the reference period.

100% releases delivered on time according to the scheduled release dates.

SPPI indices for Poland are compiled in accordance with EBS Regulation requirements and other methodological guidelines and recommendations of Eurostat. It ensures good comparability of Polish SPPI indices with other national and European SPPI indices.
The issue of geographical comparability of SPPI indices between regions of Poland does not occur as SPPI indices are compiled only for the country as a whole.

SPPI indices are based on constant weights which are updated every five years. Also possible changes in the used classifications and calculation methods are introduced along with update of weights and are kept constant over 5 years. As a result index series are composed of fragments based on different weighting structures. These fragments are chain-linked to obtain long time series although they are not strictly comparable.

Changes in the SPPI indices are cross-checked with the changes in CPI indices. The differences between the SPPI and the CPI result from the fact that the CPI measures business to household prices whereas the SPPI measures prices of services provided to customers that are enterprises or persons that represent enterprises as well as consumers. Weights in the CPI are updated every year and are based on households expenditures, while weights for SPPI are updated every five years and are based on the turnover from the SBS survey.

SPPI indices are internally coherent. Concepts, definitions and classification for compiling the indices are consistent across all activities covered. Higher-level aggregates are obtained from lower-level indices with the use of well-established procedures.

Cost of the NSI – 12488 hours annually.
Burden of respondents – 8292 hours annually.

Data revision policy (in Polish) is consistent with “ESS guidelines on revision policy for principal European economic indicators”. Information about major revisions, e.g. in classification, methodology or base year, is provided in advance of the change. Information about non-scheduled changes is given at the time the revision is introduced. The same revision policy is applied to data released nationally and transmitted to Eurostat.

Revision calendar is available on the Statistics Poland's website.

SPPI data are final when published so they are not subject to routine revisions.
Every five years major revisions take places due to implementation of the new weights and the rebasing of the indices. At the same time price indices are back calculated using the historical prices and new weights. Data are calculated back to the beginning of the new base year.
In case of detecting errors in published data they are corrected as soon as possible.

In the period 2019-2023, which refers to the same base year (2015), for all service activities the indices of MR and MAR are equal 0,000.

Source data are mainly obtained through statistical surveys covering legal units employing 10 or more persons. Published price lists are also used.

The frame on which the source is based is the Statistical Business Register (BJS) supported by the National Official Business Register (REGON). The sample for the survey is drawn using purposive sampling method.
The selection of units for the survey is performed by the Statistics Poland, in cooperation with regional statistical office, on the basis of the Statistical Business Register (BJS) supported by the National Official Business Register (REGON) as well as results of the survey on the form SP "Annual survey of enterprises. An essential criterion for selection is the annual value of services turnover of legal units employing 10 or more persons.

The survey covers about 2350 units.
The sample of reporting units is updated every year (at the beginning of the year).
The sample of products is updated every year (at the beginning of the year) and it is verified quarterly depending on needs.

Data collection is carried out on a quarterly basis.
The collected data refer to the full reference period.

Data collection is done by electronic questionnaires. Two questionnaires are used:

C-06 – the quarterly report on producer prices of services (completed by units which principal or secondary kind of activity is classified in NACE rev. 2 codes: 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 68, 69, 70.2, 71, 73, 74, 77, 80, 81, 82)

C-09 - the quarterly report on producer prices of transport, storage and telecommunication services (completed by enterprises which principal or secondary kind of activity is classified in NACE Rev.2 Section H and division 61)

Price lists are extracted from websites or sent via email.
In case of non-response respondents are contacted by e-mail or phone.

Data provided by reporting units are subject to quality checks. Among other things the following checks are performed:

• Response rate,
• Completeness of questionnaires,
• Checks of extremely high price increases or decreases,
• Checks of prices unchanged for a long period of time,
• Analysis of reasons for price changes.

In case of identifying any errors or inconsistencies the respondent is contacted for further clarifications.

The SPPI is a Laspeyres type price index with fixed weights updated every five years.
Calculations are carried out in the following stages:
Stage 1. representative level – price indices are compiled for each product by comparing the price for the current period with the price for the previous period;
Stage 2. unit level – price indices are compiled as a geometric average of price relatives for representatives;
Stage 3. NACE classes – price indices are compiled with the use of a Laspeyres formula i.e. as a weighted average of price indices for units belonging to the given NACE class. Weights are total revenues from sales of the units in the base year (2021);
Stage 4. NACE groups, divisions and sections – price indices are compiled with the use of a Laspeyres formula i.e. as a weighted average of price indices for a lower level. Weights are turnover data compiled by KAU for the base year (2021).
In case of non-response data are imputed - either the last reported price quotation is carried forward or an estimate is made based on other information.

No statistical procedures are used for adjustments. The SPPI indices are not seasonally adjusted.

Not applicable.