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.
Business registrations and business bankrupties. Data are based on Statistical business register and administrative sources. They are collected quarterly and sent to Eurostat as absolute values. Because in every country, administrative rules of registrations and bankrupties differ, Eurostat presents the quarterly data as index series to improve comparability.
Business registrations are the number of entered legal units in the registration register at any time during the reference quarter Q, according to the respective administrative or legal procedure. Registrations is an early indicator to measure business intentions. Registrations cannot be directly compared with the birth of an enterprise. Registrations of businesses are part of administrative procedures, while annual data on enterprise births are based on the start-up of business activity in terms of having turnover, employment or investment. The registration of a legal unit can be considered as a declaration of intent but does not necessarily mean it follows business activity in line with annual business demography concept. Registration data are not based on the enterprise demography characteristics 'date of commencement of activities' but rather on the 'date of registration' that is not necessarily equal to 'date of commencement of activities'. The statistical unit in annual business demography statistics on births is the enterprise while quarterly data on registrations refer to legal units. Also if demographic events such as mergers, split-offs, take-over or restructuring result in creation of the new legal unit it is always business registration however it may not be enterprise birth inevitably. In addition the legal units which restart their activities after 2 calendar years are considered as an enterprise births but not business registrations. Registrations and births may also be recorded in different reference periods or years. Due to the methodological differences, there is no direct comparability to annual business demography statistics on births of enterprises.
Business bankruptcies - The number of legal units that have started the procedure of being declared bankrupt, by issuing a court declaration, at any time during the reference quarter Q (which is often provisional and does not always mean cessation of an activity). Bankruptcies is an early indicator to measure situation in business environment. Quarterly bankruptcies are frequently different from annual business demography statistics on deaths of enterprises, because they cover deaths of enterprises due to bankruptcies as well as other enterprises which ended their activity for other reasons. Bankruptcies that were filed do not necessarily mean closing of the business. Even if an enterprise has declared for bankruptcy, it does not always mean that it ceases all activity when it enters into bankruptcy procedure. In order to be recorded as enterprise death in annual business demography typically all production factors have been dissolved / terminated. There are several methodological differences between the concepts of bankruptcies and enterprise deaths. Quarterly business demography data on bankruptcies are based on legal units, while annual business demography data on deaths is based on the statistical unit enterprise. In the Czech Republic, when a business declares itself bankrupt, it means that they can continue to trade under a certain opera tion control. Some businesses declaring themselves bankrupt may therefore eventually recover, and would therefore not be considered as enterprise death. To conclude, the scope and contents of annual business demography statistics on deaths of enterprises may differ considerably from quarterly data on bankruptcies, the levels of these two statistics may therefore vary considerably. If the enterprise does not restart its activities within 2 calendar year is considered to be dead but it does not inevitably mean that the legal unit is in bankruptcy. The bankruptcies represent only a fraction of all enterprise deaths. They cannot be directly compared with annual business demography data on deaths of enterprises.
3.2. Classification system
NACE Rev.2 classification (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community).
3.3. Coverage - sector
Market activities of NACE Sections B to N, and P to R and divisions S95 and S96.
The results cover the whole population of legal units, what represents institutional sectors of non-financial corporations, financial corporations and household firms.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Business registrations - are number of entered legal units in the constitutive register at any time during the certain reference period (quarter), according to the respective administrative or legal procedures.
Business bankrupties - The number of legal units that have started the procedure of being declared bankrupt by the relevant court at any time during the reference quarter and were registered into the Czech Republic's insolvency register within 30 days after finishing of reference period.
3.5. Statistical unit
Legal units
3.6. Statistical population
The statistical population represents legal units with market activities of NACE Sections B to N, and P to R and divisions S95 and S9. The activities related to agriculture, fishery and forestry, public administration, defence or compulsory social security are not covered by these statistics as well as the activities of membership organisations, activities of households as employers and extra-territorial organisations and bodies. The sole proprietors are included in the population.
3.7. Reference area
The whole Czech Republic.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Business registrations - from 2017 to 2024
Business bankrupties - from 2021 to 2024
3.9. Base period
Not relevant. Data are provided in absolut values.
Absolute values.
Quarter.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Legal acts and other agreements - EU level
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics;
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics.
The protection of confidential data and the rules of their provision are laid down in the sections 16 and 17 of the Act No 89/1995 Coll. on the State Statistical Service, as amended. The statistical confidentiality issues are further elaborated in the internal CZSO Regulation no. 1/2022.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Data on business registrations and bankrupties are not confidential.
8.1. Release calendar
Data are transmitted to Eurostat which disseminates them in the form of index series. At national level only data on business registrations are published in the form of absolute values (data series). In the year 2025 the following dates are expected for the publication of business registrations at national level:
17th February 2025 - Registration of businesses - 4. quarter of 2024,
19th May 2025 - Registration of businesses - 1. quarter of 2025,
18th August 2025 - Registration of businesses - 2. quarter of 2025,
18th November 2025 - Registration of businesses - 3. quarter of 2025.
8.2. Release calendar access
The Eurostat publishes data according to their release calendar. The national data on business registrations are published according to the Catalogue of Products.
Data (absolute values) are transmitted to Eurostat within 40 days after the reference period. The transmission is done by eDAMIS using the SDMX format.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
At national level the disseminated data are accompanied by the methodology and explanatory notes, which can be found directly under the data tables. At the European level the European business statistics manual provides a detailed description of European business statistics, including how they are compiled and the methodologies behind them.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The information about the international comparability of data, coherence, accuracy, data corrections and revisions is part of the methodology that accompanies disseminated data. In addition we intend to accompany the published data with this metadata report.
11.1. Quality assurance
The main quality principles are laid down in CZSO quality policy. In addition quality checks and validation of data are done throughout the whole process of data preparation. The validation rules and checks are described in the detailed national methodology, which is not available to the public.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The overall data quality is trade off between the accuracy and timelines. Due to short time it is not possible to obtain accurate data about the whole population (see point 13 accuracy).
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The business registration and bankruptcy statistics are relevant as an early indicator to measure business intentions and business environment.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No user satisfaction surveys are carried out exclusively for STS statistics.
12.3. Completeness
The statistics on business registrations and bankrupties are completely in line with the requirement of:
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics;
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Data are produced 30 days after finished quarter. At that time only the information from constitutive administrative sources (public register, trade register) are available for assignment of economic activity code. Thus the assignment of economic activity may not be accurate or possible in case of newly registered legal units. In addition at that time not all legal units, which were declared bankrupt by the court are not available in the Czech Republic's insolvency register which is main source for these statistics.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable. Data are produced from the statistical business register and administrative sources.
13.3. Non-sampling error
As for other administrative event based data, the registration delays might be a source of errors, in particular for declarations of bankruptcies.
14.1. Timeliness
The final data are transmitted to Eurostat within T+40 days after the reference period as laid down by the Annex I (Table 1) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics.
The whole national territory is equally covered. The sole proprietors are included in the population. At Europen level the geographical comparability is secured by the application of common definitions laid down in Annex IV of Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics.
15.2. Comparability - over time
As regards business bankruptcies statistics there is the break between data Q3 2021 and Q4 2021. The reason is that before Q4 2021 the administrative source (Czech Republic's insolvency register), we use for business bankruptcies statistics, sent us data immediately after the finishing of reference periods (T+2 days). However, at that time the insolvence register has not registered all business bankruptcies for the reference quarter because it is decentralised IT system and not all courts were able to record their decisions about the bankruptcy into the system within such short period. As a result from the beginnig of this year the insolvency register sends us data 30 days after each quarter to improve coverage of bankruptcies. It was not possible to revise data on the previous period as the insolvency register is further updated and not able to send us situation at T+30.
There are no breaks in business registration statistics.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Registrations cannot be directly compared with the birth of an enterprise due to the reasons mentioned in 3.1. of this report. Quarterly bankruptcies are frequently different from annual business demography statistics on deaths of enterprises dut to the reasons mentioned in 3.1. of this report.
15.4. Coherence - internal
All data are produced according the common methodology so they are internally coherent.
No burden on respondents - the data are produced from the statistical business register and administrative sources. Costs of the CZSO for the indicators are estimated as 420 person-hours per year.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Data revisions are treated according to CZSO data revision policy. The same revision policy is applied nationally and in transmission to Eurostat.
Data are collected from statistical business register and administrative sources.
18.4. Data validation
The following validations are carried out:
format and file structure checks,
intra-file checks (e.g. legat unit checks between SBR and Insolvency register),
intra-domain, intra-source checks (e.g comparisions with the previous reference periods).
18.5. Data compilation
The population of registered legal units is delineated from the Statistical business register (RES) according to the information acquired from the Basic register of legal and natural persons (ROS). RES is updated from ROS on daily basis. The NACE classification is derived from the activities described in the trade licencing register, Commercial register or other administrative sources.
In case of business bankrupties the population is delineated from the data provided by Czech Republic's insolvency register at T+30. The NACE classification is aquired from RES according to the activities coded or described in the trade licencing register, Commercial register or other administrative sources. Also the information about the activities from statistical surveys and Ministry of Finance are used for NACE classification in case of business bankrupties.
18.6. Adjustment
No adjustments.
No additional comments.
Business registrations and business bankrupties. Data are based on Statistical business register and administrative sources. They are collected quarterly and sent to Eurostat as absolute values. Because in every country, administrative rules of registrations and bankrupties differ, Eurostat presents the quarterly data as index series to improve comparability.
Business registrations are the number of entered legal units in the registration register at any time during the reference quarter Q, according to the respective administrative or legal procedure. Registrations is an early indicator to measure business intentions. Registrations cannot be directly compared with the birth of an enterprise. Registrations of businesses are part of administrative procedures, while annual data on enterprise births are based on the start-up of business activity in terms of having turnover, employment or investment. The registration of a legal unit can be considered as a declaration of intent but does not necessarily mean it follows business activity in line with annual business demography concept. Registration data are not based on the enterprise demography characteristics 'date of commencement of activities' but rather on the 'date of registration' that is not necessarily equal to 'date of commencement of activities'. The statistical unit in annual business demography statistics on births is the enterprise while quarterly data on registrations refer to legal units. Also if demographic events such as mergers, split-offs, take-over or restructuring result in creation of the new legal unit it is always business registration however it may not be enterprise birth inevitably. In addition the legal units which restart their activities after 2 calendar years are considered as an enterprise births but not business registrations. Registrations and births may also be recorded in different reference periods or years. Due to the methodological differences, there is no direct comparability to annual business demography statistics on births of enterprises.
Business bankruptcies - The number of legal units that have started the procedure of being declared bankrupt, by issuing a court declaration, at any time during the reference quarter Q (which is often provisional and does not always mean cessation of an activity). Bankruptcies is an early indicator to measure situation in business environment. Quarterly bankruptcies are frequently different from annual business demography statistics on deaths of enterprises, because they cover deaths of enterprises due to bankruptcies as well as other enterprises which ended their activity for other reasons. Bankruptcies that were filed do not necessarily mean closing of the business. Even if an enterprise has declared for bankruptcy, it does not always mean that it ceases all activity when it enters into bankruptcy procedure. In order to be recorded as enterprise death in annual business demography typically all production factors have been dissolved / terminated. There are several methodological differences between the concepts of bankruptcies and enterprise deaths. Quarterly business demography data on bankruptcies are based on legal units, while annual business demography data on deaths is based on the statistical unit enterprise. In the Czech Republic, when a business declares itself bankrupt, it means that they can continue to trade under a certain opera tion control. Some businesses declaring themselves bankrupt may therefore eventually recover, and would therefore not be considered as enterprise death. To conclude, the scope and contents of annual business demography statistics on deaths of enterprises may differ considerably from quarterly data on bankruptcies, the levels of these two statistics may therefore vary considerably. If the enterprise does not restart its activities within 2 calendar year is considered to be dead but it does not inevitably mean that the legal unit is in bankruptcy. The bankruptcies represent only a fraction of all enterprise deaths. They cannot be directly compared with annual business demography data on deaths of enterprises.
6 June 2025
Business registrations - are number of entered legal units in the constitutive register at any time during the certain reference period (quarter), according to the respective administrative or legal procedures.
Business bankrupties - The number of legal units that have started the procedure of being declared bankrupt by the relevant court at any time during the reference quarter and were registered into the Czech Republic's insolvency register within 30 days after finishing of reference period.
Legal units
The statistical population represents legal units with market activities of NACE Sections B to N, and P to R and divisions S95 and S9. The activities related to agriculture, fishery and forestry, public administration, defence or compulsory social security are not covered by these statistics as well as the activities of membership organisations, activities of households as employers and extra-territorial organisations and bodies. The sole proprietors are included in the population.
The whole Czech Republic.
Quarter.
Data are produced 30 days after finished quarter. At that time only the information from constitutive administrative sources (public register, trade register) are available for assignment of economic activity code. Thus the assignment of economic activity may not be accurate or possible in case of newly registered legal units. In addition at that time not all legal units, which were declared bankrupt by the court are not available in the Czech Republic's insolvency register which is main source for these statistics.
Absolute values.
The population of registered legal units is delineated from the Statistical business register (RES) according to the information acquired from the Basic register of legal and natural persons (ROS). RES is updated from ROS on daily basis. The NACE classification is derived from the activities described in the trade licencing register, Commercial register or other administrative sources.
In case of business bankrupties the population is delineated from the data provided by Czech Republic's insolvency register at T+30. The NACE classification is aquired from RES according to the activities coded or described in the trade licencing register, Commercial register or other administrative sources. Also the information about the activities from statistical surveys and Ministry of Finance are used for NACE classification in case of business bankrupties.
The final data are transmitted to Eurostat within T+40 days after the reference period as laid down by the Annex I (Table 1) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics.
The whole national territory is equally covered. The sole proprietors are included in the population. At Europen level the geographical comparability is secured by the application of common definitions laid down in Annex IV of Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics.
As regards business bankruptcies statistics there is the break between data Q3 2021 and Q4 2021. The reason is that before Q4 2021 the administrative source (Czech Republic's insolvency register), we use for business bankruptcies statistics, sent us data immediately after the finishing of reference periods (T+2 days). However, at that time the insolvence register has not registered all business bankruptcies for the reference quarter because it is decentralised IT system and not all courts were able to record their decisions about the bankruptcy into the system within such short period. As a result from the beginnig of this year the insolvency register sends us data 30 days after each quarter to improve coverage of bankruptcies. It was not possible to revise data on the previous period as the insolvency register is further updated and not able to send us situation at T+30.
There are no breaks in business registration statistics.
