Statistics Poland

Trade and Services Department

Statistics Poland
Al. Niepodległości 208, 00-925 Warsaw, Poland

The net turnover index measures changes in the value of revenues from sale of products, goods and materials in monthly periods with reference to the base period.

The volume of sales index is a deflated turnover using price index (CPI, PPI and prices of agricultural products).

The indices belong to short-term indicators, which describe the current economic situation. They are used as a basis for economic policy decisions.

The Polish Classification of Activities (PKD 2007) based on the NACE Rev. 2.

Section G, divisions 45, 46 and 47.
For Divisions 45 and 47 the surveys cover whole population of legal units – Census for units employing 50 or more persons, a representative sample for units employing 10-49 persons and 9 and less persons.

For Division 46 the survey covers units employing 10 or more persons (a representative sample for units employing 10-49 persons, a census is conducted for units employing 50 or more persons).

Net turnover is defined as the value of sold production, sales of merchanted goods (resale) and services supplied.
It includes:

• Net revenues from sale of products within the country and for export which have been manufactured or services supplied by the entity (goods, semi-finished goods and services) as well as packaging, equipment and external services if they are invoiced together with the purchased products;
• Revenues from sale of goods and materials, i.e. current assets purchased for resale in a non-processed condition and products manufactured by the entity if they are sold by shops within the company’s network along with goods manufactured by other producers.

The following are excluded:

• VAT invoiced to the client by the producer;
• Taxes which fall on the products and services when they leave the factory (for example excise tax).

The monthly report on economic activity (concerning legal units employing 10 or more persons) covers among other variables the following information:

• Turnover from sale of products (own goods and services);
• Turnover from sale of goods and materials.

The quarterly inquiry of trade units (concerning legal units employing 9 or less persons) covers turnover from sale of products and goods;
Data refers to flows during the calendar month.

Definition of turnover index is compliant with Eurostat recommendations, methodological manual and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics. 

The legal unit is both a reporting and observation unit.

The target population includes leal units classified to Divisions 45, 46 and 47 of NACE Rev. 2 The frame for identifying units for the target population is the Statistical Business Register (BJS) supported by the National Official Business Register (REGON).

The basis for the selection of entities is their main type of activity according to the Polish Classification of Activities (PKD – equivalent of the NACE Rev. 2) and the number of persons employed:

For wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles units with the number of persons employed:

• 50 or more persons – a census is conducted (in 2022, 3856 units were covered with the survey, out of which 3450 units submitted report, i.e. 89.5%);
• 10-49 persons employed – a minimum 10% sample is selected (in 2022, out of 3384 units from this group 2354 submitted report, i.e. 69.9%);
• 9 or less persons (G45,G47) - 2.0% sample of units (in 2022 10000 units were covered with the survey, out of which 4747 submitted report, i.e. 47.5%).

All regions of Poland are covered, activities outside the geographical coverage are also included in the data.

Monthly data: since 2000 for Division 47, since 2021 for Divisions 45 and 46. Quarterly data: 2000-2020 for Divisions 45 and 46.

Time series according to NACE Rev.2, available nationally, are not longer than those transmitted to Eurostat.

The base year is 2015.
The base year is the same as reference year and this is the year when the index equals 100 (monthly average of the base year=100).
Nationally data for division 47 are also released with corresponding period of the previous year=100 as the base and reference period.

Data collected in thousands of PLN.
Data are both transmitted to Eurostat and published nationally as indices in current and constant prices.

Reference 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. 995). 
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 are collected on the basis of the “Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics”, which fulfils requirements of EBS Regulation.

Data on indices of trade turnover are transmitted to Eurostat according to requirements included in European regulations.

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 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.

Data are disseminated nationally according to “Editorial Title Plan” and transmitted to Eurostat according to release calendar announced by Eurostat.

“Editorial Title-Plan of the Statistics Poland” 

Eurostat Release Calendar

Article 14 point 2 of the "Act on Official Statistics" states that official statistics shall provide equal, indiscriminate and simultaneous access to the statistical information to everyone, especially to major figures and indicators. Data are released simultaneously to all users and are available on Statistics Poland's website (http://stat.gov.pl/en/) in the form of announcement.

The net turnover (value or deflated) data is regularly sent to Eurostat shortly after national release - according to the requirements of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 1197/2020.

Monthly – both in Eurostat and nationally.

Volume of retail trade data are presented in Euro Indicatores published by Eurostat every month.

The index of turnover for retail trade is available in the monthly publication: “Statistical Bulletin”

The on-line yearly publication "Internal Market" is available  on Statistics Poland's website in October

Poland - macroeconomic indicators - the monthly indices of turnover are available from October 2006, unadjusted data. 

Not available.

None

Documentation on methodology available on Statistics Poland's website (http://stat.gov.pl/en/):

• Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics (in Polish),
• Explanatory notes to the monthly questionnaire on economic activity DG-1  (in Polish),
• Methodological notes in the "Internal Market" (Polish/English),
• Methodological notes in the "Statistical Bulletin" (Polish/English).

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.

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, and it applies for all statistics domains including STS. 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.

Procedures and rules applied in quality assessment and monitoring are based on the ESS Quality Standards, i.e. the ESS Quality Declaration, recommendations of the ESS Leadership Expert Group on Quality (LEG) and the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP). 

The quality of statistical surveys is evaluated by means of standard quality reports and quality indicators recommended in the ESS Handbook for Quality Reports as well as by self-assessment checklist and quality audits and reviews.

Quality assessment of the monthly survey (DG-1), which is the data source for most STS indicators was conducted in 2022.

A quality report was elaborated on the basis of standard quality procedures recommended in the ESS Handbook for Quality Reports. The quality of the monthly survey was described by means of standard quality indicators characterizing the following quality aspects: relevance, accuracy and reliability, timelines and punctuality, comparability and coherence.

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 there were a negligible non-sampling errors.
Concerning timeliness and punctuality all releases are delivered on time immediately after they are prepared.
Comparability of series is maintained geographically and over time. 
Coherence is observable with other cross domain surveys, quarterly and annually.

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 – Eurostat, 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.

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 was elaborated and 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 http://stat.gov.pl/en/,
• 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 is available on Statistics Poland's website (in Polish).

The completeness of data corresponds with requirements of the 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. 

There were negligible non-sampling errors concerning coverage, measurement and non-response.

Improvement actions taken include increasing registry updates, careful logical and accounting controls and constant contact with the reporting units.

The Coefficient of Variation 5,4% for units employing 9 or less persons.

For units employing 10 or more persons indicator is not applicable.

There is an exhaustive survey for legal units employing 50 or more persons. 
The sample of units employing 9 or less persons is randomly selected according to the employment strata of the units and the NACE Rev. 2 aggregates required in the STS Regulation.
The sample of units employing 10-49 persons is selected for units at the NUTS 2 level and according to the NACE Rev. 2 aggregates required in the STS Regulation.

Legal units employing:

• 50 or more persons employed are included in an exhaustive survey;
• 10-49 persons employed are observed by a 10% sample survey;
• 9 or less persons employed are observed quarterly by a 2,0% sample survey in retail trade.

There was negligible non-sampling errors concerning coverage, measurement and non-response.

Improvement actions taken include increasing registry updates, careful logical and accounting controls and constant contact with the reporting units.

The response rate for legal units employing 9 or less persons accounts for about 47.5 %. The response rate for units employing 10 or more persons is about 80.2%. 
Actions are taken to speed up or increase the rate of response are telephone and e-mail follow-up.

The provisional index for trade is released within one month after the end of the reference month, however the final index (for Divisions: 45 and 47) is released within two months after the end of the quarter to which the reference month belongs. The index is transmitted to Eurostat according to Release Calendar.

The monthly questionnaires concerning legal units employing 10 or more persons are filled by internet application until the 5th working day after the end of the reference month. The data collection is closed on the 9th working day after the end of the reference month.

The quarterly questionnaires concerning units employing 9 or less persons  are obliged to be delivered until the 15th working day after the end of the reference quarter. The data collection is closed on the 22nd working day after the end of the reference quarter.

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

The same statistical concepts and classifications are applied in the entire national territory.
Polish Classification of Activities (PKD 2007) is consistent with European Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev.2).
Classification of territorial division applied in Polish statistics is consistent with the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS).

Data on net turnover (value of deflated) are comparable over time. When significant changes are introduced (e.g. change of classification, base year or methodology), historical time series are recalculated as far back as it is reasonably possible.

Time series according to NACE Rev. 2 are available from 2000 onwards.

The short-time statistics are compared with annual data (SBS) and administrative sources.
All units covered with the short-term survey report data on the same monthly questionnaire, which is used for collecting data for turnover and other short-term indicators, e.g. employment and wages and salaries. It enables to compare the results between these indicators.

Data are internally coherent.

Cost of the NSI –  16353 hours annually.
Burden of respondents – 9725 hours annually.

Data revision policy (in Polish) is consistent with Eurostat recommendations (ESS guidelines on revision policy for PEEIs). According to these recommendations, notice about major revisions, e.g. in classification, methodology or base year, is provided in advance of the change. Notice about minor changes is given at the time the revision is introduced.

The same revision policy is applied to data released nationally and transmitted to Eurostat.

Every five years major revisions take places due to implementation of the new weights and the rebasing of the indices. Every year  time series adjusted by working days and seasonal factors are updated. Quarterly revisions of data take places due to revision of data for small units.
In case of detecting errors in published data they are corrected as soon as possible.

In 2018 time series from 2000 were recalculated for the base year 2015=100.

Mean Revision (MR): 0.991

Mean Absolute Revision (MAR): 2.534

The source used is statistical survey based on the frame derived from Statistical Business Register (BJS).
There is an exhaustive survey for legal units employing 50 or more persons. Sample is used for units employing 10-49 persons and for units employing 9 or less persons.

The sample of units employing 9 or less persons is randomly selected according to the employment strata of the units and the NACE Rev. 2 aggregates required in the STS Regulation.
The sample of units employing 10-49 persons is selected at the NUTS 2 level and according to the NACE Rev. 2 aggregates required in the STS Regulation.

Legal units employing:

• 50 or more persons employed are included in an exhaustive survey (3856 units);
• 10-49 persons employed are observed by a 10% sample survey ( 3384 units);
• 9 or less persons employed are observed quarterly by a 2.0% sample survey ( 10000 units)

The sample is updated once a year.

Monthly data is collected for legal units employing 10 or more persons. Monthly data is also collected for small legal units (employing 9 or less persons), but only once a quarter.

Collected data refer to the full reference period.

Two questionnaires are used:

1.     DG-1 - the monthly report on economic activity (covers units employing 10 or more persons);
The questionnaire covers, among others, the following information:

• Revenues from sale of own products (goods, services) – of which non-domestic (of which euro-area);
• Value of manufactured products not categorized as sale, but included in sales;
• Revenues from sale of merchanted goods (resale) – of which non-domestic (of which euro-area);
• Persons employed;
• Average paid employment;
• Gross wages and salaries;
• Retail sale and wholesale;
• Excise tax;
• Product subsidies received;
• New orders – of which non-domestic (of which euro-area).

Data on net turnover are collected both for reporting month as well as for accrued period (cumulative data from January to the end of the reporting month). In accrued data, reporting units include possible revisions for the previous periods, which does not have an impact on the real level of the turnover value in reporting month.

2.     H-01/k – quarterly inquiry of trade units (covers legal units in which the number of persons employed is 9 or less). All data collection is done by electronic questionnaire (sporadically by postal questionnaire) or by  CATI. 
Dissemination of electronic questionnaire in the Reporting Portal for reporting units — until the 5th working day after the end of the reference month; reminding the reporting units over the phone or e-mail that they have not completed the questionnaire — on the 6th working day after the end of the reference month.

Appropriate validation procedures are applied during the whole production process of statistics, and they are in line with rules provided by Eurostat, i.e. starting from selection of respondents to compiling indices and transmission to Eurostat.

Data validation system incorporates many tools for data control, estimation and imputation, e.g. reports on data completeness and program procedures applied for error checking. The detailed completeness reports are essential tools in analysis of non-response as well as organizational and localization changes taking place in the reporting units.
Validation procedures are applied on the level of individual respondents and on aggregated level as well as before data transmission to Eurostat.

Data validation on the level of individual respondents is based on:

• Special program procedures used for errors checking when data are inserted to the system (logical -computing control) –  these procedures help to avoid errors at the stage of data collection what is essential for final data results.
• Information given by an unit on the reasons of substantial difference in the level of data reported in the current period as compared to the equivalent data for the previous period (e.g. cancellation of all previously-issued invoices, correction of invoices, reducing/increasing the number of orders, employee dismissals).

In the case of any doubts about data correctness there is a direct contact with an unit in order to explain outliers.

Data validation on aggregated level is conducted both by the Regional Statistical Office responsible for the survey as well as by the authorial departments of Statistics Poland. The quality of aggregated data is monitored at least on three-digit level of NACE Rev.2 and on NUTS 2 level. Both the values and dynamics are compared with previous month and corresponding month of the previous year. Any discrepancies are scrutinized before dissemination of national indices.
Validation procedures are also performed before data transmission to Eurostat. The structured data files in SDMX format are created and data assigned to the codes are checked in detail. In case of significant data revisions, for example when the base year changes, the whole time series are submitted to validation procedure.   

The most of STS indicators are surveyed on the same monthly questionnaire (DG-1) what means that validation procedures are quite consistent.

Data concerning units employing 10 or more persons is estimated for non-response based on the units' responses for previous periods. This is done for units which submitted at least one questionnaire throughout the year. For units which have not submitted a questionnaire throughout the year the results for the responses are grossed up to the population taking into account employment and labour productivity.

For the units in which the number of persons employed is 9 or less the non-responses are estimated using weights. The base weights are calculated separately for strata as ratios: the number of units of the frame population to the number of units in the sample. The base weights are corrected for unit non-response by multiplying the base weight by an adjustment factor.

The survey results are produced by grossing-up the data from the sample to the population. The grossed up results are used only to compile indices at the level of the NACE Rev. 2 aggregates required in the STS Regulation.

The indexes are calculated based on grossed up results. The index for a new reference period is calculated as a relation of its value to the average value of the base year.

The indices of deflated turnover are calculated using the CPI, PPI and prices of agricultural products.

Level of detail: Division 45,46 and 47.

Program JDemetra+ , TRAMO/SEATS method.

Pre-adjustment:

• regARIMA, 6 regressors connected with the changing number of working days in a week resulting from national holidays;
• Leap year effect (if relevant);
• Easter effect (if relevant);
• Outliers (AO, LS, TC) with automatic detection supported by additional analysis and a priori knowledge.

Seasonal adjustment:

• Automatic model selection with additional non-automatic verification of problematic cases
• Additive or multiplicative decomposition;
• Direct adjustment of aggregates.

 Revisions:

• Model updated once a year including revision of historical data;
• For Division 45 and Division 47 revised monthly data is presented after 2 months from the end of each reporting quarter.  

Not applicable