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.
Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS)
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia,
Data Publication and Communication Division
User Relations Section
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Litostrojska cesta 54, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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
2 October 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
2 October 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
2 October 2025
3.1. Data description
The data collection provides information and comparable measurements on the different aspects of the quality of urban life in cities. At the city level, the Urban Audit contains more than 130 variables and more than 50 indicators. These indicators are derived from the variables collected by the European Statistical System.
Data is collected for the following spatial levels:
The City (C) according to the administrative definition, as the basic level,
The Functional Urban Area (FUA) being an approximation of the functional urban zone centered around the city,
National level.
3.2. Classification system
Specific classification and coding systems have been developed for the spatial units and for the variables and indicators.
Classification system for the spatial units
The city code consists of a 2-digit country code, a 3-digit city code and a final C for city
or F for Functional Urban Area (FUA). The sequential numbering starts with a ‘1’ for the capital.
FUAs are recoded similarly, matching the sequential number of their main city.
Spatial Unit
Name
Code
Country
Slovenia
SI
City
Ljubljana
SI001C
FUA
Ljubljana
SI001F
3.3. Coverage - sector
The indicators and variables cover several aspects of quality of life, e.g., demography, housing, health, economic activity, labour market, income disparity, educational qualifications, environment, climate, travel patterns, tourism and cultural infrastructure.
For most of the indicators, existing international standards have been followed as far as possible.
3.5. Statistical unit
The data are collected for the cities (i.e. municipalities), where at least 50% of the population lives in one or more urban centres of at least 50,000 residents. Because collecting data only for the city is not sufficient since it makes sense to analyse the city together with its surrounding, the data are also collected for the Functional Urban Area. Functional urban areas exceed city borders and contains the surrounding travel-to-work areas of a city, defined at the municipal level, from which at least 15% of the employed population commutes to the city. Functional urban areas therefore consist of a densely populated city and a less densely populated commuting zone whose labour market is highly integrated with the city.
For most variables the target statistical universe is the usual residents of a geographical area (city). For the detailed description of variables see the Methodological Manual on territorial typologies.
3.7. Reference area
In Slovenia, only two municipalities – Ljubljana and Maribor – are defined as cities at the European level. Some municipalities are excluded from their functional urban area despite meeting the threshold for inclusion in the commuting zone. These are municipalities with a larger flow of labour migration directed to another employment centre that does not meet the criteria for defining a city at the European level.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data are available starting with the reference year 2001. The length of time series varies depending on the variable.
The data collection is organized in data collection rounds.
1991 and 1996 were the reference years for the "historical" data.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
The unit of measure varies from indicator to indicator and from variable to variable. In most cases, the unit of measure is included in the label.
For the current data collection, the reference years are 2023 and 2024. Most variables are updated on an annual basis. Please refer to the file “Methodology_SI”.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
All data supply of urban statistics is based on a voluntary agreement, as there is no Community legislation yet on this topic.
The legal framework for the geo-spatial definitions is the TERCET Regulation.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
The National Statistics Act (ZDSta) stipulates within fundamental principles of national statistics in Article 2.
Information on the deviating definitions used in the reference years 2023 and 2024 is available in Annex (see file Methodology_SI).
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The procedures for ensuring high data quality are explained in the City Statistics Manual.
11.1. Quality assurance
Detailed information on concepts and definitions used in the project are available in the City Statistics Manual.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The quality of data is assessed using internal validation procedures and Eurostat’s validation methods. The assessment is summarized in final reports.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The general objective of the project is to collect quantitative information on the quality of life in European cities.
We are aware of the needs at the European level. We will collect as many data on cities as possible depending on available human resources.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
Data availability differs from domain to domain. Overview of data availability for the reference years 2023 and 2024 is available in Annex (see file Methodology_SI).
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Not applicable.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Depends on the domain and individual variable. As a general rule, timeliness is about 24 months. Please see file Methodology_SI.
14.2. Punctuality
In some cases a time lag between the actual delivery of the data and the target date when it should have been delivered occurs. There are no legal deadlines to deliver the data.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The legal framework (Tercet Regulation) ensures the geographical comparability (definition of spatial units).
In Slovenia, only two municipalities, Ljubljana and Maribor, are defined as cities at the European level. Their functional urban areas were revised for the reference year 2023, based on 2021 employment data, which changed their commuting zones. Previously, these zones covered the entire statistical regions of Osrednjeslovenska and Podravska. In the past, this definition of FUA allowed for the widest possible provision of data for the City Statistics database.
Current classification of municipalities in Slovenia by functional urban areas: code list / map.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Most of the data are comparable over time. Where the comparability is not assured, flags and suitable notes are added in the data file. Breaks in the time series are flagged accordingly (flag B).
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Data collected at the sub-national level are coherent with the data collected at the national level. Most data for cities and FUAs originate from official statistics.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal coherence (e.g. between spatial levels, between indicators such as total, male, female population) is ensured through the application of multivariable and univariate validation controls.
The data collection is based on administrative data so the main burden is on the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. A small amount of data is requested from city authorities and other organizations.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not applicable.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
Data are collected from various sources as described in the Annex (Methodology_SI).
Data are generally available within the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.
For some variables we need to prepare data especially for the project.
Anyway, a small amount of data was also collected from the sources outside the Statistical Office.
Data were contributed by
Ministry of the Interior, Police (crime)
city authorities (bicycle network)
city transport companies (transport)
national film centre (culture)
national library (public libraries)
national traffic safety agency (accidents)
18.2. Frequency of data collection
The Urban Audit is a multiannual data collection. Some indicators are only available for census years (in Annex see file Methodology_SI). The reference period of the current data collection is 2023–2024.
18.3. Data collection
Data were collected by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (coordinator) and a number of colleagues from various departments of the organization. The coordinator collected data from available sources in the national statistical office as well as from the sources outside the statistical office.
18.4. Data validation
Data are sent via the tool provided by Eurostat, with extensive validation procedures.
18.5. Data compilation
The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia collected as many data as possible that are requested in the frame of the project. For most variables, already published data were aggregated to the level of city and FUA. For some variables, the data were specifically calculated. All available data were transmitted to Eurostat in the agreed format.
The data collection provides information and comparable measurements on the different aspects of the quality of urban life in cities. At the city level, the Urban Audit contains more than 130 variables and more than 50 indicators. These indicators are derived from the variables collected by the European Statistical System.
Data is collected for the following spatial levels:
The City (C) according to the administrative definition, as the basic level,
The Functional Urban Area (FUA) being an approximation of the functional urban zone centered around the city,
National level.
2 October 2025
For most of the indicators, existing international standards have been followed as far as possible.
The data are collected for the cities (i.e. municipalities), where at least 50% of the population lives in one or more urban centres of at least 50,000 residents. Because collecting data only for the city is not sufficient since it makes sense to analyse the city together with its surrounding, the data are also collected for the Functional Urban Area. Functional urban areas exceed city borders and contains the surrounding travel-to-work areas of a city, defined at the municipal level, from which at least 15% of the employed population commutes to the city. Functional urban areas therefore consist of a densely populated city and a less densely populated commuting zone whose labour market is highly integrated with the city.
For most variables the target statistical universe is the usual residents of a geographical area (city). For the detailed description of variables see the Methodological Manual on territorial typologies.
In Slovenia, only two municipalities – Ljubljana and Maribor – are defined as cities at the European level. Some municipalities are excluded from their functional urban area despite meeting the threshold for inclusion in the commuting zone. These are municipalities with a larger flow of labour migration directed to another employment centre that does not meet the criteria for defining a city at the European level.
For the current data collection, the reference years are 2023 and 2024. Most variables are updated on an annual basis. Please refer to the file “Methodology_SI”.
Not applicable.
The unit of measure varies from indicator to indicator and from variable to variable. In most cases, the unit of measure is included in the label.
The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia collected as many data as possible that are requested in the frame of the project. For most variables, already published data were aggregated to the level of city and FUA. For some variables, the data were specifically calculated. All available data were transmitted to Eurostat in the agreed format.
Data are collected from various sources as described in the Annex (Methodology_SI).
Data are generally available within the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.
For some variables we need to prepare data especially for the project.
Anyway, a small amount of data was also collected from the sources outside the Statistical Office.
Data were contributed by
Ministry of the Interior, Police (crime)
city authorities (bicycle network)
city transport companies (transport)
national film centre (culture)
national library (public libraries)
national traffic safety agency (accidents)
The Eurostat database is updated continually, depending on the availability of new and revised data.
Depends on the domain and individual variable. As a general rule, timeliness is about 24 months. Please see file Methodology_SI.
The legal framework (Tercet Regulation) ensures the geographical comparability (definition of spatial units).
In Slovenia, only two municipalities, Ljubljana and Maribor, are defined as cities at the European level. Their functional urban areas were revised for the reference year 2023, based on 2021 employment data, which changed their commuting zones. Previously, these zones covered the entire statistical regions of Osrednjeslovenska and Podravska. In the past, this definition of FUA allowed for the widest possible provision of data for the City Statistics database.
Current classification of municipalities in Slovenia by functional urban areas: code list / map.
Most of the data are comparable over time. Where the comparability is not assured, flags and suitable notes are added in the data file. Breaks in the time series are flagged accordingly (flag B).
