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F1: Social statistics; Methodology and development; Relations with users

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Data reported in this Eurobase sub-domain cover cultural enterprises statistics as well as the production of cultural items.

1. Cultural enterprises

Eurostat compiles data on enterprises within the cultural sector from two main data sources:

a) Structural Business Statistics (SBS)

- Enterprises by detailed NACE Rev.2 activity and special aggregates (bookmark of sbs_ovw_act)
- Enterprise statistics by size class and NACE Rev.2 activity (from 2021 onwards) (bookmark of sbs_sc_ovw)

--- historical data section (cult_ent_h)

Two tables with the calculated cultural aggregate, i.e. Total of cultural enteprises:

•  Number and average size of enterprises in the cultural sectors by NACE Rev. 2 activity (cult_ent_num)
•  Value added and turnover of enterprises in the cultural sectors by NACE Rev. 2 activity (cult_ent_val), in millions of EUR and as a percentage of total business economy except trade and financial and insurance activities (i.e. NACE Rev. 2 sections B to N and S95, without K)

- Three tables  - direct links to the SBS database:

• Industry by employment size class (NACE Rev. 2, B-E) (sbs_sc_ind_r2)
• Services by employment size class (NACE Rev. 2, H-N, S95) (sbs_sc_1b_se_r2)
• Annual enterprise statistics by size class for special aggregates of activities (NACE Rev. 2) (sbs_sc_sca_r2)

b) Business Demography (BD)

- Business demography by size class and NACE Rev. 2 activity (bookmark of bd_size)

 --- historical data section (cult_ent_h)

• Business demography by size class (from 2004 onwards, NACE Rev. 2) (bd_9bd_sz_cl_r2)

The data focus on culture-related sectors of activity, as identified by international experts in the final report of the European Statistical System Network on Culture (ESS-net Culture Report 2012).

The 'Culture statistics Working Group' extended that list in 2018, by including some sectors from industry (NACE Rev. 2 codes 18, 3212 and 322), trade ((NACE Rev. 2 codes 47.61, 47.62 and 47.63) and services (NACE Rev. 2 codes 74.2, 74.3 and 77.22).

The cultural sphere in business statistics is therefore captured through the following NACE Rev. 2 codes (for details, see 3.3. 'Sector coverage'):

C18 Printing and reproduction of recorded media
C32.12 Manufacture of jewellery and related articles
C32.2 Manufacture of musical instruments

G47.61 Retail sale of books in specialised stores
G47.62 Retail sale of newspapers and stationery in specialised stores
G47.63 Retail sale of music and video recordings in specialised stores

J58.11 Book publishing
J58.13 Publishing of newspapers
J58.14 Publishing of journals and periodicals
J58.21 Publishing of computer games
J59 Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities
J60 Programming and broadcasting activities
J63.91 News agency activities
M71.11 Architectural activities
M74.1 Specialised design activities
M74.2 Photographic activities
M74.3 Translation and interpretation activities
N77.22 Renting of video tapes and disks
R90 Creative, arts and entertainment activities
R91 Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities

2. Production of cultural products

These data come from statistics of production of manufactured goods (PRODCOM) and they are summarised in the following table:

• Sold production, exports and imports by PRODCOM list (NACE Rev. 2) - annual data (DS-056120)

Sold production is expressed in EUR, and provided for both import and export.

As there is no data processing by the Culture statistics team, the user is invited to refer to the PRODCOM metadata for methodological details.

Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE): NACE Rev 2 is used from 2008 onwards.

For classification of goods, product codes are specified in the Prodcom list.

Regarding SBS, starting from the reference year 2008, data is available for Sections B to N and Division S95 of NACE Rev.2.

Regarding more specifically culture-related statistics, the table below summarises the cultural sectors covered by SBS and BD databases, depending on the sectors actually covered by the regulations and the level of detail (number of digits in the NACE codes) available:

(¹) Structural Business Statistics

(²) Business Demography

(³) The variable 'size class' (table sbs_sc_ovw) is not available at the 4-digit NACE level.

Concepts and definitions related to enterprises are those used by SBS and BD: please see details in SBS metadata and BD metadata.

Enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organisational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. An enterprise may be a sole legal unit.

Number of enterprises: a count of the number of enterprises active during at least a part of the reference period

Number of persons employed is defined as the total number of persons who work in the observation unit (inclusive of working proprietors, partners working regularly in the unit and unpaid family workers), as well as persons who work outside the unit who belong to it and are paid by it (e.g. sales representatives, delivery personnel, repair and maintenance teams). It excludes manpower supplied to the unit by other enterprises, persons carrying out repair and maintenance work in the enquiry unit on behalf of other enterprises, as well as those on compulsory military service.

Turnover comprises the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the reference period, and this corresponds to market sales of goods or services supplied to third parties; it includes all duties and taxes on the goods or services invoiced by the unit with the exception of the VAT invoiced by the unit to its customer and other similar deductible taxes directly linked to turnover; it also includes all other charges (transport, packaging, etc.) passed on to the customer. Price reductions, rebates and discounts as well as the value of returned packing must be deducted.

Value added at factor costs is the gross income from operating activities after adjusting for operating subsidies and indirect taxes. Value adjustments (such as depreciation) are not subtracted.

Survival: in the Business Demography context, survival occurs if an enterprise is active in terms of employment and/or turnover in the year of birth and the following year(s).

Two types of survival can be distinguished:

1. An enterprise born in year XXXX is considered to have survived in year XXXX+1 if it is active in terms of turnover and/or employment in any part of year XXXX+1 (= survival without changes).

2. An enterprise is also considered to have survived if the linked legal unit(s) have ceased to be active, but their activity has been taken over by a new legal unit set up specifically to take over the factors of production of that enterprise (= survival by take-over).

For the purpose of culture statistics, the statistical unit is the enterprise. The enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organisational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. An enterprise may be a sole legal unit.

Please see more details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

The target population is the private sector economy. The full business registers of the participating countries are used as data sources.

Depending on the nationally adopted data collection strategy, SBS data may come from different data sources: statistical surveys, and/or administrative data or registers.

The Statistical Business Register serves as basis for the statistical population. As far as statistical surveys are concerned, usually large enterprises (businesses above an industry-specific employment threshold) are exhaustively surveyed, whereas small businesses are sampled.

As for BD, the national business registers are the main source of data for business demography (BD) statistics. No samples are drawn from the registers: the full registers are processed.

As for Prodcom, the survey population of the reference period shall be enterprises whose principal activity or one of its secondary activities is listed in section B or C of the classification NACE Rev.2.

Eurostat receives SBS and BD data from the EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and some EU Candidate and potential candidate countries.

For Prodcom, the reference area is the EU, Iceland, Norway and some EU Candidate and potential candidate countries.

Regarding data in tables 'sbs_ovw_act',  'sbs_sc_ovw' and 'bd_size' the indicators were calculated from 2021 onwards. 

--- historical data section (cult_ent_h)

SBS and BD: from 2008 onwards for a satisfactory coverage of sectors and countries. Regarding tables with historical data 'cult_ent_num' and 'cult_ent_val', the indicators were calculated from 2010 onwards.

Prodcom: from 2003 onwards for a satisfactory coverage of sectors and countries (regarding table 'DS-056120').

Not applicable

Enterprises:

• Monetary data (on turnover and value added) are expressed in millions of €

• Data related to the number of enterprises are reported as units.

• Average size of enterprises (table 'sbs_sc_ovw' or table 'sbs_sc_ind_r2' for historical data) is expressed in the number of employed persons (head counts).

In Prodcom data, the sold production of enterprises gives the value of the production in Euro.

Calendar year.

Please see more details in SBS metadata, BD metadata, and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata , BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Eurostat makes available all non-confidential and sufficiently reliable data on its dissemination website.

Please see details in SBS metadata , BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata , BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata , BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata , BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata , BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Annual

SBS and BD: News releases on-line;

PRODCOM: not available.

SBS and BD: Culture statistics online publication - cultural enterprises (annually updated Statistics Explained article);

PRODCOM: not available.

Eurobase - Eurostat database code: cult_ent;

--- historical data section (cult_ent_h).

Not applicable.

Culture statistics - a dedicated section for sectoral statistics is available on the Eurostat website.

Please consult the methodology page in the Structural Business Statistics online dedicated section.

Regarding BD, most countries abide closely by the methodology in the Eurostat-OECD Manual on Business Demography Statistics. Furthermore, please consult the methodology page in the Business Demography online dedicated section.

The European Statistical System Network on Culture – Final report (ESSnet report) deals with statistics on cultural enterprises in the chapter written by Task Force 3, 'Cultural industries' (pp. 129-226).

Regarding Prodcom, please consult the European business statistics user’s manual for PRODCOM (2023 edition).

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

No User Needs survey has been carried out yet.

Generally, users have been satisfied with the overall quality of Eurostat's service, which encompasses data quality and the supporting service provided to them.

As reported above (section 3.3), the coverage of the cultural sectors differs according to the enterprises' data collection (i.e. SBS and BD), depending on the coverage in terms of NACE sectors, and in terms of the level of detail provided (i.e. number of digits of the NACE codes).

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Preliminary SBS data (2-digit NACE level) are published a year after the end of the reference year (T+12 months). Final data (4-digit level) are published one year and 10 months after the end of the reference year (T+22 months).

BD data generally should be published within 2 calendar years of the end of the reference year. BD data on 'enterprise deaths' are confirmed only after two years, in case the unit concerned becomes active again during that period. For this reason, information on final deaths is available later than the stock of enterprises and enterprise births.

Please see details in SBS metadata and BD metadata. 

Regarding Prodcom data collection, NSIs must transmit production data to Eurostat within 6 months of the end of the reference year for annual data.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please refer to SBS metadata, BD metadata PRODCOM metadata and national metadata files (where available).

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

The coverage of the cultural sector is highly dependent on the level of detail of NACE codes (number of digits) available in the source database. Regarding SBS, four digits are available for main indicators, except for size class-related indicators. Regarding BD, the number of available digits varies from one sector to the next.

In addition, differences may be observed between SBS and BD for common indicators (e.g. number of enterprises), due to methodological differences, notably:

• SBS provides a snapshot at the end of the calendar year, while BD reports data observed several times a year (so that enterprises alive for a few months are included in BD data);
  
  
• depending on national practices, some thresholds may be applied in SBS to not include very small businesses (e.g. include enterprises with at least x million Euro of turnover).

The Prodcom Council Regulation stipulates that at least 90% of production in each NACE class should be reported.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata .

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata .

Not applicable

The general Eurostat revision policy applies to this domain.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data.

Reported errors are corrected in the disseminated data as soon as the correct data have been validated.

Data may be published even if they are missing for certain countries or flagged as provisional or of low reliability for certain countries.

European aggregates are updated for consistency with new country data.

New data are only used to update disseminated data if provided according to the provision schedule set by Eurostat, or in the case of reported errors.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

For cultural statistics purpose, data from SBS (Structural Business Statistics), BD (Business Demography) and Prodcom are retrieved from Eurobase, i.e. publicly published data.

Annual

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

2021 onwards:

Please see details in SBS metadata, BD metadata and PRODCOM metadata.

until 2020 (cult_ent_h):

For cultural statistics purpose, a special aggregate for cultural enterprises is compiled in the tables 'cult_ent_num' and 'cult_ent_val'. This "cultural aggregate" is the sum of NACE activities available in the SBS data source, i.e. 18 + 32.12 + 32.2 + 47.61 + 47.62 + 47.63 + 58.11 + 58.13 + 58.14 + 58.21 + 59 + 60 + 63.91 + 71.11 + 74.1 + 74.2 + 74.3 + 77.22. However, this compilation results in some data gaps at the national level, due to unavailable data for some 4-digit NACE codes (mainly for reliability and/or confidentiality reasons). Thanks to two methods, however, those gaps were overcome in some countries, with respect to confidentiality rules. Such special processing required specific resources and was possible only from the reference years 2015. The two methods are the followings:

1) countries were requested to provide the sum 'total culture' whenever possible;

2) in the case of marginal missing NACE codes, the 'total culture' aggregate was computed without the missing NACE code(s) and flagged 'd' (see § 15.1).

For comparison purpose, data are displayed along with the 'Total Business economy', more specifically the non-financial economy (without NACE Division K). Regarding turnover and value added (table cult_ent_val), figures are expressed in million of euros, and as a percentage of the total non-financial business economy.

EU aggregates in BD data: calculation based on the available countries and therefore changes according to the context.

EU aggregates in SBS data: whenever those aggregates do not rely on full coverage, estimates can be published.

In these cases, such data are flagged with either one or some of the following flags:

e: Estimated value (precise within ±1% unless also flagged 'u')

d: Values refer to rounded estimates based on non-confidential data. Note that the difference between aggregates and components can be due to rounding.

u: Unreliable or uncertain data: (Estimation error from ±1% to ±5%)

Missing data are estimated for the purpose of the calculation of European aggregates only, these estimates are not released. Countries might send data with substantial delays to the regulation deadline. Occasionally, some characteristics or some NACE codes are missing. Eurostat would be unable to release European aggregates if these data were not estimated.

Some EU aggregates were rounded to protect confidential data at the national level. This way, the confidential data at the national level can only be determined with a very high error margin, the EU aggregates are, however, still acceptably accurate. A consequence of this method of hiding confidential national data is that the breakdown of the data for a certain activity level into more detailed activities does not correspond fully with the figure provided for this activity level.

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