Statistics Lithuania

Transport and Tourism statstics Division

29 Gedimino Ave., LT-01500 Vilnius, Lithuania

The purpose of the survey on goods transport by goods road vehicles is to produce and publish statistical information on the amount of goods carried by road transport vehicles registered in Lithuania, vehicle-kilometres and tonne-kilometres by freight classification, the EU regions (NUTS 3 level) and countries of loading and unloading. The main statistical indicators: weight of goods transported, tonne-kilometres and vehicle-kilometres of goods road vehicles.

Statistics on carriage of goods by road apply the following statistical classifications:

• The type of goods transported by road was collected, until reference year 2007 (included), according to the 24 groups of goods following the "Standard Goods Classification for Transport Statistics/Revised (NST/R )", .
• The regional coding is done in conformity with European legislation: "NUTS Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics" (see also NUTS). Economic activity class of the vehicle owner is an optional variable. Data were collected according to NACE Rev. 1 until the end of 2007. From the beginning of 2008 onwards, the economic activity has been classified according to NACE Rev. 2 (see RAMON "Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community, Rev. 2 (NACE Rev. 2)").
• Type of dangerous goods is a mandatory variable, but it is reported only for those goods that fall into this category. The classification is based on "European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road", Chapter 2.1, as published in Annex E of Council Regulation (EC) No 1172/98. Directive 2008/68/EC makes reference to ADR as regards the transport of dangerous goods by road.

The optional variable type of cargo follows the Classification of Cargo Types of UNECE (United Nations, Economic Commission for Europe - codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials, Recommendation 21 adopted by the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures, Geneva, March 1986).

Transport by road goods vehicles registered in Lithuania, except for transport by agricultural, military vehicles and vehicles owned by the central or local government and public postal and railway companies.

The main concepts used in Road freight statistics are the following, more details can be found in the Road freight transport methodology manual : 

A goods road motor vehicle is any single road transport vehicle (lorry), or combination of road vehicles, namely road train (lorry with trailer) or articulated vehicle (road tractor with semi-trailer), designed to carry goods
Cross-trade is international road transport between two different countries performed by a road motor vehicle registered in a third country.
National transport is Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) located in the same country by a vehicle registered in that country. 
International transport is Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) in two different countries and cabotage by road. It may involve transit through one or more additional country or countries.
Cross trade is International road transport between two different countries performed by a road motor vehicle registered in a third country.
Transit is any loaded or empty road motor vehicle, which enters and leaves a country at different points by whatever means of transport, provided the total journey within the country is by road and that there is no loading or unloading in the country.
Goods carried by road are any goods moved by goods vehicle
Place of loading/unloading of a goods road vehicle on another mode of transport

• Place of loading (of the goods road transport vehicle on another mode of transport): The place of loading is the first place where the goods road motor vehicle was loaded on to another mode of transport (usually a ship or a rail wagon).
• Place of unloading (of the goods road transport vehicle from another mode of transport): The place of unloading is the last place where the goods road motor vehicle was unloaded from another mode of transport (usually a ship or a rail wagon).

Goods vehicles registered in the Register of Road Vehicles of the Republic of Lithuania.

Goods transport by road by goods vehicles registered in Lithuania, except for transport by agricultural, military vehicles and vehicles owned by the central or local government and public postal and railway companies.

All goods transport within and outside Lithuania by goods vehicles registered in Lithuania.

Since 1995.

Not applicable

Data are collected in tonnes, tonne-kilometres, vehicle-kilometres.

The road data are collected on a quarterly basis and are reported to Eurostat five months after the end of the reference period.

European level: 

• REGULATION (EU) N° 70/2012   

From Eurostat :

Eurostat submits annually semi-aggregated data (data exchange tables, see Commission Regulation (EU) No 202/2010 amending the Commission Regulation (EC) 6/2003) back to the reporting countries so that they can compile the total road freight transport on their national territories, including the operations by national hauliers and also those of all other reporting countries.

These data exchange tables include more detailed breakdowns than the publicly available tables. They also include, for each value, the information on the number of observations that the estimates are based on. In this way, the reporting countries can estimate the reliability of results that they aggregate from the data exchange tables.

National level:

• In the process of statistical data collection, processing and analysis and dissemination of statistical information, Statistics Lithuania fully guarantees confidentiality of the data submitted by respondents (households, enterprises, institutions, organisations and other statistical units), as defined in the Confidentiality Policy Guidelines of Statistics Lithuania.

European level:

• 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.

Description of Statistical Disclosure Control Methods, approved by Order No DĮ-29 of 19 January 2024 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.

The State Data Governance Information System Data Security Regulations and Rules for the Secure Management of Electronic Information in the State Data Governance Information System, approved by Order No DĮ-202 of 27 August 2021 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.

Statistical information is published on the Official Statistics Portal according to the Official Statistics Calendar.

Official Statistics Calendar

Statistical information is prepared and disseminated under the principle of impartiality and objectivity, i.e. in a systematic, reliable and unbiased manner, following professional and ethical standards (the European Statistics Code of Practice), and the policies and practices followed are transparent to users and survey respondents.

All users have equal access to statistical information. All statistical information is published at the same time – at 9 a.m. on the day of publication of statistical information as indicated in the calendar on the Official Statistics Portal. Relevant statistical information is sent automatically to news subscribers.

The President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, their advisers, the Ministers of Finance, Economy and Innovation, as well as Social Security and Labour or their authorized persons, as well as, in exceptional cases, external experts and researchers have the right to receive early statistical information. The specified persons are entitled to receive statistical reports on GDP, inflation, employment and unemployment and other particularly relevant statistical reports one day prior to the publication of this statistical information on the Official Statistics Portal. Before exercising the right of early receipt of statistical information, a person shall sign an undertaking not to disseminate the statistical information received before it has been officially published.

Statistical information is published following the Official Statistics Dissemination Policy Guidelines and Statistical Information Dissemination and Communication Rules of Statistics Lithuania approved by Order No DĮ-176 of 2 July 2021 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.

Quarterly, annual

A news release is published not later than on the 82nd calendar day after the end of the  reference quarter.

Statistical information is released in publication Regions of Lithuania and Lithuania in figures.

The statistics are published in the Database of Indicators (Transport and communications -> Road transport -> Indicators of goods transport by road).

The Indicators Database page is for viewing and analyzing statistical information. For more information on the Indicators Database, see the Indicators Database User Guide.

Statistics Lithuania may, on the basis of contracts concluded with higher education institutions or research institutes, provide statistical data to researchers of these higher education institutions and research institutes to carry out specific statistical analyses for research purposes. Statistical data are provided in accordance with the provisions specified in the Description of Procedure for Data Depersonalisation and Pseudonymisation (only in Lithuanian). More information is available on the Official Statistics Portal, in the section Data Provision.

Statistical information is published in the Eurostat database, provided to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), international organizations, published on social networks, in video messages.Statistical information is published in the Eurostat database, provided to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), international organizations, published on social networks, in video messages.

Statistical information can also be provided upon individual requests (more information on the Official Statistics Portal, in section Services).

Methodological documents are published in the Road Transport section of the Official Statistics Portal.

Road transport

The quality of statistical information and its production process is ensured by the provisions of the European Statistics Code of Practice and ESS Quality Assurance Framework. 

In 2007, a quality management system, conforming to the requirements of the international quality management system standard ISO 9001, was introduced at Statistics Lithuania. The main trends in activity of Statistics Lithuania aimed at quality management and continuous development in the institution are established in the Quality Policy. Monitoring of the quality indicators of statistical processes and their results and self-evaluation of statistical survey managers is regularly carried out in order to identify the areas which need improvement and to promptly eliminate the shortcomings.

Data quality is in line with the accuracy, timeliness and punctuality, comparability and compatibility requirements. Before presenting the results for users, additional quality control of statistical data at the macro level is performed. Statistical indicator estimates are compared with the previous period’s estimates.

The main users of statistical information are State and municipal authorities and agencies, international organisations, the media, research and business communities, students, whose needs are satisfied without a breach of the confidentiality principle.

Since 2005, user opinion surveys have been conducted on a regular basis. Official Statistics Portal traffic is monitored, website visitor opinion polls, general opinion poll on the products and services of Statistics Lithuania, target user group opinion polls and other surveys are conducted.

In 2007, the compilation of a user satisfaction index was launched. The said surveys are aimed at the assessment of the overall demand for and necessity of statistical information in general and specific statistical indicators in particular.

More information on user opinion surveys and results thereof are published in the User Surveys section on the Statistics Lithuania website.

All indicators established by the legislation are published.

The survey is carried out using a sampling method. The sampling list covers transport vehicles registered in the Register of Road Motor Vehicles of the Republic of Lithuania.The sample size per quarter is 3900 goods road vehicles, the survey sample per week - 300 goods road vehicles. When calculating the estimates, statistical data are analysed by estimating outliers; data are edited. The coefficient of variation (relative standard error), used as the main measure of the accuracy of estimate, does not exceed 3 per cent.

Coefficient of variation, %:

Errors not related to the sample are not counted.

Statistical information is published not later than on the 56nd day after the end of the reference quarter.

Statistical information is published in accordance with an Official Statistics Calendar. In case of delay, users are notified in advance by indicating the reason and a new date of publication.

Road freight data are transmitted to Eurostat within 5 months after the end of the reference period, as specified in the Regulation (EU) 70//2012.

Statistical information is comparable across the EU.

Carriage of goods by road transport – since 1995.

Data are comparable and comply with the requirements provided in Regulation (EU) No 70/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, applied to the main indicators starting from 2000.

Not applicable

Quarterly and annual statistics are coherent.

In 2022, the average time spent by respondents to complete the statistical report on the carriage of goods by road – 48 minutes. Compared to the 2021 year, the statistical reporting burden has increased

The revision policy applied by Statistics Lithuania is described in the Description of Procedure for Performance, Analysis and Publication of Revisions of Statistical Information.

The results published are final and not revised later.

Source of statistical information – statistical survey on road goods transport.

Weekly.

Sampling methodology

Statistical unit:

Tractive vehicle

Types of units excluded:

• Special purpose road vehicles;
• Goods road vehicles with maximum permissible weight of less than 6 tonnes in case of a single motor vehicle
• Vehicles which are not used for goods carriage
• Goods road vehicle older than 25 years

Goods road vehicle which are not covered by survey:

• Vehicles with less than 6 tonnes maximum permissible weight.

For vehicles less than 6 tonnes maximum permissible weight, estimations are carried out for the vehicle kilometres.

Time unit:

1 week

Time units of quarter 1 of 2023 included in the survey:

All (13 weeks)

Stratification:

The sample for one quarter is obtained using a sample in each stratum.

All goods transport vehicles are distributed in 15 strata.

Road goods vehicles are distributed in the following way:

Recording of weight of goods:

Gross weight of goods is collected, i.e. containers swap bodies and pallets are excluded.

Recording of journey data sent to Eurostat:

Single stop and multi stop: Only the commodity with highest weight is taken into account.

Other variables: Currently only 5 countries are reported as countries crossed in transit (variable A2.7) as this is the maximum limit, although Lithuanian trucks can cross more than 5 transit countries. Lithuania may identify more than five transit countries.

Calculation of weighting factors:

Weighting factor=13*N/(S+S’)

N= number of vehicles in the register (in a stratum)

S= number of questionnaires used in analysis (in A1 dataset)

S’= number of vehicles for which no activity was recorded, but vehicles could be considered as active (holiday, no work, etc.), sold, scrapped, leased, with load capacity too low.

Additional (optional) variables collected compared to the legal requirements:

A1. Vehicle-related variables:

• possibility of using vehicles for combined transport (YES)
• vehicle operator’s NACE Rev. 2 at class level (four-digit level) (YES)
• vehicle empty kilometres (YES)

A2. Journey-related variables:

• axle configuration according to the nomenclature defined in the Regulation on road transport statistics (YES)
• place of loading, if any, of the road transport vehicle on another means of transport (YES)
• place of unloading, if any, of the road transport vehicle from another means of transport (YES)
• degree of loading: situation ‘fully loaded’ (procedure 2) or ‘not fully loaded’ (procedure 1) of the goods road transport vehicle during the journey in question, in terms of maximum volume of space used during the journey (procedure 0 = by convention for unladen journeys) (YES)

A3. Goods-related variables:

• type of freight (Cargo types) as defined in the Regulation (YES)

Environmental impact-related variables:

• Type of fuel used and fuel consumption.

National level : To ensure the quality of the statistics, the statistics are checked and validated. The logical relationship between the values is checked, the arithmetic errors and the omitted values are searched. In case of significant deviations, the reasons for them are explained to the respondents, if necessary. Errors in statistics are corrected.

From Eurostat : Since 1999, micro-data from the reporting countries have to be submitted according to Commission Regulation 2163/2001. The data are then checked and validated by EUROSTAT (verification of many different codes used (NUTS 3, numeric or alphabetic variables) correctness of linked questionnaires in the different dataset, etc…). Detected errors are then reported back to the data sender with the request for correction, this is an iterative process until at least 99.5% of all data records are validated and loaded in the database.

The survey is carried out using a sampling method. The sampling design is a stratified sample with a simple random sample in strata. The distribution of the population is random. To determine the sample size in strata, the optimal (Neyman) allocation is applied. The main data source – statistical survey on goods transport by road. Data are checked for completeness and reliability. Primary database check is performed (re-editing, statistical data validation). The results received are analysed: compared with the corresponding period of the previous year; to detect outliers in the strata, a quartile method is used. In case of significant deviations, the reasons thereof are determined. If necessary, respondents are contacted. If errors are detected, they are corrected. When the results are considered acceptable, the indicator estimates are calculated: the Horvitz–Thompson population total estimator is applied. The relative standard error (coefficient of variation) of each estimator is calculated.

Statistical survey on goods transport by road methodology (only in Lithuanian)

The influence of the season and the number of working days on the statistics on the carriage of goods by road is not assessed.

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