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.
Structural business statistics (SBS) describes the structure, conduct and performance of economic activities, down to the most detailed activity level (several hundred economic sectors). SBS covers all activities of the business economy with the exception of agricultural activities, public administration and (largely) non-market services such as education and health. Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:
Business demographic variables (e.g. Number of active enterprises)
'Output related' variables (e.g. Net turnover, Value added)
'Input related' variables: labour input (e.g. Number of employees and self-employed persons, Hours worked by employees); goods and services input (e.g. Purchases of goods and services); capital input (e.g. Gross investments)
Business services statistics (BS) collection contains harmonised statistics on business services. From 2008 onwards BS become part of the regular mandatory annual data collection of SBS. The BS’s data requirement includes variable “Turnover” broken down by products and by type of residence of client.
The annual regional statistics collection includes three characteristics due by NUTS-2 country region and detailed on NACE Rev 2 division level (2-digits).
3.2. Classification system
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE): NACE Rev.2 is used from 2008 onwards. Key data were double reported in NACE Rev.1.1 and NACE Rev.2 only for 2008. From 2002 to 2007 NACE Rev. 1.1 was used and until 2001 NACE Rev.1.
Starting reference year 2021 onwards SBS cover the economic activities of market producers within the NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96. Until 2007 the SBS coverage was limited to Sections C to K of NACE Rev.1.1 and from the reference year 2008 to 2020 data was available for Sections B to N and Division S95 of NACE Rev.2.
From 2008 reference year the data collection Business services covers NACE Rev 2 codes: J62, N78, J582, J631, M731, M691, M692, M702, M712, M732, M7111, and M7112.
From 2013, as the first reference year, to 2020 information is published on NACE codes K6411, K6419 and K65 and its breakdown.
Data requirements, simplifications and technical definitions are defined in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197
3.5. Statistical unit
SBS data refer to statistical unit enterprise. From reference year 2018 onwards, the statistical unit enterprise is in line with the definition of Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 of 15 March 1993: "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". Regional SBS data refer to local units. The local unit is an enterprise or part thereof (e.g. a workshop, factory, warehouse, office, mine or depot) situated in a geographically identified place. At or from this place economic activity is carried out for which - save for certain exceptions - one or more persons work (even if only part-time) for one and the same enterprise.
3.5.1. Treatment of complex enterprise
Data treatment
Sample frame based on enterprises
Yes
Surveying all legal units belonging to a complex enterprise
Yes
Surveying all legal units within the scope of SBS belonging to a complex enterprise
Yes
Surveying only representative units belonging to the complex enterprise
No
Other criteria used, please specify
-
Comment
-
3.5.2. Consolidation
Consolidation method
Consolidation carried out by the NSI
Yes
Consolidation carried out by responding enterprise/legal unit(s)
No
Other methods, please specify
-
Comment
-
3.6. Statistical population
All enterprises classified in NACE sectors B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96 are included.
The business register defines the framework for identifying the units in the population.
3.7. Reference area
Bulgaria
3.8. Coverage - Time
1996-2022
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
• Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
• Monetary data are expressed in thousands of BGN currency.
• Employment variables are expressed in units.
• Per head values are expressed in thousands of BGN per head.
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
2022
Data refer to calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Starting with reference year 2021 two new regulations currently form the legal basis of SBS:
The Council Regulation No 58/97 has been amended three times: by Council Regulation No 410/98, Commission Regulation No 1614/2002 and European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2056/2002. As a new amendment of the basic Regulation it was decided to recast the Regulation No 58/97 in order to obtain a new 'clean' legal text. In 2008 the European Parliament and Council adopted Regulation No 295/2008 and the provisions of this Regulation were applicable from the reference year 2008 to reference year 2020. Regulation No 295/2008 was amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 446/2014.
Two criteria (national confidentiality rules) are applied for primary confidentiality treatment that is carried out in NSI. They are specified in the Law on statistics, according to which aggregated statistics cannot be made public or released when:
the total of the information was received by less than three statistical units (Criterion A);
one enterprise formed equal or more than 85% in the total volume of aggregated data (Criterion B).
To protect the primary confidentiality specialised software (CIF) is used for secondary confidentiality treatment. In general, the cell with the smallest value is flagged with secondary confidentiality for the relevant aggregation and variable. The secondary confidentiality is checked and linked with data from the series of SBS.
The data is protected so that confidential cells do not need to be further reduced.
7.2.1. Confidentiality processing
Data treatment
Confidentiality rules applied
Yes
Threshold of number of enterprises (Number)
No
Number of enterprises non confidential, if number of employments is confidential
Yes
Dominance criteria applied
Yes
If dominance criteria applied specify the threshold (Number)
equal or more than 85% in the total volume of aggregated data
Secondary confidentiality applied
Yes
Comment
-
8.1. Release calendar
The data are published in accordance with the deadline specified in the Release Calendar presenting the results of the statistical surveys carried out by the NSI of Bulgaria.
Statistical information is disseminated according to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services. Additional information (aggregated data in different breakdowns and details) is provided under custom request. Anonymised individual data for scientific and research purposes could be requested and provided according to the Rules for Provision of Anonymised Individual Data for Scientific and Research Purposes.
The SBS data is published at aggregation level on the website of the NSI and is available for everyone. The micro-data can be provided, upon decision of the Commission for access to anonymised data for scientific purposes (CAAD), if applicable and if not in conflict with existing regulations, according to Rules for Provision of Anonymised Individual Data for Scientific and Research Purposes, published on NSI website. The Rules are based on and in accordance with the requirements of the national legislation and the relevant regulations of the European Union. These rules govern procedure for applying and granting access to anonymised data.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Separately from the data published on the NSI website, information service on request may be provided by the ‘Relations with Users and e-Services’ Department, in accordance with the Rules for dissemination of statistical products and services of the NSI. The data are provided to Eurostat in accordance with SBS Regulation for dissemination in its databases.
The National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria and its territorial units are certified by ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System for the field of activities 'Receiving, collecting, processing, storing, analyzing, delivering and disseminating statistical information'. The quality management system has established and maintains a process oriented quality management system, taking into account the specific requirements, the impact of external and internal factors, the interests of the stakeholders, the risks and opportunities and perspectives of the Institute. According to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 NSI developed Quality Management Procedures related to the compilation, production and provision of statistical products and services for citizens and organizations, as well as a Declaration for policy of the quality management in NSI. Every year NSI develops Annual Programme for the Implementation of Quality Objectives and carries out internal audit on the compliance of the activities, set out in the procedures. Another systematic activity is the preparation of annual quality reports on different statistical domains.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The improvement of statistical information quality is one of priority directions in the National Statistical System (NSS) development. The quality activities in NSS are built on the fifteen principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice, covering the institutional environment, statistical processes and statistical outputs. SBS data is considered to be with good quality. The data are collected through Information System 'Business statistics' (ISBS), which provides online collection of annual reports of all economic active enterprises, containing a set of accounting and statistical questionnaires. The quality of information increases due to the arithmetic and logical controls of the input data, made automatically. The determination of the principal activity by using the ‘top-down’ method is also done automatically in the system. In addition, the SBS data are compared with the previous year's data and checked for large changes in the data, especially large deviations in the main variables. The NSI of Bulgaria uses also other data sources as a verification tool for production of business statistics data (comparison with available administrative data – data from National revenue agency, from National Social Security Institute; comparison with other statistical data – Short-term Business Statistics, PRODCOM, Foreign trade data, etc.).
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Internal users: - Other departments in NSI: National accounts, other - Government departments, National Central Bank - Social actors: employers' organisations, trade unions, lobby groups etc. - Media - Researchers; students - Enterprises/businesses External users: Eurostat, ECB, international organisations etc.
NSI meets the needs of users. Procedures are in place to consult main users and to continuously improve statistical output. Each year, the questionnaires included in the annual activity reports are agreed with all stakeholders – NSI departments, government bodies, Bulgarian national bank, social actors (employers' organisations, trade unions, lobby groups) etc. to satisfy their data needs. NSI publishes additional annual indicators (financial indicators from the balance sheet and profit and loss statement) together with the SBS data at the national level on section level. Users are also interested in a more detailed regional level.
All SBS data required according to existing SBS Regulations are available.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The SBS survey is exhaustive. The main source is the on-line based Information System 'Business Statistics' (ISBS) which ensures strict arithmetical and logical input control. The additional output control is made (on micro- and aggregated level) when big differences are registered in the value of a given indicator between two consecutive years or in comparison with the results of other statistical surveys in NSI - for example Short-term statistics, statistics Prodcom, Labour force.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable – the SBS survey is exhaustive.
13.3. Non-sampling error
The submission of the information for compiling SBS data is mandatory. The online system for collecting the data ensures strict arithmetical and logical input control. The data are validated with available administrative sources and different statistical information. There are no indications that coverage errors exist - no divergences between the target population and the population actually surveyed. There are no measurements errors, unit and item non-response errors. Processing errors: Data are provided by the respondents through electronic online questionnaire. Estimates for data entry errors are not available, but they are considered negligible due to extensive arithmetic and logical checking control automatically released in the process of data entry. In rare cases, some errors may occur when respondents fill in the data in the wrong unit of measurement (BGN instead of thousand BGN). However, these data are corrected when comparing the information between different sources and year to year validation on micro and macro level. During data editing process several types of data edits are applied: Validity edits, Consistency edits, Historical edits. Data editing is carried out at two levels: - At micro level (data of individual enterprises) - arithmetic and logical checks are automatically released in the process of data entry, controlling completeness, consistency, permissible dimension of values etc.; - At macro level - expanded logic control and verification is carried out aiming at detection of incomparable data with regard to the previous years’ results and in comparison with data from other statistical surveys and administrative sources.
14.1. Timeliness
The time period that elapses between the end of the reference period, and the first release of the data at national level is t+11.
14.2. Punctuality
No delays.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The data are comparable – the same source is used – Information System 'Business Statistics' (ISBS).
15.2. Comparability - over time
1996-2008; 2005-2017; 2018-2022 The time series for the period 1996-2008 are according to NACE Rev.1.1, while for the period 2005 onwards the time series are according to NACE Rev.2 (2005-2008 are back-casted). Change in statistical unit leads to a break in time series 2018.
15.2.1. Time series
Time series
First reference year available (calendar year)
1996
Calendar year(s) of break in time series
2008; 2018
Reason(s) for the break(s)
NACE Rev.2; change in statistical unit
Length of comparable time series (from calendar year to calendar year)
1996-2008; 2005-2017; 2018-2022
Comment
-
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Number of enterprises in the business register: small differences between SBS and Business Register (BR) data occurred due to a different methodology. The entities, which do not satisfy the SBS requirements as active enterprises, are counted as active in BR (e.g those which have submitted annual balance sheets with indicators not connected with SBS data calculation). The difference in the number of persons employed could be explained by the fact that for some units only Social Security records are available on enterprise level in BR, but these units are not included in SBS. Number of enterprises, number of persons employed, number of employees in Business demography: negligible differences for the same reasons. Production value of Prodcom: the concepts of Production Value in SBS and PRODCOM are different. In SBS Production Value measures the amount actually produced by the unit. In PRODCOM Production Value measures the amount of actually sold industrial products during the survey period. Additional differences, caused by the specifics of PRODCOM statistics, are as follows: According to the national methodology Subcontracted Production as Sold Production is reported only by principals. Subcontractors are excluded. PRODCOM data are derived from a sample-based survey (cut-off sample design). The sample population also consists of enterprises carrying out industrial activity as secondary. Tenuous correlation of PRODCOM codes to NACE. Heterogeneous industrial activities of enterprises. Production in PRODCOM includes only industrial products covered by Prodcom list. Production of industrial goods and services within several industrial NACE classes is out of scope of PRODCOM. Value added of National Accounts: Value Added is the balancing item of the production account, which records the output and inputs of the production process (the value generated by any unit engaged in a production activity). Recording and valuation of output and intermediate consumption is made according to the Chapter 3 of the European Union’ Regulation 549/2013 on the European system of national and regional accounts. There are no inconsistencies found as regards the coherence between National Accounts' characteristics and the same characteristics in SBS, apart from the methodological differences laid in the respective regulations (ESA2010 and Regulation (EC) № 295/2008). Evolution of turnover and persons employed from Short Term Statistics (STS): full coherence in terms of turnover, differences in terms of persons employed. The reported characteristic is Number of employees at the end of the month. The reason is that the source of data for STS is Quarterly Labour Cost Survey. The owners and unpaid family workers are not covered by the survey.
Labour statistics (LFS, LCI and JVS): full coherence in terms of LFS - the same source ISBS. There are no identical or similar characteristics between SBS, LCI and JVS.
Tourism statistics: there are no identical or similar characteristics between SBS and tourism statistics. Sectoral statistics (transport, energy etc.): there are no identical or similar characteristics between SBS and sectoral statistics. Business services (turnover in annex VIII versus Annex I): full coherence - the same source ISBS.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal inconsistencies are not observed and are not possible. Our own programs for SBS data compilation and aggregation are developed and implemented. Additionally, all SBS data series are validated by EDAMIS ACC tool before official transmission to Eurostat.
The NSI experts are involved not only in SBS data calculation but also in collecting, checking, processing, aggregation, preparation, verification and dissemination of all annual data based on annual accounting statements of the enterprises. The work only for SBS purposes is impossible to be divided. The response burden is impossible to be assessed. ISBS is used for all annual surveys based on annual accounting data. All active enterprises are obliged (according to national legislation for fiscal and other purposes) to submit their annual financial statements. Part of them is used for SBS data calculation, but this part could not be separated.
17.1. Data revision - policy
The revisions are not planned, they are only made in case if a problem in microdata is found which has a significant impact on SBS data.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The methodology is the same, used for the final data.
18.1. Source data
The main source of primary data is online-based Information System 'Business Statistics' (ISBS), which ensures the collection of the annual activity reports, containing annual financial statements and statistical information for all legal units classified in NACE sections from A to S by NACE Rev. 2. All SBS characteristics are automatically calculated by the System on micro level for each active enterprise. For the purposes of SBS the following annual reports are used: 1. Non-financial enterprises: 1.1. Non-financial enterprises, non-compiling balance sheets 1.2. Non-financial enterprises, compiling balance sheet 2. Financial enterprises: 2.1. Insurance Enterprises 2.2. Pension funds 2.3. Banks The provision of annual reports is mandatory according to Law on statistics, Chapter Four, Article 20 (4). These reports provide the information needed for compilation of SBS data. Only for the Credit Institutions (classified in class 64.11 and 64.19, section K, NACE Rev.2), the Bulgarian National Bank is the producer of the financial variables for these institutions. Additionally, to provide the data on enterprise level, specific programme is used for automatic consolidation of LEUs, part of simple EGs.
18.1.1. Data sources overview
Data sources overview
Survey data
Yes
VAT data
No
Tax data
No
Financial statements
Yes
Other sources, please specify
Bulgarian National Bank
Comment
-
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual data collection.
18.3. Data collection
The data are collected through Information System 'Business statistics' (ISBS) which provides online collection of annual reports of all economic active legal units classified in NACE sections from A to S by NACE Rev. 2., containing a set of accounting and statistical questionnaires. The quality of information increases due to the arithmetic and logical controls of the input data, made automatically. - Arithmetic controls: only primary cells are entered manually and all amounts are calculated automatically. - Logical controls: it is made automatically and there are messages describing the problems and associated indicators and forms, which should be corrected. In addition, the data are compared with the previous year and checked for large changes. At the time of data entry, the system uses also other data sources as a verification tool - PRODCOM data, data from National revenue agency, data from National Social Security Institute. The determination of the principal activity by using the ‘top-down’ method is also done automatically in the system. The latest annual reports and instructions how to fill in them and how to use the ISBS are available on NSI web site only in Bulgarian language (https://www.nsi.bg/bg/node/13237). For the reference year 2022, the annual reports are available on the following link: https://www.nsi.bg/bg/node/19997.
18.4. Data validation
During data validation process several types of checks are carried out including valid values checks, consistency and completeness checks, comparisons with data from the previous SBS survey and data from other statistical and administrative sources. The NSI of Bulgaria uses also other data sources as a verification tool for production of business statistics data (comparison with available administrative data – data from National revenue agency, from National Social Security Institute; comparison with other statistical data – Short-term Business Statistics, PRODCOM, Foreign trade data, etc.). All data series are pre-validated, in structure and content, in the Acceptance environment of Eurostat Standard corporate tools before the official transmission to Eurostat.
18.5. Data compilation
The survey, which is used for preparing the SBS data, is exhaustive.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
No further comments.
Structural business statistics (SBS) describes the structure, conduct and performance of economic activities, down to the most detailed activity level (several hundred economic sectors). SBS covers all activities of the business economy with the exception of agricultural activities, public administration and (largely) non-market services such as education and health. Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:
Business demographic variables (e.g. Number of active enterprises)
'Output related' variables (e.g. Net turnover, Value added)
'Input related' variables: labour input (e.g. Number of employees and self-employed persons, Hours worked by employees); goods and services input (e.g. Purchases of goods and services); capital input (e.g. Gross investments)
Business services statistics (BS) collection contains harmonised statistics on business services. From 2008 onwards BS become part of the regular mandatory annual data collection of SBS. The BS’s data requirement includes variable “Turnover” broken down by products and by type of residence of client.
The annual regional statistics collection includes three characteristics due by NUTS-2 country region and detailed on NACE Rev 2 division level (2-digits).
Data requirements, simplifications and technical definitions are defined in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197
SBS data refer to statistical unit enterprise. From reference year 2018 onwards, the statistical unit enterprise is in line with the definition of Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 of 15 March 1993: "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". Regional SBS data refer to local units. The local unit is an enterprise or part thereof (e.g. a workshop, factory, warehouse, office, mine or depot) situated in a geographically identified place. At or from this place economic activity is carried out for which - save for certain exceptions - one or more persons work (even if only part-time) for one and the same enterprise.
All enterprises classified in NACE sectors B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96 are included.
The business register defines the framework for identifying the units in the population.
Bulgaria
2022
Data refer to calendar year.
The SBS survey is exhaustive. The main source is the on-line based Information System 'Business Statistics' (ISBS) which ensures strict arithmetical and logical input control. The additional output control is made (on micro- and aggregated level) when big differences are registered in the value of a given indicator between two consecutive years or in comparison with the results of other statistical surveys in NSI - for example Short-term statistics, statistics Prodcom, Labour force.
• Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
• Monetary data are expressed in thousands of BGN currency.
• Employment variables are expressed in units.
• Per head values are expressed in thousands of BGN per head.
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
The survey, which is used for preparing the SBS data, is exhaustive.
The main source of primary data is online-based Information System 'Business Statistics' (ISBS), which ensures the collection of the annual activity reports, containing annual financial statements and statistical information for all legal units classified in NACE sections from A to S by NACE Rev. 2. All SBS characteristics are automatically calculated by the System on micro level for each active enterprise. For the purposes of SBS the following annual reports are used: 1. Non-financial enterprises: 1.1. Non-financial enterprises, non-compiling balance sheets 1.2. Non-financial enterprises, compiling balance sheet 2. Financial enterprises: 2.1. Insurance Enterprises 2.2. Pension funds 2.3. Banks The provision of annual reports is mandatory according to Law on statistics, Chapter Four, Article 20 (4). These reports provide the information needed for compilation of SBS data. Only for the Credit Institutions (classified in class 64.11 and 64.19, section K, NACE Rev.2), the Bulgarian National Bank is the producer of the financial variables for these institutions. Additionally, to provide the data on enterprise level, specific programme is used for automatic consolidation of LEUs, part of simple EGs.
Annual.
The time period that elapses between the end of the reference period, and the first release of the data at national level is t+11.
The data are comparable – the same source is used – Information System 'Business Statistics' (ISBS).
1996-2008; 2005-2017; 2018-2022 The time series for the period 1996-2008 are according to NACE Rev.1.1, while for the period 2005 onwards the time series are according to NACE Rev.2 (2005-2008 are back-casted). Change in statistical unit leads to a break in time series 2018.
