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.
Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Espace de l'Europe 10, CH-2010, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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
20 August 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
20 August 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
20 August 2025
3.1. Data description
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 2division 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
The product breakdown is based on the Classification of Products by Activity (CPA) as stated in the Regulation establishing CPA 2008 and its amending Commission Regulation (EU) No 1209/2014 (from reference year 2015 onwards).
3.3. Coverage - sector
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 2013, as the first reference year, to 2020 information is published on NACE codes K6411, K6419 and K65 and its breakdown.
From 2008 reference year data collection BS covers NACE Rev 2 codes: J62, N78, J582, J631, M731, M691, M692, M702, M712, M732, M7111, and M7112.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
SBS constitutes an important and integrated part of the new European Business Statistics Regulation (EU) 2019/2152
Data requirements, simplifications and technical definitions are definied in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.
3.5. Statistical unit
Statistical units has not moved to the European definition yet: enterprise units is our legal units.
3.5.1. Treatment of complex enterprise
Data treatment
Sample frame based on enterprises
Yes
Surveying all legal units belonging to a complex enterprise
No
Surveying all legal units within the scope of SBS belonging to a complex enterprise
No
Surveying only representative units belonging to the complex enterprise
Yes
Other criteria used, please specify
Comment
3.5.2. Consolidation
Consolidation method
Consolidation carried out by the NSI
No
Consolidation carried out by responding enterprise/legal unit(s)
No
Other methods, please specify
Comment
3.6. Statistical population
Survey Concept: Sample survey combined with administrative information.
Administrative sources: SFO Business Register (Activity Code, Size of Firm, number of employees, legal Form)
The administrative sources are used as follows:
Data source for imputation in case of non-response;
Data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results.
Variable used for identifying principal activitiy: Full time equivalent (up down the NACE 2-digit).
Frequency of updating the unit's pricipal activity:
Profiling are every quarterly updated;
The 25% of Non-Profiling are yearly updated, in order to have the actualization of 100% of the frame every 4 years.
Frequency of updating business register:
New Register Enterprise: yearly;
Deleting Register Enterprise: yearly;
Number of employed: yearly.
3.7. Reference area
Switzerland.
3.8. Coverage - Time
1998-2023.
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 CHF (converted by Eurostat into EUR);
Employment variables are expressed in units;
Per head values are expressed in thousands of CHF per head. (converted by Eurostat into EUR).
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
2023.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Starting with reference year 2021 two new regulations currently form the legal basis of SBS:
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics (EBS Regulation), and
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.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Internal paper.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Dominance Turnover > 60% (O-Flag), Number of Observation > 5 (A-Flag).
7.2.1. Confidentiality processing
Data treatment
Confidentiality rules applied
Yes
Threshold of number of enterprises (Number)
5
Number of enterprises non confidential, if number of employments is confidential
No
Dominance criteria applied
Yes
If dominance criteria applied specify the threshold (Number)
Methodology: according to revision of the value added statistics occured for 2021 data, a new methodological documentation is still pending to be released.
You can find more information on the official website BFS (Code of Practice).
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Good.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
National Accounts;
Central Banks;
Other Federal Departments;
Entreprises;
University.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No actions regarding users satisfaction.
12.3. Completeness
Conform to SBS-EBS technical disclosure.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Details of accuracy are resumed in paragraphs 13.2 and 13.3.
Overall accuracy is guaranteed.
Bias:
Potential Bias coming from robustification and non-response;
Small bias (with a limited effect in the overall accuracy) of the estimate.
13.2. Sampling error
Sample survey;
Stratification criteria: Activity (NACE-2digit) and Employement size class;
Threshold value: Cut off number of persons employed >= 3;
Statistical Population (SBS CH-Population): 162'142 (without Section K);
Sample size: 22'512 (without Section K);
Responses: 14'323 (without Section K);
Coffecients of Variation: CV computations (Horvitz-Thompson variance).
13.3. Non-sampling error
Methods used for taking into account the unit non -response:
Weighting: Correction non-response + calibration;
Imputation: BigOne Missing + Consolidated Group responses.
Mesures taken for minimising the unit non-response:
BigOne Listing;
Two reminders;
One last telephone reminder.
Method used for Quality Review purpose: Number of persons employed.
Bias:
Potential Bias coming from Robustification and non-response;
Small bias (with a limited effect in the overall accuracy) of the estimate.
Impact of the imputation: Not important.
Coverage errors - Frame: Low.
Out-of-scope units: For each survey’s year is used an updated sampling frame and an updated sample. Assuming that the sampling frame is correct, this method should almost avoid to have out-of scope units.
14.1. Timeliness
Data-collection: T+14.
Dissemination in the country: T+18.
14.2. Punctuality
No delay.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The same statistical concepts are applied in the entire national territory.
15.2. Comparability - over time
2009-2023.
15.2.1. Time series
Time series
First reference year available (calendar year)
2009
Calendar year(s) of break in time series
2008
Reason(s) for the break(s)
Survey revision + breach between Nace rev1 and Nace rev2
Length of comparable time series (from calendar year to calendar year)
15 (from 2009 to 2023)
Comment
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
None.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not applicable.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Internal Paper.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Last revision for r.y. 2021.
18.1. Source data
Survey Concept: Sample survey combined with administrative information.
Survey: Stratified.
Stratification criteria: Activity (NACE-2digit) and Employement size class.
Threshold value: cut off number of persons employed >= 3.
Statistical Population (SBS CH-Population): 162'142 (without Section K).
Sample size: 22'512 (without Section K).
Responses: 14'323 (without Section K).
Administrative sources: SFO Business Register (Activity Code, Size of Firm, number of employees, legal Form).
The administrative sources are used as follows:
Data source for imputation in case of non-response;
Data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results.
Variable used for identifying principal activitiy: Full time equivalent (up down the NACE 2-digit).
Frequency of updating the unit's pricipal activity:
Profiling are every quarterly updated;
The 25% of Non-Profiling are yearly updated, in order to have the actualization of 100% of the frame every 4 years.
Frequency of updating business register:
New Register Enterprise: yearly;
Deleting Register Enterprise: yearly;
Number of employed: yearly.
18.1.1. Data sources overview
Data sources overview
Survey data
Yes
VAT data
Yes
Tax data
Yes
Financial statements
Yes
Other sources, please specify
Comment
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual data collection.
18.3. Data collection
Questionnaires used: 5 types of questionnaries
Response Channel: Paper, electronical paper (eSurvey)
Survey procedure: All respondants contacted with a paper-letters with questionnaires-papers included
Survey cycle:
Written-Invitation to participate;
First remind (written);
Second remind (written);
Third remind - Phone call to all missing units.
18.4. Data validation
Validation rules:
eSurvey - Respondents rules outside production Databank: first check rules are directly done at the respondent level, before the questionnaire is uploaded into Databank;
Paper - Respondents rules into production Databank: second check rules are directly done after questionnaire uploading into Databank;
Phone call to respondents: in order to validate if data's are not consistent.
Micro data's rules:
checked-out paper: overview after validation with t-1 values (if existing);
Periodical check micro data's: 3-time every year for global plausibility.
Macro data's rules:
Extrapolated and not-extrapolates check;
Final plausibility check.
18.5. Data compilation
Consolidated Group Responses: In case of existing, split by proportional number of persons employed;
BigOne Missing: Based on previous year data;
Structural Missing due to enterprise size: Regression model in order to transform reduced questionnaires into detailed questionnaires.
18.6. Adjustment
None.
For r.y. 2023, section K data are only available for totals and not broken down by size class of employment. Consequently, only the total is included in the total economy aggregate (BTSXO_94), which explains why the sum of the size classes does not equal the overall total. This applies to all variables (both monetary and non-monetary), where aggregated values include the total values from section K.
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 2division level (2-digits).
20 August 2025
SBS constitutes an important and integrated part of the new European Business Statistics Regulation (EU) 2019/2152
Data requirements, simplifications and technical definitions are definied in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.
Statistical units has not moved to the European definition yet: enterprise units is our legal units.
Survey Concept: Sample survey combined with administrative information.
Administrative sources: SFO Business Register (Activity Code, Size of Firm, number of employees, legal Form)
The administrative sources are used as follows:
Data source for imputation in case of non-response;
Data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results.
Variable used for identifying principal activitiy: Full time equivalent (up down the NACE 2-digit).
Frequency of updating the unit's pricipal activity:
Profiling are every quarterly updated;
The 25% of Non-Profiling are yearly updated, in order to have the actualization of 100% of the frame every 4 years.
Frequency of updating business register:
New Register Enterprise: yearly;
Deleting Register Enterprise: yearly;
Number of employed: yearly.
Switzerland.
2023.
Details of accuracy are resumed in paragraphs 13.2 and 13.3.
Overall accuracy is guaranteed.
Bias:
Potential Bias coming from robustification and non-response;
Small bias (with a limited effect in the overall accuracy) of the estimate.
Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units;
Monetary data are expressed in thousands of CHF (converted by Eurostat into EUR);
Employment variables are expressed in units;
Per head values are expressed in thousands of CHF per head. (converted by Eurostat into EUR).
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
Consolidated Group Responses: In case of existing, split by proportional number of persons employed;
BigOne Missing: Based on previous year data;
Structural Missing due to enterprise size: Regression model in order to transform reduced questionnaires into detailed questionnaires.
Survey Concept: Sample survey combined with administrative information.
Survey: Stratified.
Stratification criteria: Activity (NACE-2digit) and Employement size class.
Threshold value: cut off number of persons employed >= 3.
Statistical Population (SBS CH-Population): 162'142 (without Section K).
Sample size: 22'512 (without Section K).
Responses: 14'323 (without Section K).
Administrative sources: SFO Business Register (Activity Code, Size of Firm, number of employees, legal Form).
The administrative sources are used as follows:
Data source for imputation in case of non-response;
Data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results.
Variable used for identifying principal activitiy: Full time equivalent (up down the NACE 2-digit).
Frequency of updating the unit's pricipal activity:
Profiling are every quarterly updated;
The 25% of Non-Profiling are yearly updated, in order to have the actualization of 100% of the frame every 4 years.
Frequency of updating business register:
New Register Enterprise: yearly;
Deleting Register Enterprise: yearly;
Number of employed: yearly.
Annual.
Data-collection: T+14.
Dissemination in the country: T+18.
The same statistical concepts are applied in the entire national territory.
