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.
Statistics Norway, Division for Structural business statistics (Division 423). For NACE section K: Division for Financial market statistics (Divison 213).
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
Statistisk sentralbyrå
Postboks 1400 Rasta
NO -2225 Kongsvinger
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
30 June 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
30 June 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
30 June 2024
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.
Statistical units used for compiling the SBS series are in conformity with the definitions in Regulation No 696/93 (enterprise, local unit).
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
Structural business statistics (SBS) cover the economic activities of market producers within the business economy NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96. This includes mining and quarrying, industry, supply and sewerage, construction, trade, and most of the service activities. SBS do not cover agriculture, forestry and fishing, nor public administration.
The Norwegian Register of Establishments and Enterprises is used for defining the population for SBS. The registry comprises information about enterprises and local units with respective NACE-codes, and is updated continually.
Active enterprises with turnover more than 1 million NOK define the population eligible for the survey.
3.7. Reference area
Norway
Branches of foreign enterprises operating in the reporting country are included in the target population. They participate in the sample survey and they are required to report data as all the other domestic enterprises do. On the other side, the results from abroad activities of enterprises of reporting countries are excluded.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Length of time series: 1999-2022
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
• Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
• Monetary data are expressed in millions of €.
• Employment variables are expressed in units.
• Per head values are expressed in thousands of € per head.
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
Reference period of the data transmitted to Eurostat is the calendar year. For 2022: 01.January.2022-31.December.2022. There are normally few and non-significant mismatches between the target and actual reference period.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Starting with reference year 2022 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.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Legislation is developed to avoid misuse of data on statistical units, e.g. Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164).
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Employees of Statistics Norway have a duty of confidentiality.
Statistics Norway does not publish figures if there is a risk of the respondent’s contribution being identified. This means that, as a general rule, figures are not published if fewer than three units form the basis of a cell in a table or if the contribution of one or two respondents constitutes a very large part of the cell total.
Statistics Norway can make exceptions to the general rule if deemed necessary to meet the requirements of the EEA agreement, if the respondent is a public authority, if the respondent has consented to this, or when the information disclosed is openly accessible to the public.
More information can be found on Statistics Norway’s website under Methods in official statistics, in the ‘Confidentiality’ section.
To ensure confidentiality, the ‘suppression’ method is used in these statistics. This means that some values are not published and are instead replaced by a colon and flag "(c)". In addition to the values one wishes to protect via suppression, several other values in the table must be so-called secondary suppressed to prevent the possibility of recalculation from other published values (aggregates).
As a measure to reduce the number of confidential cells Statistics Norway chooses the most effecient secondary confidentiality. This means covering two primary confidentialities at the same time when possible.
7.2.1. Confidentiality processing
Data treatment
Confidentiality rules applied
yes
Threshold of number of enterprises (Number)
<3
Number of enterprises non confidential, if number of employments is confidential
yes
Dominance criteria applied
yes
If dominance criteria applied specify the threshold (Number)
2 units
Secondary confidentiality applied
yes
Comment
8.1. Release calendar
The business activities, breakdown of turnover by product, are published after structural statistics are published.
8.2. Release calendar access
Release dates are publicly available on Statistics Norway's website.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Statistics Norway provides any information which is not available in the published publications and in the published on-line databases to the public authorities and a limited set of registered main users as well as to everyone with a specific request.
The frequency of disseminating SBS results in the national on-line database: two times a year (preliminary figures in October T+1 and final figures in April T+2.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Microdata can be accessed via the following Norwegian and English websites.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Data is sent to Eurostat, either to be used in European aggregates or to be released also as national data.
The systemic quality reviews is based on the guidelines for European statistics "Code of practice". The purpose is to contribute to quality assurance and improvement of production processes.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Overall assessment of data quality:
Relevance - high.
Accuracy -high.
Timeliness and punctuality -high.
Coherence and comparability -high.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The Structural Business Statistics are produced to meet the requirements of the EU’s regulation on Structural statistics, Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of 27 November 2019 on European Business Statistics (EBS).
Within Statistics Norway, the statistics are primarily used in National Accounts statistics and research. In addition the statistics are used by other public and private sector agencies/organisations, e.g. the government, political parties, civil servants, financial companies, opinion-polling firms, social researchers, media etc.
The data sent to Eurostat and published at the national level vary, and the main difference resides in the number of variables and definition used for gross investment. Both the acquisition of capital and the sale of used capital stocks are considered when assessing the gross investments at the national level, while the acquisition of capital only is considered in the data sent to Eurostat.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
None.
12.3. Completeness
The economic activities H5122 and M701 are not available as there are no activities within these structural economic areas in Norway.
The economic activity N783 has been included in the economic activity N782 because there are few enterprises within the activity N783.
Gross investment in the acquisition of existing buildings (260103) is a part of the gross investment in construction and improvement of buildings (260104).
13.1. Accuracy - overall
High overall accuracy level.
The results are normally final after 4 months from the first release.
13.2. Sampling error
Methodology used: sample survey combined with administrative information.
Coefficients of Variation.
The population consists of all enterprises in industry divisions which have registered activity in the reference year of 2022.
The method used to calculate variance by Statistics Norway is known as "Nearest Neighbour variance Estimation: NNVE".
NNVE is used at each 5 digit Nace level aiming to allocate values for non-sample units whose data are not available in the administrative sources. This method has some well-functioning characteristics. First, it is a hot deck method in the sense that non-sample values are substituted by the relative values of the same sample-variables (donors) by using the ratio turnover/ number of person employed. The imputed values are actually occurring values, not constructed ones.
The population is divided into two parts: the sample part and non-sample one. The calculation of the sampling variance for the requested variables concern exclusively the non-sample part. The variance within each stratum is calculated as the square of the number of times a unit is used as a donor times the variance, meanwhile the variances for the variables in this model are approximated by assuming that values for variables that are not covered by statistical forms or administrative information, are estimated by a ratio model based only on turnover.
The Number of active enterprises (ENT) are not estimated since a full census is applied. Accordingly, the variances for the mentioned variables are zero. Data for NACE section K however is collected from administrative information only. Hence, values for certain indicators in relation to sample size, sample ration etc. are missing for this section.
Model estimations of the coefficients of variation have been done for the following two variables: AV (Value added) and EXPN_SAL_BEN (Employee benefits expense). It should be noted however that these coefficients of variation are no longer indicative/necessary as AV (value added) and EXPN_SAL_BEN (Employee benefits expense) are now collected on a population level.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Description of estimation methods.
In SBS non-respondent enterprises are treated in the same way as enterprises outside the sample. In some cases the general trading statements have to be constructed. For instance, the annual accounts are available on the internet, or the percentage values from last year are used to allocate the values in the general trading statements.
The measures taken or envisaged for minimising the unit non-response:
In Structural Business Statistics enterprises are forced to answer and return the survey questionnaire form by the legal authorities (Statistics Act Sections 2-2 and 2-3) and the legal documents (Council Regulation no. 58/97 of 20 December 1996):
"The King may by regulation or resolution impose upon any person an obligation to provide the information which is necessary for the production of official statistics in so far as any legally prescribed obligation of secrecy is no obstacle thereto. A deadline may be set for the provision of information and stipulations may be made regarding the form in which the information shall be given. The obligation to provide information is breached when the information required is not given before the expiry of the deadline". Statistics Act of 1989 - §2-2
The body which has laid down the obligation to provide information may impose compulsory fines payable to the state upon such person as breaches this obligation. The imposition of compulsory fines shall be grounds for enforcing payment. Such compulsory fines may be collected by distrait. In special cases compulsory fines that have been incurred may be waived wholly or in part. The King may issue more detailed provisions concerning such compulsory fines.
When the State Agency for the Recovery of Fines has been instructed to collect a compulsory fine as mentioned in the first paragraph, it can do so by garnishing wages and other similar payments pursuant to the rules in Section 2-7 of the Creditors Security Act. The Agency may also enforce payment of the fine by establishing an attachment charge in respect of the claim, provided the claim can be given legal protection by being registered in a register or notified to a third party, cf. Chapter 5 of the Mortgage Act, and the attachment proceedings can be conducted on the premises of the Agency according to the first paragraph of Section 7-9 of the Act relating to the Enforcement of Claims. Statistics Act of 1989 - §2-3
In addition, Statistics Norway has constructive communication with significant enterprises trough meetings, phone calls and email conversations regarding the quality of data transmitted.
Weighted unit non-response rate:
Only the set of main sample units is taken into the calculations of non-response. If the enterprise doesn't deliver:
1) the questionnaire form
2) the data from the Directorate of Taxes' General Trading Statements
the unit is to be considered as a "non-response" unit .
Since statistics related to the variables "Number of active enterprises" (ENT), "Net turnover (value)" (TOVT), "Gross investment in tangible non-current assets" (GRSINV_TNCA) and "Number of employees and self-employed persons" (EMPL) are available for the entire population, the value of non-response for these variables is zero by definition.
Calculations of the non-response rates for the variables "Value added" (AV) and "Employee benefits expense" (EXPN_SAL_BEN) are determined by the gross main samples and the net main sample by groups at three digit level:
Non-response rate:
= Round (1000 * (1- (numerator/denominator)))
Non-response:
= Denominator - Numerator
Sample: = All enterprises included in the main sample as defined in Section II.1.1
Denominator:
= Gross main sample
Numerator:
= Net main sample
Net main sample:
= The net main sample as presented in the final population
Unit:
= Enterprise as defined by the "Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises".
The recorded unit non-response rate is evaluated very low in the overall context.
The possible bias resulting from non-response or from the estimation method:
Sample bias may arise when the sample doesn't give a representative picture of the population. Stratification is used in the structural business statistics to reduce that possibility. Non-responses that are not randomly distributed can still make the sample biased. Post-stratification is used to adjust any inconsistencies arising due to non-responses.
The impact of imperfection of the relevant business register on the quality of the key statistics is low.
The methods used to detect the out-of scope units: out-of-scope units are establishments which have Nace digit level outside a distinct Nace-section (Structure of SIC2007). The Norwegian Register of Establishments and SAS EG software are good tools to detect those units
14.1. Timeliness
Data-collection: 01/2022
Post-collection phase: 10/2023
Dissemination: 05/2024
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
The difference between length of time series and the length of comparable time series stems from transition to NACE Rev.2.0. However, the Statistics Norway, at the initiative of Eurostat, has already accomplished the transmission of NACE Rev.2 data for reference years 2005-2007, to make series more comparable.
1999-2007 (old NACE rev. 1.1),
2008-2022 (new NACE rev. 2.0)
15.2.1. Time series
Time series
First reference year available (calendar year)
1999
Calendar year(s) of break in time series
not applicable
Reason(s) for the break(s)
not applicable
Length of comparable time series (from calendar year to calendar year)
1999-2022.
Comment
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Number of enterprises in the business register: Business Register is subject to constant updating. It is therefore considered as a reliable source for all produced statistics.
Production value of Prodcom: Prodcom defines production value as the value of own production, while the Structural Business Statistics defines production value as turnover corrected for alteration in the stock of manufactured goods, work in progress and goods for resale. In addition, the Structural Business Statistics includes revenues that are not directly attached to ordinary industrial production.
Value added of National Accounts: there are some differences in the way value added is calculated in SBS and in the National Accounts. National Accounts re-examines some items used in the calculation of production and operating costs in SBS. Own production is included in total production in National Accounts, while some operating costs in SBS are considered as investment in National Accounts assessment. Moreover, National Accounts assesses a part of labour costs in the calculation of value added.
Evolution of turnover and persons employed from Short Term Statistics: the inconsistencies in terms of persons employed in Structural Business Statistics and in Short Term Statistics are revealed by the way the sample survey is compiled. The number of persons employed is based on a full census and obtained through administrative sources in Structural Business Statistics, while by interviews or surveys in the Short Term Statistics.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The aggregates are not always consistent with their main sub-aggregates (e.g. the total for different NACE, NUTS, CPA) due to roundings.
Time needed to fill out the questionnaire is estimated to be around 30 minutes in average per enterprise.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Wrong interpretation of the questions and miscalculations are the main reasons for revision. Revision is to be made if non-correction has a significant impact on the data at a 2-digit level.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The data sources for the preliminary and final statistics are the same. However, only three variables (the Number of active enterprises, Net turnover (value) and the Number of employees and self-employed persons) are published for enterprises for preliminary data, while a set of other variables for both enterprises and local units is published for final data. The published preliminary variables are also subject to revision after preliminary dissimination.
Data revision practice includes both micro - and macro revision.
The data collected are to be thoroughly revised at the micro level in the sample for multi-local KAUs enterprises. Consistency controls are performed between items against the results from the previous year, against production statistics, against the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises, against the Standard Industry Form and against the annual reports.
Revision at macro level is applied to a greater degree in final data.
18.1. Source data
Sample survey combined with administrative information.
Type of sample design: stratified.
The survey is carried out by a sample.
Stratification criteria: activity and employment size class. The enterprise must have ordinary activity and be registered before the first of October in the reference year. The same criteria concern the belonging local units. All multi units enterprises and large sized single enterprises with 100 or more persons employed are surveyed exhaustively. The enterprises below that threshold are surveyed by means of a stratified sample according to size class.
Selection schemes (sampling rates): in the framework of the re-examination of the survey plans for structural business statistics, from 2011 onwards Statistics Norway , applied a new survey plan where the sample size is reduced considerably by 40 per cent. This survey plan is conducted with the objective of reducing exclusively the number of small enterprises from the stratified samples, while the sampling variance of estimate sub-population parameters stays low as in the old survey plan. Optimization of the participation of the small enterprises, especially enterprises with individual proprietorship where the owner is working alone (one-man enterprise), can be also perceived as a part of efforts to minimise the respondent burden.
The population consists of all non-financial enterprises in the relevant industry divisions registered as operative in the reference year. The population is divided into subpopulations, called strata, after criteria like industrial classification and number of employees. In some of the strata, all enterprises are always included in the sample. From the remaining strata, a representative selection of enterprises is drawn. All enterprises in this sample are asked to report a full set of Trading Statements and to complete a questionnaire.
The sample scheme provides a size-consolidated sample which includes to a greter degree large size businesses, classified in high employment size, and to a lesser degree small size businesses, classified in lower employment size. The sample method ensures thus that businesses with the largest contribution to an industry are not omitted.
It also ensures that the respondent burden on small businesses is minimized. All multi units enterprises and large sized single enterprises still have full coverage. All enterprises with more than 50 employed, the first 5 enterprises with the largest annual turnover in each economic activity are selected with respect to the optimized sampling method. Businesses can be manually added to the sample after the sample selection if they are important for its industry.
The data from the survey is combined with the additional information from the various registers and the structural survey of Statistics Norway to form the basis for the estimation of the financial structures of the different industries.
Once the population is stratified, a main sample, a supplementary sample, and a non-sample, which constitute the population, are obtained for each NACE at different digit-levels.
Any possible threshold values: enterprises with investment value greater or equal to NOK 10 million are included in the population, even though they might not have turnover or employment. Otherwise, each enterprise must have either employment or turnover in order to be included in population.
The effective sample size for each NACE section is as follows:
B: 181 enterprises in the sample.
C: 1774 enterprises in the sample.
D: 471 enterprise in the sample.
E: 130 enterprises in the sample.
F: 1481 enterprises in the sample.
G: 3479 enterprises in the sample.
H: 1204 enterprises in the sample.
I: 812 enterprises in the sample.
J: 849 enterprises in the sample.
K: 0 enterprises in the sample.
L: 525 enterprises in the sample.
M: 1241 enterprises in the sample.
N: 971 enterprises in the sample.
P: 274 enterprises in the sample.
Q: 634 enterprises in the sample.
R: 391 enterprises in the sample.
TOTAL (BTSXO_S94): 14590 enterprises in the sample
The used administrative sources:
VOF - The Central Register of Establishment and Enterprises of Statistics Norway
NO - Directorate of Taxes' General Trading Statements
A-ordning
The VAT-Register
The Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority
The Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises of Statistics Norway (VoF) is used as the basis for sampling, revision, and production of SBS statistics.
NO - "Directorate of Taxes' General Trading Statements" are forms containing the enterprises' profit and loss account and balance sheet.
The VAT-Register - Enterprises are required to send VAT returns to the county tax assessment office six times a year. Business enterprises with an annual turnover of less than NOK 1 million may apply to submit VAT returns annually. The turnover for those enterprises which don't submit General Trading Statements (NOs) is obtained from the VAT-Register.
The a-ordning is a coordinated service used by employers to report information about income and employees to NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration), Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Tax Administration. The service is digital. The information is submitted electronically, either via the employer's payroll system or via a service in Altinn. The Norwegian Tax Administration administers the scheme on behalf of the other public agencies. The a-ordning entered into force on 1 January 2015. The aim was to simplify and coordinate the reporting of information by employers by replacing five forms with a single a-melding.
From 2015, the Structural Business Statistics are based on a data basis for wage earners (A-ordning).
Data source for NACE Rev.2 06 and 49.5: from the reference year of 2015, the figures for NACE Rev.2 06 "Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas" and 49.5 "Transport via pipeline" in the SBS are based on a new data source. This resulted in a break in the time series between 2014 and 2015. The new data source from the annual statistics Extraction and related services, which also is the main data source for the National Accounts (NA). The population covers all approved operators and license owners on the Norwegian continental shelf, including fields, terminals and offices, in addition to businesses in NACE 49.500 and pipelines registered as separate units in the business register. The data collection is a complete census, and the population is based on information from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) in addition to central principles for population management. Previously, the issue of inconsistent figures between SBS and NA was caused by use of different data sources. The advantage of new data source is that the figures between SBS, the annual statistics and NA are more consistent now. Furthermore, the definition of economic variables is more consistent between EUROSTAT and NA due to the change of data source.
Data source for NACE Rev.2 35.1: from the reference year of 2015, the figures for NACE Rev.2 35.1, "Electric power generation, transmission and distribution" in the SBS are compiled using a new data source. The change of data source results in a break in the time series between 2014 and 2015. The new data source is the same source used for producing of the annually monetary statistics for the "Electricity". The population covers enterprises that have a license for electricity generation, transmission and distribution in addition to trade of electricity. The annually monetary statistics for "Electricity" is the main source for the compilation of NACE 35.1 in the National Accounts, and by changing to the same data source also for SBS there is better consistency between National Accounts and SBS. The change in the data source for the SBS-figures for NACE Rev.2 35.1 came as a result of a project in Statistics Norway concluding that the same data source used for the annually monetary statistics for electricity and the National accounts could be used for assembling most of the variables that Eurostat requires in the transmission of SBS.
The extent to which the administrative source are used:
- data source, basic data for some characteristics;
- data source for imputation in case of non-response;
- data source for imputation, for strata not covered by the survey;
- data source for 'mass imputation': imputation of units not selected in the sample;
- data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results.
Administrative data are accessed at microdata level and aggregated data for the entire population (global data).
The frequency to which the used administrative data sources are updated is very good.
The administrative data are subject to several revisions with (increasing) degree of completeness.
The reporting unit for the survey/administrative data is the enterprise.
Frame:
The sample is drawn from The Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises of Statistics Norway (VoF) for the survey.
Number of employees and/or turnover are regarded as the important criterium for determining principal activity for a reporting unit. The priority given to criteria is as follows:
Value added (if information is given).
Number of employees (if no information on value added).
Turnover (if no information on value added or number of employees).
The method used for identifying activities is Top-down one: enterprises shall be classified according to the unit's principal activity. The Regulation associated with the NACE Rev.2.0 states that the identification of a principal activity is necessary to allocate a unit to a particular NACE Rev.2.0 heading. Further it says that the "principal activity" is identified by the "top-down" method in terms of the activity that contributes most to the total value added of the entity under consideration.
The algorithm used to determine principal activity for a unit (local, enterprise etc.) in "VoF" takes account of the hierarchical nature of NACE Rev.2.0. The simplest way to describe this method is shown by an example. Consider the following fictitious enterprise: from the Annual Structural Business Survey we know that the enterprise carries out activities of a mixed character corresponding to the following NACE classes.
EXAMPLE:
Stage 1: A reporting unit may carry out the following activities
Local KAUs: A Section: C Division: 28 Subclass: 28.290 Number of employees: 13
Local KAUs: B Section: C Division: 26 Subclass: 26.400 Number of employees: 3
Local KAUs: C Section: C Division: 26 Subclass: 26.520 Number of employees: 15
Local KAUs: D Section: C Division: 33 Subclass: 33.200 Number of employees: 8
Local KAUs: E Section: G Division: 45 Subclass: 45.190 Number of employees: 7
Local KAUs: F Section: G Division: 45 Subclass: 45.300 Number of employees: 28
Local KAUs: G Section: M Division: 74 Subclass: 74.900 Number of employees: 13
Enterprise: Subclass: 26.520 Number of employees: 87
The principal activity is determined by the number of employees as follows:
Stage 2: Identify the largest section
Sum Section C 39
Sum Section G 35
Sum Section M 13
Stage 3: Identify the largest division
Sum Division 26 18
Sum Division 28 13
Sum Division 33 8
Stage 4: Identify the largest subclass
Subclass 26.520 15
The largest subclass is 26.520, and we allocate this activity code to the reporting unit. The enterprise has now a principal activity with the activity code 26.520.
The updating of unit's principal activity occurs seldom. In some cases an enterprise might have wrong classification. In that case the unit's Nace is subject to correction.
The business register is updated twice a month.
As regards the frequency with which the sample is updated, a new sample is drawn every year.
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
The type of questionnaires used: from 2015, a new way of gathering data for the SBS has been introduced. The submitting of electronic questionnaires is to be done through "Altinn" - the Norwegian Internet portal which is used for reporting of data to public authorities.
There are some built-in quality/consistency checks in the electronic questionnaires exc. soft/hard checks.
The enterprises which did not reply within the deadline are reminded to fill the questionnaires by post, if not - the sanctions are applied.
For administrative sources, the direct method to access the data bases is applied.
18.4. Data validation
Concerning the validation rules applied before the data are transmitted to Eurostat, Statistics Norway checks if variables which are to be delivered are in accordance with standards specified by Eurostat. Singles datasets validation chesks are run with the help of EDAMIS validation tool. Inter-datasets checks are performed as well.
18.5. Data compilation
For the enterprises in the sample which have submitted an income statement ("NO") and questionnaire, no variables are estimated. For enterprises not in the sample, but for which income statements (NOs) are obtained, only variables from the questionnaire are estimated. For the remaining enterprises, all variables except turnover and employment are estimated on the basis of figures from the sample. For units which do not report employment to the register, but have salary figures or sales figures that indicate employment, the employment rate is calculated.
Turnover and employment are considered as known variables for all enterprises and are therefore used as a basis for computing missing variables. Previously an industry mean based on sample units was used to estimate missing data for non-sample units (ratio estimates). From the statistical year 2011 onwards, the method is based on finding a sample unit similar to the non-sample unit to be estimated, based on a set of criteria, and using the sample-unit to estimate the missing values (nearest neighbour estimation). The nearest neighbour criterion is industry combined with the turnover/employment ratio, in that order.
18.6. Adjustment
Statistics Norway uses the annual report from the previous year to adjust the eventual differences between the reference period and the calendar year for SBS.
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 2division level (2-digits).
Statistical units used for compiling the SBS series are in conformity with the definitions in Regulation No 696/93 (enterprise, local unit).
Structural business statistics (SBS) cover the economic activities of market producers within the business economy NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96. This includes mining and quarrying, industry, supply and sewerage, construction, trade, and most of the service activities. SBS do not cover agriculture, forestry and fishing, nor public administration.
The Norwegian Register of Establishments and Enterprises is used for defining the population for SBS. The registry comprises information about enterprises and local units with respective NACE-codes, and is updated continually.
Active enterprises with turnover more than 1 million NOK define the population eligible for the survey.
Norway
Branches of foreign enterprises operating in the reporting country are included in the target population. They participate in the sample survey and they are required to report data as all the other domestic enterprises do. On the other side, the results from abroad activities of enterprises of reporting countries are excluded.
Reference period of the data transmitted to Eurostat is the calendar year. For 2022: 01.January.2022-31.December.2022. There are normally few and non-significant mismatches between the target and actual reference period.
High overall accuracy level.
The results are normally final after 4 months from the first release.
• Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
• Monetary data are expressed in millions of €.
• Employment variables are expressed in units.
• Per head values are expressed in thousands of € per head.
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
For the enterprises in the sample which have submitted an income statement ("NO") and questionnaire, no variables are estimated. For enterprises not in the sample, but for which income statements (NOs) are obtained, only variables from the questionnaire are estimated. For the remaining enterprises, all variables except turnover and employment are estimated on the basis of figures from the sample. For units which do not report employment to the register, but have salary figures or sales figures that indicate employment, the employment rate is calculated.
Turnover and employment are considered as known variables for all enterprises and are therefore used as a basis for computing missing variables. Previously an industry mean based on sample units was used to estimate missing data for non-sample units (ratio estimates). From the statistical year 2011 onwards, the method is based on finding a sample unit similar to the non-sample unit to be estimated, based on a set of criteria, and using the sample-unit to estimate the missing values (nearest neighbour estimation). The nearest neighbour criterion is industry combined with the turnover/employment ratio, in that order.
Sample survey combined with administrative information.
Type of sample design: stratified.
The survey is carried out by a sample.
Stratification criteria: activity and employment size class. The enterprise must have ordinary activity and be registered before the first of October in the reference year. The same criteria concern the belonging local units. All multi units enterprises and large sized single enterprises with 100 or more persons employed are surveyed exhaustively. The enterprises below that threshold are surveyed by means of a stratified sample according to size class.
Selection schemes (sampling rates): in the framework of the re-examination of the survey plans for structural business statistics, from 2011 onwards Statistics Norway , applied a new survey plan where the sample size is reduced considerably by 40 per cent. This survey plan is conducted with the objective of reducing exclusively the number of small enterprises from the stratified samples, while the sampling variance of estimate sub-population parameters stays low as in the old survey plan. Optimization of the participation of the small enterprises, especially enterprises with individual proprietorship where the owner is working alone (one-man enterprise), can be also perceived as a part of efforts to minimise the respondent burden.
The population consists of all non-financial enterprises in the relevant industry divisions registered as operative in the reference year. The population is divided into subpopulations, called strata, after criteria like industrial classification and number of employees. In some of the strata, all enterprises are always included in the sample. From the remaining strata, a representative selection of enterprises is drawn. All enterprises in this sample are asked to report a full set of Trading Statements and to complete a questionnaire.
The sample scheme provides a size-consolidated sample which includes to a greter degree large size businesses, classified in high employment size, and to a lesser degree small size businesses, classified in lower employment size. The sample method ensures thus that businesses with the largest contribution to an industry are not omitted.
It also ensures that the respondent burden on small businesses is minimized. All multi units enterprises and large sized single enterprises still have full coverage. All enterprises with more than 50 employed, the first 5 enterprises with the largest annual turnover in each economic activity are selected with respect to the optimized sampling method. Businesses can be manually added to the sample after the sample selection if they are important for its industry.
The data from the survey is combined with the additional information from the various registers and the structural survey of Statistics Norway to form the basis for the estimation of the financial structures of the different industries.
Once the population is stratified, a main sample, a supplementary sample, and a non-sample, which constitute the population, are obtained for each NACE at different digit-levels.
Any possible threshold values: enterprises with investment value greater or equal to NOK 10 million are included in the population, even though they might not have turnover or employment. Otherwise, each enterprise must have either employment or turnover in order to be included in population.
The effective sample size for each NACE section is as follows:
B: 181 enterprises in the sample.
C: 1774 enterprises in the sample.
D: 471 enterprise in the sample.
E: 130 enterprises in the sample.
F: 1481 enterprises in the sample.
G: 3479 enterprises in the sample.
H: 1204 enterprises in the sample.
I: 812 enterprises in the sample.
J: 849 enterprises in the sample.
K: 0 enterprises in the sample.
L: 525 enterprises in the sample.
M: 1241 enterprises in the sample.
N: 971 enterprises in the sample.
P: 274 enterprises in the sample.
Q: 634 enterprises in the sample.
R: 391 enterprises in the sample.
TOTAL (BTSXO_S94): 14590 enterprises in the sample
The used administrative sources:
VOF - The Central Register of Establishment and Enterprises of Statistics Norway
NO - Directorate of Taxes' General Trading Statements
A-ordning
The VAT-Register
The Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority
The Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises of Statistics Norway (VoF) is used as the basis for sampling, revision, and production of SBS statistics.
NO - "Directorate of Taxes' General Trading Statements" are forms containing the enterprises' profit and loss account and balance sheet.
The VAT-Register - Enterprises are required to send VAT returns to the county tax assessment office six times a year. Business enterprises with an annual turnover of less than NOK 1 million may apply to submit VAT returns annually. The turnover for those enterprises which don't submit General Trading Statements (NOs) is obtained from the VAT-Register.
The a-ordning is a coordinated service used by employers to report information about income and employees to NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration), Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Tax Administration. The service is digital. The information is submitted electronically, either via the employer's payroll system or via a service in Altinn. The Norwegian Tax Administration administers the scheme on behalf of the other public agencies. The a-ordning entered into force on 1 January 2015. The aim was to simplify and coordinate the reporting of information by employers by replacing five forms with a single a-melding.
From 2015, the Structural Business Statistics are based on a data basis for wage earners (A-ordning).
Data source for NACE Rev.2 06 and 49.5: from the reference year of 2015, the figures for NACE Rev.2 06 "Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas" and 49.5 "Transport via pipeline" in the SBS are based on a new data source. This resulted in a break in the time series between 2014 and 2015. The new data source from the annual statistics Extraction and related services, which also is the main data source for the National Accounts (NA). The population covers all approved operators and license owners on the Norwegian continental shelf, including fields, terminals and offices, in addition to businesses in NACE 49.500 and pipelines registered as separate units in the business register. The data collection is a complete census, and the population is based on information from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) in addition to central principles for population management. Previously, the issue of inconsistent figures between SBS and NA was caused by use of different data sources. The advantage of new data source is that the figures between SBS, the annual statistics and NA are more consistent now. Furthermore, the definition of economic variables is more consistent between EUROSTAT and NA due to the change of data source.
Data source for NACE Rev.2 35.1: from the reference year of 2015, the figures for NACE Rev.2 35.1, "Electric power generation, transmission and distribution" in the SBS are compiled using a new data source. The change of data source results in a break in the time series between 2014 and 2015. The new data source is the same source used for producing of the annually monetary statistics for the "Electricity". The population covers enterprises that have a license for electricity generation, transmission and distribution in addition to trade of electricity. The annually monetary statistics for "Electricity" is the main source for the compilation of NACE 35.1 in the National Accounts, and by changing to the same data source also for SBS there is better consistency between National Accounts and SBS. The change in the data source for the SBS-figures for NACE Rev.2 35.1 came as a result of a project in Statistics Norway concluding that the same data source used for the annually monetary statistics for electricity and the National accounts could be used for assembling most of the variables that Eurostat requires in the transmission of SBS.
The extent to which the administrative source are used:
- data source, basic data for some characteristics;
- data source for imputation in case of non-response;
- data source for imputation, for strata not covered by the survey;
- data source for 'mass imputation': imputation of units not selected in the sample;
- data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results.
Administrative data are accessed at microdata level and aggregated data for the entire population (global data).
The frequency to which the used administrative data sources are updated is very good.
The administrative data are subject to several revisions with (increasing) degree of completeness.
The reporting unit for the survey/administrative data is the enterprise.
Frame:
The sample is drawn from The Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises of Statistics Norway (VoF) for the survey.
Number of employees and/or turnover are regarded as the important criterium for determining principal activity for a reporting unit. The priority given to criteria is as follows:
Value added (if information is given).
Number of employees (if no information on value added).
Turnover (if no information on value added or number of employees).
The method used for identifying activities is Top-down one: enterprises shall be classified according to the unit's principal activity. The Regulation associated with the NACE Rev.2.0 states that the identification of a principal activity is necessary to allocate a unit to a particular NACE Rev.2.0 heading. Further it says that the "principal activity" is identified by the "top-down" method in terms of the activity that contributes most to the total value added of the entity under consideration.
The algorithm used to determine principal activity for a unit (local, enterprise etc.) in "VoF" takes account of the hierarchical nature of NACE Rev.2.0. The simplest way to describe this method is shown by an example. Consider the following fictitious enterprise: from the Annual Structural Business Survey we know that the enterprise carries out activities of a mixed character corresponding to the following NACE classes.
EXAMPLE:
Stage 1: A reporting unit may carry out the following activities
Local KAUs: A Section: C Division: 28 Subclass: 28.290 Number of employees: 13
Local KAUs: B Section: C Division: 26 Subclass: 26.400 Number of employees: 3
Local KAUs: C Section: C Division: 26 Subclass: 26.520 Number of employees: 15
Local KAUs: D Section: C Division: 33 Subclass: 33.200 Number of employees: 8
Local KAUs: E Section: G Division: 45 Subclass: 45.190 Number of employees: 7
Local KAUs: F Section: G Division: 45 Subclass: 45.300 Number of employees: 28
Local KAUs: G Section: M Division: 74 Subclass: 74.900 Number of employees: 13
Enterprise: Subclass: 26.520 Number of employees: 87
The principal activity is determined by the number of employees as follows:
Stage 2: Identify the largest section
Sum Section C 39
Sum Section G 35
Sum Section M 13
Stage 3: Identify the largest division
Sum Division 26 18
Sum Division 28 13
Sum Division 33 8
Stage 4: Identify the largest subclass
Subclass 26.520 15
The largest subclass is 26.520, and we allocate this activity code to the reporting unit. The enterprise has now a principal activity with the activity code 26.520.
The updating of unit's principal activity occurs seldom. In some cases an enterprise might have wrong classification. In that case the unit's Nace is subject to correction.
The business register is updated twice a month.
As regards the frequency with which the sample is updated, a new sample is drawn every year.
Annual.
Data-collection: 01/2022
Post-collection phase: 10/2023
Dissemination: 05/2024
The same statistical concepts are applied in the entire national territory.
The difference between length of time series and the length of comparable time series stems from transition to NACE Rev.2.0. However, the Statistics Norway, at the initiative of Eurostat, has already accomplished the transmission of NACE Rev.2 data for reference years 2005-2007, to make series more comparable.
