Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic

Business Statistics Section

Lamacska cesta 3/C, 840 05, Bratislava 45, Slovak Republic

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 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 regional breakdown of the EU Member States is based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). 

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).

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.

SBS constitutes an important and integrated part of the new European Business Statistics Regulation N° 2152/2019

Data requirements, simplifications and technical definitions are definied in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197

Statistical unit used for compiling the SBS data is the enterprise, local unit for regional SBS data.

Structural Business Statistics cover the economic activities of active enterprises within the NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N, P to R and Divisions S95 and S96. Structural Business Statistics are compiled from annual statistical surveys data and from administrative data sources. The statistical office of the Slovak Republic carries out exhaustive survey of all units with 20 or more employees or with 0-19 employees and a turnover more than 5 mil. € present in the  business economy. Sample survey is organised for reporting units with less than 20 employees and a turnover up to 5 mil. € present in business economy. Data for self-employed persons are compiled on the basis of data from an administrative source. Data for self-employed persons are included in the SBS starting with the reference year 2010. No threshold is applied. Frame for the identification of the population is the National Statistical Business Register. The Statistical Business register is updated in daily frequency with infomation from the Business register, the Trades register, the professional chambers and from other ministries. The Statistical Business Register is updated with information from statistical surveys, Tax register, the Social insurance company register and from commercial data source.

All regions of the Slovak Republic are covered. The SBS data refer to data of resident units at the territory of the Slovak Republic that provide data on their domestic activities and activities abroad, if the activities carried out are of a subject of the tax and other duties in relation to Slovak legislation. Branches of foreign enterprises are included in the SBS.

1995 - 2021

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 year 2021.

Data refers to the calendar year, which mostly corresponds to the fiscal year. In specific cases where accounting period is fiscal, the reporting units are obliged to use a qualified estimate of data referring to calendar year.

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
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements (general implementing act) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152

Year 1995 was the first year for the implementation of the Council Regulation No 58/97 (SBS Regulation).

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.

Not applicable.

The statistical office of the Slovak Republic is responsible for the protection of confidential data obtained and guarantees their use exclusively for statistical purposes. In accordance with the Act on State Statistics No. 540/2001 Coll. §2g and §30, the statistical office of the SR may not publish confidential statistical data, but only information resulting from the aggregation of confidential statistical data, which does not allow direct or indirect identification of the reporting unit. The statistical office of the SR has introduced principles and procedures for the protection of confidential data in internal directives and instructions. The directive on the protection of confidential statistical data regulates the method of management and implementation of activities related to ensuring the protection of confidential statistical data in the statistical office of the Slovak Republic. The internal methodological instruction of the statistical office of the Slovak Republic regulates specific methods and parameter values ​​used in the protection of confidential statistical data of individual statistical surveys and data sets.

The primary and secondary confidentiality data protection is applied manually bearing in mind the minimum data protection treatment and finally validated by the Eurostat validation software based on the set up rules.

The full set of SBS variables is only transmitted to Eurostat and not disseminated nationally.  In a case of an inquiry from users they are advised to consult Eurostat website. A subset of SBS variables on branches is disseminated nationally.

The Catalogue of Publications contains information about published publications, publication dates and language versions. All publications are available on www.statistics.sk

No regular SBS specific publication is available for public.

Dissemination department provides information in cooperation with SBS experts in case of specific request, if feasible. International and national organizations have also defined their own specific data requirements from the annual surveys, which are provided mainly for the National Bank of Slovakia under the annually "Framework agreement on mutual cooperation in the provision of statistical data and statistical information between the statistical office of the SR and the National Bank of Slovakia", ministries, associations, UNIDO, European Commission and others.

Annual.

The full set of SBS variables is only transmitted to Eurostat and not disseminated nationally. 

Electronic publication available in Slovak and English includes a subset of SBS variables

Statistical Yearbook of the Slovak Republic 2022

No Regular SBS specific publication is available for public.

The web portal and the online database Datacube are updated in accordance with the Principles of the policy of publication and provision of statistical information.

Subset of variables in online database is disseminated on preliminary data in October and in April for the final data.

Micro-data are not disseminated.

The SBS data are provided to Eurostat in order to be used in European aggregates and to be released as national data.

Main methodological manuals available in English and Slovak language are as follows:

Methodological manual on European Structural Business Statistics – 2021 edition 

European Business Statistics Manual — 2021 edition

Statistical questionnaires including methodological guidelines and explanations of variables and methodological explanations within the Glossary of the statistical terms are published on the web portal of the statistical office of the SR. Each publication contains methodological explanations and a contact for the information service of the statistical office of the SR.

Documentation on procedures applied is available in English and Slovak language. 

Following internal project documentation exists for the compilation of statistical outputs in Slovak language:

• technical projects within the Integrated Statistical Information System 
• methodological guidelines for applying mathematical-statistical methods for statistical surveys
• methodological guidelines for quality indicators of statistical outputs and statistical processes

The quality policy is defined and publicly accessible in the Quality Declaration and Quality Policy documents. The quality declaration expresses the basic ideas and commitments of the President and top management of the statistical office of the Slovak Republic for the quality policy as well as increasing efficiency and effectiveness of the integrated management system of the statistical office of the SR. 

Quality Declaration

Quality policy is based on the mission of the statistical office of the Slovak Republic to provide high quality and objective statistical products and services by keeping confidentiality of statistical data and by minimising burden on interested parties using effectively existing resources with the aim to support improvement of the information and intellectual capital of our customers. In this way we want to contribute to reduce risks and improve effectiveness in their decision making processes and so to support the sustainable development of the Slovak Republic as the part of EU.

Quality Policy

The quality manual describes the documented procedures of the quality system that are used for implementation and continuous improvement of the quality management system in the statistical office of the SR. It contains a description of the quality management system and compliance with the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard. The application of the manual in practice ensures that all activities that have an impact on the quality of the products created are planned, managed, reviewed, evaluated and meet the requirements.

Quality Manual

The European Statistics Code of Practice is the basis of the common quality framework of the European Statistical System. It is a self-regulatory tool and it is based on 16 principles covering the institutional environment, statistical processes and statistical outputs. A set of indicators of best practices and standards for each of the Principles provides guidelines and benchmarks for reviewing the implementation of the Code of Practice, thus increasing transparency within the European Statistical System.

European Statistics Code of Practise

Statistics in the integrated system ISIS are available to evaluate the quality of the completed questionnaires, the number of questionnaires with errors or outliers, the number of reminders etc. The statistical office of the SR also performs internal methodological audits. Evaluation of statistical surveys and methodological audits including the analysis of the results are integrated into the existing quality management system. The overall data quality is considered good.

The requirement to conduct consultations with users of statistical information is stipulated in the Act on State Statistics itself. Consultations during the preparation of state statistical surveys take place within the framework of the preparation of the Program of State Statistical Surveys (PSSZ). PSSZ is a generally binding legal regulation compiled by the statistical office of the SR in collaboration with ministries, other central authorities and state organizations and contains statistical surveys organized and carried out by the statistical office of the SR, ministries, other central authorities and state organizations. The statistical office of the SR publishes the Program of state statistical surveys by decree in the Collection of Laws of the Slovak Republic. The Coordinating Council for State Statistics ensures the fulfilment of the tasks of the statistical office of the SR. Key users of specific statistical products are listed in the Marketing Plan, e.g. international organizations - Eurostat, OECD, UN and national institutions, e.g. National Bank of Slovakia, ministries, professional associations, enterprises etc. The SBS data are disseminated in line with the EBS requirements to Eurostat and international organisations. They are published at the national level in line with the users national needs. 

Since 2009 the statistical office of the SR has been conducting customer satisfaction surveys on its products and services every two years. The goal of surveys is to determine customer satisfaction with the products and services of the statistical office of the SR, to obtain information about users, their interests and opinions on provision and quality of statistical products and services. The facts obtained are a valuable resource for directing other activities of the statistical office of the SR. One of the main goals defined in the Development Strategy. The office also monitors the fulfilment of the stated goal with the help of indicators of the credibility of the statistical office of the SR and the rate of use of the information provided by the public. Every two years the statistical office of the SR conducts credibility surveys by an external independent organization with the intention of ensuring the objectivity and indisputability of the results from public view.

Credibility survey

Satisfaction survey

All required SBS data are provided.

The technical project of data processing is part of ISIS. This project includes a description of all logical data controls at the microdata level performed during electronic data collection. The electronic questionnaire and information system ISIS itself provide many arithmetic and logical checks between variables, which we distinguish between serious and informative. Data collection is provided by the office of the statistical office of the SR in regions. After the deadline for submission of the statistical questionnaire, the reporting units that did not respond are contacted again to fulfil their legal obligation. In case of serious errors in the form, this form is not accepted and with the help of experts from the regional offices its correctness is ensured so that it can enter into the data processing. Automatic validation checks during data collection and informative checks are incorporated with the aim to follow logical checks, reducing the rate of partial non-responses, anomalies and outliers. The purpose of this process is to minimize errors already in the data collection itself and subsequently during data processing. The basic step in the process of calculating unit non-response is the analysis of the population with regard to the state of activity of the reporting units. For this purpose, we use a specific classification of responses and non-responses codes. Individual codes describe active and inactive units and are assigned to each reporting unit. Subsequently, we determine the population of active units entering the data processing. After the deadline for submission of the statistical questionnaire, the reporting units that did not respond are contacted again to fulfil their legal obligation.For estimates of self-employed persons a model approach is used based on administrative data. Most errors are directly consulted by regional offices with the reporting units. Therefore the overall accuracy is considered good.

Sampling errors are not relevant, not calculated. The values for all non-included enterprises in surveyes / non-responding enterprises are based on administrative data i.e. either on financial statements data or on Social Insurance data. Only for a very small number of enterprises a model based imputation is carried out. Regarding the samples there is no grossing up procedure and administrative data are used for 'mass imputation'.

Overall non- sampling error is assumed to be small.

Most important aspects of non-sampling errors are considered very low. The bias associated with traditional survey sampling is significantly reduced (especially on the higher levels of aggregations) due to the extensive use of administrative sources.

For statistical surveys the technical project of data processing is part of ISIS. This project includes a description of all logical data controls at the microdata level performed during electronic data collection. The electronic questionnaire and information system ISIS itself provide many arithmetic and logical checks between variables, which we distinguish between serious and informative. Data collection is provided by the offices of the statistical office of the SR in regions. After the deadline for submission of the statistical questionnaire, the reporting units that did not respond are contacted again to fulfil their legal obligation. In case of serious errors in the form, this form is not accepted and with the help of experts from the regional office its correctness is ensured so that it can enter into the data processing.

Automatic validation checks during data collection and informative checks are incorporated with the aim to follow logical checks, reducing the rate of partial non-responses, anomalies and outliers. The purpose of this process is to minimize errors already in the data collection itself and subsequently during data processing. T

Coverage errors are very low because the completeness of the Business Register is considered to be satisfactory and high.

Since the Business Register is regularly updated, the coverage error is kept at a very low level.

In the same way, the processed administrative data has a very high linkage rate to the Business register (more than 99%) and minimal occurrence of duplicate listings.

Misclassification errors are not common because the statistical units in the Business Register are regularly updated to correct size classes and economic activities. Register is used as a source for determining economic activity, size classes were determined according to the observed values.

Calculated response rates are related to the surveys. Thus non-response is not considered to be a serious problem.

The weighted response rates are considered to be high (approximately from around 85% to 100% depending on the NACE and size groups). Relatively high non-response is mainly in the segment of smallest units. The bias resulting from non-response is small since administrative data are available for most of non-responding survey unit. Potential non-response bias is transmitted to the estimates in case of using models.

It can be assumed that the number of out-of-scope units in the processed SBS data is negligible, which is due to the quality of Business Register and  the method of how SBS is compiled, integration of survey data and administrative data at micro level.

The data collection and validation deadline is T+8 months and the first release of the subset of preliminary SBS data at national level is disseminated in October, T+10 months.

All regions of the Slovak Republic are covered by the survey. 

2010 - 2021

The coherence of SBS data with the Business Demography data is successfully implemented in close cooperation of SBS and BD experts. Comparison of survey results of Short-Term Statistics and quarterly data surveyed for the purposes of National Accounts is carried out on the same statistical unit concept. The analysis shows good compliance level in case of parts of population surveyed exhaustively. Comparisons at the micro level between SBS and Prodcom are realised in ISIS in general taking into account the methodological differences.There are no significant inconsistencies found as regards the coherence between SBS characteristics and the same characteristics in terms of concepts in the other EBS domains. 

All SBS aggregates are consistent with their main sub-aggregates. 

The statistical office of the SR regularly monitors the cost and burden of reporting units. As part of the optimization of statistical surveys, it takes measures aimed at reducing their burden e.g. by personalised pre-filling of selected variables in statistical questionnaires, reducing the frequency of selected surveyed variables and using administrative data resources if they are available in the required quality and at the specified time.

The cost and burden measurement at the level of European Statistical Products is in competence of the Resources Directors Group within Eurostat.

The revision policy regulates the general rules and procedures applied in revisions at the statistical office of the SR. The same revision policy applies to national and international users. In accordance with the revision policy, the reason of the revision is always indicated. The revisions policy as well as the revisions calendar are available to users on the web portal of the statistical office of the Slovak Republic.

Policy and calendar of revisions of the statistical office of the SR

The statistical office of the SR distinguishes the following revisions:

From the content point of view
- incorporation of better quality data based on a more complete source, including replacing imputations with collected data
- correction of data as a result of updating seasonal factors and changing the base period
- data modification based on more accurate methodology (in concepts, definitions and classifications) and changes in statistical methods
- performing corrections in source data and calculations

In terms of time, the statistical office of the SR divides the revisions into:
- ordinary revisions: they are revisions without significant modifications of the methodologies. These are usually more significant data corrections, including large values ​​obtained from new sources. They are carried out periodically on precisely set up dates, to update data, until the next publication of the data;
- annual revisions: they are revisions that are made when all monthly and quarterly data are available and more detailed results from annual surveys are already available;
- extraordinary and major revisions: they are revisions of definitive data due to significant methodological changes resulting from revision of methodologies, changes in procedures and statistical-mathematical calculation methods or data corrections. An extraordinary revision may result (e.g. by changing the definition) in break in time series data comparability.

The main source of information for routine revisions are new or revised data from reporting units. The publication of the revised data is done periodically in line with the calendar of revisions.

SBS source data are from a combination of exhaustive survey, sample survey combined with the information from administrative data sources

Exhaustive annual survey of large enterprises - Questionnaire Roc 1-01
- legal units with 20 and more employees registered in the Statistical Business Register
- legal units with less than 20 employees registered in the Statistical Business Register:
   - which were statistically important (the decision about including them into survey of large enterprises was done by expert of particular branch statistics, e.g. responsible for branch statistics etc.)
    - or of which turnover exceeds 5 million €

Annual survey of small enterprises (sample) - Questionnaire Roc 2-01
- legal units with less than 20 employees registered in the Statistical Business Register and whose turnover does not exceed 5 million €.

Administrative data sources are used for the compilation of the SBS data:
- Selected information from the income tax returns
- Tax declarations (financial statements)
- Social insurance data
 

Data on self employed persons are included in SBS data files starting with the data transmission of preliminary 2010 SBS data files. We use the basic information on structures and relations of particular variables from small sample survey for small entrepreneurs to make estimations of missing data in administrative source for this population.

Annual data collection.

Right to collect data in general is governed by the Slovak National Council law No 540/2001(Digest) on the State statistics as amended and supplemented by further regulations. The obligation to provide data is stated in the Statistical Law and its provisions (Programme of State Statistical Surveys), which is fixed for a 3-year period. Since 2016, reporting units (legal entities, natural persons) are required to electronically submit statistical reports in accordance with the amendment to Act No. 540/2001 Coll. on state statistics as amended by Act no. 326/2014 Coll. (hereinafter referred to as the law), which contains new rules for submitting statistical questionnaires. The completed statistical questionnaire Roc 1-01 must be submitted electronically no later than 30.4. after the reference year on the website www.statistics.sk.  The completed statistical form Roc 2-01 must be submitted electronically no later than 31.5. after the reference year on the website www.statistics.sk. In case the reporting unit has not submitted a report, is contacted by the relevant regional collection office.  The data collection process is conducted in the Integrated Statistical Information System (ISIS). The statistical office of the SR creates technical projects of the statistical surveys describing data collection and its evaluation, including a description of statistical controls/checks and algorithms within the integrated ISIS. The data collection process is ensured by the regional offices during the phase of electronic data collection, ensure using statistical controls and algorithms the data collection process itself. The non-responding units are informed about their reporting duty and contacted by regional offices again within the post-collection phase. There are no problems with reporting discipline in the case of large enterprises. When the deadline for a tax return provision is postponed, reporting units are obliged to use a qualified estimate. Mainly in relation to postponement of the tax returns, the post-collection phase and data validation phase is extended till T+8 months after the reference period. 

The data entry, data completeness and statistical control are organised by specialised regional offices of the statistical office of the SR in Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Zilina, Presov and Kosice. Data validation is done during the data collection, processing and validation of relevant data by the statistical office of the SR experts. A data comparison is done with previous periods.

The statistical office of the SR distinguishes between two levels of data checks during the electronic data collection:
1) Formal checks that are realised in the process of data entry automatically (compatible with Validation level 0 and 1);
2) Informal checks  to control the complexity and relations among the variables (compatible with Validation level from 2 to 5);

According to the importance there are classified 2 basic types of checks:
I – Informative checks: they give additional information, which is important for the following process of corrections. They also inform about some inconsistencies in the state of fulfilment of the questionnaire, about item non-response, exceeding stated limits etc.
Z – Checks of great importance: they indicate the exact error that it must be always corrected or explained
Most of the errors are directly consulted with the reporting units by regional offices via telephone contacts, emails etc.

Since 2021 for the sample data there is no grossing up procedure and models based on survey data and administrative data are used for 'mass imputation'. The main models used are based on ratio etimators. To obtain basic information about the structures and relationships of individual variables in small entrepreneurs, various available administrative sources are used to estimate missing data for this population.

In specific cases where accounting period is fiscal, the reporting units are obliged to use a qualified estimate of data referring to calendar.

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