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.
CENTRAAL BUREAU VOOR DE STATISTIEK (CBS, STATISTICS NETHERLANDS)
1.2. Contact organisation unit
The SBS information is provided by several organisation units:
EBD (Enterprise statistics Den Haag)
EBH (Enterprise statistics Heerlen)
SES (Labour and Wages)
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Postbus 24500
2490 HA Den Haag
The Netherlands
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
29 March 2023
2.2. Metadata last posted
13 February 2023
2.3. Metadata last update
13 February 2023
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 non-financial business economy with the exception of agricultural activities and personal services. Limited information is available on banking, insurance and pension funds.
Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:
Business demographic variables (e.g. Number of enterprises)
"Output related" variables (e.g. Turnover, Value added)
"Input related" variables: labour input (e.g. Employment, Hours worked); goods and services input (e.g. Total of purchases); capital input (e.g. Material investments)
3.2. Classification system
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE): NACE Rev.1 was used until 2001, NACE Rev. 1.1 since 2002, and NACE Rev 2 is used from 2008 onwards. Key data were double reported in NACE Rev.1.1 and NACE Rev.2 for 2008. From 2009 onwards, only NACE Rev.2 data are available.
The regional breakdown of the EU Member States is based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). Detailed information about the consecutive NUTS Regulations can be found at Eurostat's website
The SBS coverage was limited to Sections C to K of NACE Rev.1.1 until 2007. Starting from the reference year 2008 data is available for Sections B to N and Division S95 of NACE Rev.2. With 2013 as the first reference year information is published on NACE codes K6411, K6419 and K65 and its breakdown.
Statistics Netherlands guarantees the privacy of respondents (persons, enterprises and other), the confidential nature of the information provided and the sole use for statistical purposes.
This is captured in law: Policy Wet van 20 november 2003, houdende vaststelling van een wet op het Centraal bureau voor de statistiek (Wet op het Centraal bureau voor de statistiek), Article 37
Data can only be made public if no recognisable information on a person, household, enterprise or other institution can be derived from the data.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Restricted from publication
8.1. Release calendar
The SBS indicators are derived from several datasets which are available online, each with its own release policy. The release policy is articulated in the explanation accompanying the datasets. For more information go to 10. Accessibility and Clarity.
8.2. Release calendar access
The release calender is part of the explanation paragraph of the on-line tables:
Statistics Netherlands uses administrative data as much as possible. This diminishes the need for surveys and reduces bias associated with sample surveys (outlier detection/editing/imputation etc).
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
National accounts uses the structural information and Year-to-Year growth rates to calculate the Gross Domestic product.
The Centre for Policy Related Statistics: Under certain conditions, Statistics Netherlands can make microdata (anonymous data at the level of individual persons and businesses) available for statistical research. The data can for example be used to measure the performance of specific categories of enterprises.
Ministry of Economic Affairs: SBS data is used for policy purposes. Special interest in data on SME's (small and medium sized enterprises).
Eurostat, ECB, and other international organisations for various policy purposes.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Feedback of the most important user National Accounts is received on a structural basis. Data quality in general is perceived as good. A quality issue of SBS statistics is the limited sample size for SME enterprises. The accuracy of the results on the most detailed level is therefore also limited.
Feedback from Eurostat (for example the compliance score but also the results from the validation process) is used to improve statistics if needed.
12.3. Completeness
Most datasets are 100% complete or almost complete.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Statistics Netherlands uses administrative sources extensively. The bias which are asssociated with traditional survey sampling are therefore reduced, especially on the higher levels of NACE aggregation.
Remaining sources for inaccuracies:
- Sampling errors (not all variables are covered by admin data)
- The use of admin data could potentially result in a small bias in some cases (different definitions of the source compared to SBS definitions).
The preliminary results can be slightly biased. For preliminary data the estimates rely more heavily on admin data and survey data which had been collected for STS.
The first release of the data is 10 months after the reporting period (prelimary data deliveries)
The second and final release is 17/18 months after the reporting period.
13.2. Sampling error
Sample surveys are used for the calculation of financial variables. The sampling error is usually small but especially in smaller NACE groups or NACE x size class groups the sampling error can be large.
Sampling errors are calculated following the guidelines provided by Eurostat.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Non-sampling errors could potentially arise in SBS:
- Coverage errors: The completeness of the Business Register in Statistics Netherlands is considered to be very good. Most SBS indicators are based on statistics that use the business register. Lack of completeness is therefore not considered to be a big problem.
- Data collection and access errors: In general the results of mistakes in data collection are considered to be small and acceptable. Most difficulties arise with multinational enterprises as they can have complex business structures within and outside the borders of the Netherlands.
- Unit non-response: The weighed response rates are considered high (around 90% depending on the variabele and NACE group). The strategy for minimising non-respons is mainly focussed on 1 or several telephone reminders.
- Item non-response for the key variables. For Total turnover and Total investments, the weighted response is around 90%. Number of enterprises and number of employed persons are calculated using administrative data (non-response not applicable).
- Editing, coding and imputation errors: Imputation errors for the financial variables are minimised by using T-1 data and VAT information on the microdata level and in some cases using information from the company financial statement. Editing errors are minimised by following a different approach for small enterprises (automatic editing) and large enterprises (manual editing).
- Modelling errors: The grossing procedure uses auxiliary information (VAT data and information on persons employed for the whole population). This reduces bias resulting from selectivity in response.
14.1. Timeliness
Depending on the indicator figures are published 3 to 15 months after the end of the reporting period.
14.2. Punctuality
The data is in general delivered before or at the target date.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The same concepts apply for the different regions of the Netherlands
Break in series are usually small but sometimes non-negligable and due to changes in the business register or due to redesign
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The Dutch business frame (ABR) is already a coordinated monthly frame of business units for most surveys. Statistics Netherlands has made changes in the processing of the frame in 2009 to make better use of administrative data in combination with the frame possible. This should improve the quality of statistics making use of administrative data. Also the largest enterprises are produced in a separate organisational unit for the year 2009 and later. This should reduce inconsistencies between different statistics for the largest enterprises.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Aggregates are consistent with sub-aggregates.
An exception are the regional figures. For a small number of enterprises no NUTS code may be available, leading to diferences between the sum of the NUTS figures and national figures
Statistics Netherlands does not have a separate SBS unit. The data are collected from different surveys and from different statistics.
The costs associated with SBS statistics are not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Variables 11xxx: Quarterly figures. No revisions are made
Variables 12xxx, 13xxx, 18xxx: Figures are published at T+15 months. No revisions are made.
Variables 15xxx:
Annex I and III: Figures are published at T+18 months. No revisions are made.
Annex II and IV: Figures are published at T+12 months (main aggregates). Revisions at T+18.
Revisions should be small or zero since both estimates are based on (almost complete) administrative data.
Variables 15xxx:
The same methodology is used as for the final estimates. Editing is focussed on the activities covered by the preliminary series. Some revisions are possible
Variables 12xxx, 13xxx, 18xxx:
T-1 data is used in combination with growth rates from STS (Turnover and wages and salaries). Usually revisions for these variables are larger then for the other variables
18.1. Source data
Variables 11xxx: derived from the business register. All enterprises in the business register are considered to be active and used for calculating (counting) the number of enterprises.
Variables 16xxx:
As from 2006 Statistics Netherlands uses a new source for the compilation of the number of jobs of employees: an integral register containing information on wages and social contributions of all employees in the Netherlands. This employee register is controlled by the Social Insurance Institute and is filled with the data of employees from the declaration of earnings which employers send to the Tax Authorities. The employee register contains all employees working for companies and institutions who are obliged to pay taxes on earnings and social contributions.
As a first step the number of employees has been determined from the employee register. Then the companies and institutions in the register are linked with the General Business Register of Statistics Netherlands through their tax number. The General Business Register contains the NACE of companies and institutions, which is used to differentiate the number of jobs by economic activity. Besides the General Business Register contains the main office of companies and institutions.
The register lacks information on the location of companies and institutions with more than one office in the Netherlands. Therefore an additional survey among these companies with more than one office is held. In this survey, companies are asked to report the number of employees on municipality level. The results of the survey are combined with the number of jobs of employees from the register and result in regional employment figures.
Variables 15xxx: Sample survey, stratification variables are NACE and size class. Sampling rates vary for each stratum and are determined by Neyman allocation (Total Investments used as the variable for allocation). Total sample around 51.000
Variables 12xxx, 13xxx, 18xxx: Sample survey, stratication variables are NACE and size class. Sampling rates vary for each stratum and are determined by Neyman allocation (value added used as the variable for allocation). Total sample around 70.000-75.000. For some NACE groupings a threshold of 10 or 50 persons employed is used. Administrative data (VAT) is used as auxiliary information to improve the estimation procedure.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual data collection
18.3. Data collection
Administrative data sources are collected from the Tax authorities.
Surveys with electronic questionnaires (or paper questionnaires by exception). repeated telephone contacts are used to improve respons rates. As a last resort legal enforcement is used in a limited number of cases.
18.4. Data validation
Variables11xxx:
plausibility checks
The main check is to compare the annual change in the calculated number of active units with the change in number of business register units.
Variables 12xxx, 13xxx, 18xxx:
completeness checks (data integrity rules)
validity checks (internal consistency)
plausibility checks
Missing values are imputed automatically and checked manually for large enterprises. Inconsistencies are removed manually or automatically. There are a number of plausibility checks incorporated in the process. These are comparing with T-1 data and comparing with similar units.
Variables 15xxx:
completeness checks (data integrity rules)
validity checks (internal consistency)
plausibility checks
Missing values are considered to be 0 values. Inconsistencies are then removed manually. Plausibility is checked using historical data.
Variables16xxx:
completeness checks (data integrity rules)
validity checks (internal consistency)
plausibility checks
The register data have gone through a general imputation-correction method whereby double records are removed and missing records or variables are imputed for example with the use of declarations from other periods. Second, through top down analysis, the units with the highest number of employees are individually controlled and when necessary corrected. The quality of the data is further checked by analysing the development of the data on employment and wages differentiated by economic activity and regions over time. When necessary corrections on the values of the variables of the reporting units are made.
18.5. Data compilation
Variables11xxx:
No non-respons, no methods for dealing with non-response needed.
Variables 12xxx, 13xxx, 18xxx :
The methods for dealing for unit non response are:
- Use of VAT information for estimation of the Turnover
- Use T-1 data and the development of similar units (imputation of large units)
- Use the average values of similar units if T-1 is unavailable (imputation of large units)
The methods for dealing for item non response are:
- Use the mathematical relationship between variables to fill in item-non response
- use the proportions between variables of responding units to fill in the values of units with missing variables.
In the grossing procedure non-respondents are excluded. The number of active units in the frame is used in the grossing procedure VAT is used as auxiliary information in the grossing procedure.
Variables 15xxx:
The methods for dealing for unit non response are:
Use T-1 data and the development of similar units (imputation of large units)
Use the average values of similar units if T-1 is unailable (imputation of large units)
The methods for dealing for item non response are:
Missing values are considered to be 0 values
If the Total investments are unequal to the sum of the parts then a manual check and correction is applied.
Variables16xxx:
First, the register data have gone through a general imputation-correction method whereby double records are removed and missing records or variables are imputed for example with the use of declarations from other periods. Second, through top down analysis, the units with the highest number of employees are individually controlled and when necessary corrected. The quality of the data is further checked by analysing the development of the data on employment and wages differentiated by economic activity and regions over time. When necessary corrections on the values of the variables of the reporting units are made.
18.6. Adjustment
The calender year which represents the reference period the most is chosen. Only for units with a large contibution a correction will be made if the length of the reference year is unequal to 1 year.
No extra 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 non-financial business economy with the exception of agricultural activities and personal services. Limited information is available on banking, insurance and pension funds.
Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:
Business demographic variables (e.g. Number of enterprises)
"Output related" variables (e.g. Turnover, Value added)
"Input related" variables: labour input (e.g. Employment, Hours worked); goods and services input (e.g. Total of purchases); capital input (e.g. Material investments)
- The frame for SBS statistics is the business register, all data is provided on the enterprise level.
The Netherlands, including the requested information on NUTS 1+2 level.
Data for the Carribean Netherlands (special municipalities that are located in the Caribean sea) are not included.
2020 Data refer to calendar year
Statistics Netherlands uses administrative sources extensively. The bias which are asssociated with traditional survey sampling are therefore reduced, especially on the higher levels of NACE aggregation.
Remaining sources for inaccuracies:
- Sampling errors (not all variables are covered by admin data)
- The use of admin data could potentially result in a small bias in some cases (different definitions of the source compared to SBS definitions).
The preliminary results can be slightly biased. For preliminary data the estimates rely more heavily on admin data and survey data which had been collected for STS.
The first release of the data is 10 months after the reporting period (prelimary data deliveries)
The second and final release is 17/18 months after the reporting period.
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.
Variables11xxx:
No non-respons, no methods for dealing with non-response needed.
Variables 12xxx, 13xxx, 18xxx :
The methods for dealing for unit non response are:
- Use of VAT information for estimation of the Turnover
- Use T-1 data and the development of similar units (imputation of large units)
- Use the average values of similar units if T-1 is unavailable (imputation of large units)
The methods for dealing for item non response are:
- Use the mathematical relationship between variables to fill in item-non response
- use the proportions between variables of responding units to fill in the values of units with missing variables.
In the grossing procedure non-respondents are excluded. The number of active units in the frame is used in the grossing procedure VAT is used as auxiliary information in the grossing procedure.
Variables 15xxx:
The methods for dealing for unit non response are:
Use T-1 data and the development of similar units (imputation of large units)
Use the average values of similar units if T-1 is unailable (imputation of large units)
The methods for dealing for item non response are:
Missing values are considered to be 0 values
If the Total investments are unequal to the sum of the parts then a manual check and correction is applied.
Variables16xxx:
First, the register data have gone through a general imputation-correction method whereby double records are removed and missing records or variables are imputed for example with the use of declarations from other periods. Second, through top down analysis, the units with the highest number of employees are individually controlled and when necessary corrected. The quality of the data is further checked by analysing the development of the data on employment and wages differentiated by economic activity and regions over time. When necessary corrections on the values of the variables of the reporting units are made.
Variables 11xxx: derived from the business register. All enterprises in the business register are considered to be active and used for calculating (counting) the number of enterprises.
Variables 16xxx:
As from 2006 Statistics Netherlands uses a new source for the compilation of the number of jobs of employees: an integral register containing information on wages and social contributions of all employees in the Netherlands. This employee register is controlled by the Social Insurance Institute and is filled with the data of employees from the declaration of earnings which employers send to the Tax Authorities. The employee register contains all employees working for companies and institutions who are obliged to pay taxes on earnings and social contributions.
As a first step the number of employees has been determined from the employee register. Then the companies and institutions in the register are linked with the General Business Register of Statistics Netherlands through their tax number. The General Business Register contains the NACE of companies and institutions, which is used to differentiate the number of jobs by economic activity. Besides the General Business Register contains the main office of companies and institutions.
The register lacks information on the location of companies and institutions with more than one office in the Netherlands. Therefore an additional survey among these companies with more than one office is held. In this survey, companies are asked to report the number of employees on municipality level. The results of the survey are combined with the number of jobs of employees from the register and result in regional employment figures.
Variables 15xxx: Sample survey, stratification variables are NACE and size class. Sampling rates vary for each stratum and are determined by Neyman allocation (Total Investments used as the variable for allocation). Total sample around 51.000
Variables 12xxx, 13xxx, 18xxx: Sample survey, stratication variables are NACE and size class. Sampling rates vary for each stratum and are determined by Neyman allocation (value added used as the variable for allocation). Total sample around 70.000-75.000. For some NACE groupings a threshold of 10 or 50 persons employed is used. Administrative data (VAT) is used as auxiliary information to improve the estimation procedure.
Annual
Depending on the indicator figures are published 3 to 15 months after the end of the reporting period.
The same concepts apply for the different regions of the Netherlands
