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.
Unit ENT4 "Short-term Business, Transport and Tourism  Statistics"
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
BP 10 L-4401 Belvaux
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
15 July 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
15 July 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
15 July 2025
3.1. Data description
The building permits indicators are quarterly short-term indicators used for the business cycle analysis.
The two indicators that are compiled are
building permits: number of dwellings
building permits: square metres of useful floor area or alternative size measure.
Raw data is provided by the local authorities (communes) that are delivering the building permits.
3.2. Classification system
The coverage of these indicators is limited solely by the CC.
The STS-Regulations require coverage of Groups 111 and 112 for building permits in terms of the number of dwellings, and coverage of Section 1 for building permits in terms of a size measure.
3.3. Coverage - sector
NACE Rev2 section F
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Building permits as defined in Regulation CE 1503/2006
3.5. Statistical unit
communes (local authorities)
3.6. Statistical population
116 communes
3.7. Reference area
communes of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
3.8. Coverage - Time
quarterly figures from 2000 on
3.9. Base period
not applicable
The units of measure are numbers and square meters.
Quarter
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
European Business Statistics Regulation:
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics (EBS-Regulation)
Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistic (General Implementing Act)
National context :
Statec is the National Institute of statistics and economic studies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Statec's administration is placed under the authority of the Ministry of the Economy and Foreign Trade. It is professionally and scientifically independent, i.e. it sets its own work programme in accordance with national and European statistical legislation, produces and disseminates data in complete neutrality.
The Law of July 10, 2011 on the organisation of the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies sets out the missions of Statec and its internal organisation. These missions are to provide a public information service of high quality to public and private decision-makers as well as to citizens. Statec is committed to produce statistics, analyses and studies giving a detailed, reliable and objective image of the society of Luxembourg.
Statec coordinates the statistical system of Luxembourg, organised according to the principle of statistical centralisation. For this purpose it widely relies on collaboration with other producers of data as well as with public and private research centres. Statec so centralises data available from public authorities to carry out its studies, but also to make them available to its users on a single platform. With the new law of July 10, 2011, applied scientific research is added to Statec’s missions.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
There is no general datasharing. Nevertheless, non-confidential results are shared on demand.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
STATEC guarantees the non-disclosure of confidential information when the statistical results are disseminated.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
The ESS confidentiality rules are applied. Considering the size of the country and the local delimitations such as communes or villages, results are only published by district, canton and country in order to guarantee confidentiality.
8.1. Release calendar
There is no official national release calendar.
8.2. Release calendar access
There is no official national release calendar.
8.3. Release policy - user access
The release days are the days data are transmitted to Eurostat. According to the principle of independence, data is released to all users at the same time.
As it is foreseen in the EBS-Regulation, Statec disseminates quarterly building permits statistics before the end of the delays which are 3 months for this indicator.
Results are transmitted to the European Commission in the foreseen harmonized format.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
There are no national methodological documents available except STS variable definitions. Statec uses the methodology published in the STS manual.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
There is no document on quality management available.
11.1. Quality assurance
As for other indicators, there is no specific quality management concerning this indicator. Nevertheless, Statec produces these statistics according to the harmonized EU definitions and according to the ESS code of practice.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
see 12.1 . Considering the official EU harmonised methods used, Statec aims to produce high quality statistics in terms of relevance, accuracy, timeliness, comparability and coherence. Incoming raw data on buliding permits is accurate and complete.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
There is no further information on the relevance of this indicator for users. Results are transmitted to Eurostat according to the STS Regulation. There is no further information available on the relevance of this indicator for users, Nevertheless, the results are quite often commented by media and professional stakeholders.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
not available, see 13.1
12.3. Completeness
Eurostat's requirements in terms of time series are fulfilled.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
As raw data is quite complete, accuracy is very good. But it is important to note that due to the small size of Luxembourg, there can be high fluctuations.
13.2. Sampling error
not applicable
13.3. Non-sampling error
A very small amount of the data is delayed and arrived to the NSI after the publication of first results. There are data revisions each time additional or corrected raw data arrives.
14.1. Timeliness
Statec publishes the building permits results in the delays foreseen by the EBS regulation (< 3.5 months)
14.2. Punctuality
Due to technical reasons or a lack of human resources, the publication of results can be shortly delayed.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The definitions are the same as in CR 1503/2006 to assure European comparability.
15.2. Comparability - over time
There are no major breaks in aggregated time series.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
STS statistics are used for business cycle analysis as well as for the compilation of quarterly national accounts. Due to the different concepts, short-term statistics are not completely coherent with other business statistics as SBS.
Due to their specificity, building permits indicators cannot be compared to other indicators.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not applicable
The data source is administrative data. Costs for the NSI: +/- 40 hours/month.
17.1. Data revision - policy
In the field of STS, Statec has no official release or revision calendar. Data dissemination depends on the deadlines foreseen in the EBS regulation. Revisions are made each time when newer, completed or corrected figures are available. The revised results are used for national releases as well as for the data transmission to the European Commission. Users are only informed about the reasons of non-scheduled revisions if the revisions are considered to be important. Different versions of historical data are not stored, only the last available version is saved. Nevertheless, LU plans to introduce the storage of the different versions of released data, but this project is depending on the availability of resources. The base year remains unchanged for five years as stated in the EBS regulation. After changing the base year according to the EBS regulation, LU publishes results according to the new base year = 100 which is indicated in the publications. STS statistics are confronted with quarterly national accounts and, if necessary, corrected.
If there are any revisions in the building permits figures, then mostly two weeks after the delays. Data revisions are very small beacause the municipalities send normally complete data in time.
17.2. Data revision - practice
In the field of STS, and as said in 17.1., revisions are made each time when newer, completed or corrected figures for the different variables are available. There is no official revision calendar or regular process. The data and level of revisions depend on the data available. It is impossible to quantify the expected average size of revisions, for the same reason, users cannot be informed in advance of major revisions.
Normally, the building permits results are definitive at the moment of their first release. Nevertheless, it is possible that the local authorities send in corrected or completed figures. Statec then takes these new figures into account and corrects the results which are transmitted to Eurostat and which are also nationally published.
Calculations (2018-2022) based on vintage figures transmitted by EUROSTAT to STATEC:
MR : -1.075
MAR : 8.125
18.1. Source data
For this indicator, the raw data on the permits delivered during the reference period is transmitted by the 102 communes. Most of the communes send their data every month, but the delays are sometimes longer than the ones fixed by Statec. Nevertheless, quarterly results are normally calculated in the delays.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
In fact, the data is collected monthly. But due to delays to receive the data, Statec only publishes quarterly results.
18.3. Data collection
Data on building permits is collected by Statec and the municipalities use a data sheet in a predifined structure for the transmission. The data are then integrated in a database for calculation of the results.
18.4. Data validation
Data is checked after integration in the database (completeness, errors, etc.). Plausibility tests are run and the results are restructured by automatized syntaxes.
18.5. Data compilation
If one or more communes have not transmitted data in the delays, the results are calculated without imputations. As soon as corrected or additional data are transmitted, Statec revises the results.
18.6. Adjustment
There is no adjustment performed on the data.
No further comment
The building permits indicators are quarterly short-term indicators used for the business cycle analysis.
The two indicators that are compiled are
building permits: number of dwellings
building permits: square metres of useful floor area or alternative size measure.
Raw data is provided by the local authorities (communes) that are delivering the building permits.
15 July 2025
Building permits as defined in Regulation CE 1503/2006
communes (local authorities)
116 communes
communes of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
Quarter
As raw data is quite complete, accuracy is very good. But it is important to note that due to the small size of Luxembourg, there can be high fluctuations.
The units of measure are numbers and square meters.
If one or more communes have not transmitted data in the delays, the results are calculated without imputations. As soon as corrected or additional data are transmitted, Statec revises the results.
For this indicator, the raw data on the permits delivered during the reference period is transmitted by the 102 communes. Most of the communes send their data every month, but the delays are sometimes longer than the ones fixed by Statec. Nevertheless, quarterly results are normally calculated in the delays.
As it is foreseen in the EBS-Regulation, Statec disseminates quarterly building permits statistics before the end of the delays which are 3 months for this indicator.
Statec publishes the building permits results in the delays foreseen by the EBS regulation (< 3.5 months)
The definitions are the same as in CR 1503/2006 to assure European comparability.
There are no major breaks in aggregated time series.
