Statistics Poland

Statistical Office in Lublin, Centre of Construction Statistics

Urząd Statystyczny w Lublinie
ul. Stanisława Leszczyńskiego 48, 20-068 Lublin

Building permits: number of dwellings (150101), square meters of useful floor area (150102)
The indicator is used for illustrating the future development of construction market in terms of number of dwellings planned to be build and number of square meters of useful floor area.

The Polish Classification of Types of Constructions (PKOB) compatible with the Classification of Products by Activity (CPA).

The survey on building permits and registrations with a construction project is based on the Polish Classification of Types of Constructions and it covers the construction of:

• dwellings in new residential buildings (excluding residences for communities),
• useful floor area of new residential and non-residential buildings (of which office buildings and the sum of other non-residential buildings). In practise for new residential buildings, Statistics Poland collects data on useful floor area of dwellings (not for useful floor area of buildings).

Building permits and registrations with a construction project indicate the future development of construction market.
A building permit is an administrative document, granted by construction and architectural administrative authority in accordance with the Building Law. It allows an entity to start construction of a building or realizing of construction works other than building. On the basis of the act dated 20 II 2015 amending the Building Law (Journal of Laws of 27 III 2015, item 443) investors can obtain registration with a construction project instead of a building permit for indicated investments. Data presented concern final decisions.
Definition of a building permit is compliant with Eurostat recommendations and STS methodological manual.

Reporting unit –  Construction and architectural administrative authority

Observation unit(s)

• Types of new residential buildings (for dwellings),
• Types of new residential and non-residential buildings (for useful floor area)

414 authorities report data on:

• number of dwellings for construction of which permits were granted or which have been registered with a construction project,
• useful floor area of buildings for construction of which permits were granted or which have been registered with a construction project.

Poland

The present survey according to the Polish Classification of Types of Constructions dates from 2000.
Time series available nationally are not longer than those transmitted to Eurostat.

Not applicable – building permits and registrations with a construction project data are expressed in absolute values.

Data are collected in number of dwellings and squared metres of useful floor area.

Data on building permits are both transmitted to Eurostat and published nationally in absolute figures.

Quarter (data are assigned to the period when they are granted).

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 mentioned above.

The legal basis of Statistics Poland's responsibility for collection, processing and dissemination of statistics is the Act on Official Statistics passed on 29th June 1995 with subsequent amendments (consolidated text published in the Journal of Laws 2021 no 955). 
Information on surveys is given in the 'Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics' which exists as an annual regulation of the Council of Ministers.

Data on building permits and registrations with a construction project are collected on the basis of the ‘Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics’, which fulfils requirements of EBS Regulation

Data on building permits and registrations with a construction project, in addition to Eurostat, are also transmitted to OECD.

All statistics collected and published by Statistics Poland are governed by the Act on Official Statistics. This Act establishes the statistical independence of Statistics Poland. Statistics Poland cannot publish, or otherwise make available to any individual or organization, statistics that would allow the identification of data for any individual person or entity.

The question of confidentiality is explained in the art. 10, 38 and 38a of the Act on Official Statistics:

Article 10.

Identifiable individual data collected in statistical surveys are subject to absolute protection. Such data may only be used to prepare statistical studies, compilations and analyses, as well as to create a statistical survey sampling frame by the President of Statistics Poland; making such data available or using them for purposes other than those specified herein is prohibited (statistical confidentiality).

Article 38. 

1. Identifiable unit data obtained in statistical surveys may not be published nor made available.

2. Statistical data obtained in statistical surveys that can be linked and identified as data concerning a specific natural person, as well as information and statistical data characterising economic and financial results of national economy entities conducting economic activity, may not be published nor made available if the given aggregation consists of fewer than three entities or the share of one entity in a given compilation is greater than three-fourths of the whole.

3. In the case of national economy entities, the information and statistical data referred to in sec. 2 may be published if the person authorised to represent a given entity has consented to the publication of specific data characterizing the economic and financial results of that entity.

Article 38a. 

1. The President of Statistics Poland, at the request of entities referred to in Art. 25 25 sec. 1 point 9, justified by the preparation of specific programmes, forecasts and analyses, may provide these entities with identifiable unit data of public finance sector entities within the meaning of Art. 9 of the Act of 27 August 2009 on public finances.

2. The data made available in accordance with sec. 1 may be used only for the purpose indicated in the application, subject to the rules referred to in art. 38 sec. 1 and in Regulation No. 223/2009.

Data on building permits and registrations with a construction project are not treated as confidential.

Data are disseminated according to an advance release calendar.

Release calendar for news releases including preliminary results 

Editorial Title-Plan of the Statistics Poland and Regional Statistical Offices

Eurostat Release Calendar

Article 14 point 2 of the ‘Act on Official Statistics’ states that official statistics provides equal and simultaneous access to the output statistical information, in particular to the basic values and indicators. Data are released simultaneously to all users and are available on Statistics Poland's website (http://stat.gov.pl/en/).

The building permits and registrations with a construction project data is regularly sent to Eurostat shortly after national release - according to the requirements of the Regulation (EU) No 2019/2152 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197. 

Quarterly – both to Eurostat and nationally

Construction’ (quarterly edition, in Polish), number of dwellings and useful floor area of buildings by types of buildings, unadjusted data. 

Data on building permits and registrations with a construction project are released in Statistics Poland's publications:

• ‘Construction results’ (annual  publication, in English version: preface, contents, synthesis, methodological notes and tables), number of dwellings and useful floor area of buildings by types of buildings, unadjusted data;
• ‘Concise Statistical Yearbook of Poland’(annual  publication), number of dwellings, unadjusted data;
• ‘Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Poland’ (annual  publication), number of dwellings, unadjusted data;
• ‘Socio-economic situation of voivodships’ (quarterly edition), number of dwellings, unadjusted data.

Local Data Bank Building permits and registrations with a construction project granted for construction of new residential buildings - quarterly accruing data; Building permits and registrations with a construction project granted for construction of new residences for communities, new non-residential buildings and civil engineering works - quarterly accruing data.

Analytical Platform-Knowledge Databases-Construction: Building permits and registrations with a construction project granted for construction of new residential buildings - quarterly accruing data; Building permits and registrations with a construction project granted for construction of new residences for communities, new non-residential buildings and civil engineering works – quarterly accruing data.

Macroeconomic Data Bank: Dwellings for which permits have been granted or which have been registered with a construction project -quarterly data.

No access to micro-data.

Data are sent to Eurostat both to be used in European aggregates as well as to be released as national data.

Documentation on methodology available on Statistics Poland’s website (http://stat.gov.pl/en/):

• ‘Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics’ (in Polish),

• Glossary of statistical concepts (in Polish and English)

• Explanatory notes to the quarterly questionnaire (in Polish),

• Methodological notes in publication ‘Construction results’ (Polish/English).

According to article 3 of Act on Official Statistics - the official statistics ensure reliable, objective and systematic information to the public, state authorities and public administration as well as to national economy entities about the economic, demographic, social and natural environment situation.

Documentation on procedures applied for quality management and assessment is available on the website: Quality in statistics

The legal basis of the quality measurement and assessment is the internal Regulation of the President of Statistics Poland No. 35 of 28th December 2011 which came into force in the 4th quarter of 2012. The quality assessment of statistical surveys is conducted according to an annual quality program for the official statistics which is in line with the Regulation of the President of Statistics Poland No. 35 of 28th December 2011.

Procedures and rules applied in quality assessment and monitoring are based on the ESS Quality Standards, i.e. the ESS Quality Declaration, recommendations of the ESS Leadership Expert Group on Quality (LEG) and the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP).

The quality of statistical surveys is evaluated by means of standard quality reports and quality indicators recommended in the ESS Handbook for Quality Reports as well as by self-assessment checklist and quality audits and reviews.

The survey is evaluated with very high degree due to the completeness and high quality of the information received from the local authorities responsible for the documentation of particular stages of the construction process.

Quality assessment of the quarterly survey on building permits (B-05) was conducted in the end of 2013. A quality report was elaborated on the basis of standard quality procedures recommended in the ESS Handbook for Quality Reports. The quality of the survey was described by means of standard quality indicators characterizing the following quality aspects: relevance, accuracy and reliability, timelines and punctuality, comparability and coherence.

User needs are systematically monitored and taken into consideration while drafting the 'Statistical Survey Program of Official Statistics'  for the next year. The organs of the state power, government and self-government administration, organizations of employers and other institutions provide opinions on statistical surveys and recommend implementation of the new ones.

Data users, e.g. universities, research institutes, enterprises or individuals may indicate their needs by data inquiries and orders. 
Classification of national data users with an indication of their importance for official statistics, taking into account the purpose of data usage, is as follows:

1. key users – government and self-government administration, National Central Bank, Polish Financial Supervision Authority;
2. important users – research institutes, universities, organizations of employers, enterprises, insurance institutions, banks, media;
3. other users – social organizations, professional self-government, economic self-government, trade unions, students, individuals.

User satisfaction survey was conducted at the end of 2013. The survey covered the following data users: government and self-government administration, National Central Bank, Polish Financial Supervision Authority, research institutes, universities, organizations of employers, enterprises, insurance institutions, media, social organizations, professional self-government, economic self-government, trade unions, students, individuals.
User satisfaction survey was carried out via internet. For this purpose, an electronic questionnaire was elaborated and placed on Statistics Poland's server. Questions included in the questionnaire have been adjusted to all data users mentioned above and they comprised, among others, the following issues:

• general information on using statistical data (which data were used, how often and for what purpose),
• assessment of data availability, transparency, timelines, comparability and level of details,
• evaluation of services provided by Statistics Poland and assessment of the internet website http://stat.gov.pl/en/,
• assessment of statistical metadata (methodology, glossaries, classification applied, etc.),
• users' needs and expectations concerning disseminated statistics and offered services,
• general assessment of statistics (according to the European Statistics Code of Practice).

The report on user satisfaction is available on Statistics Poland's website.

Data on building permits and registrations with a construction project are consistent with the requirements of Regulation  (EU) 2019/2152, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 and short-term methodological manual.

Quality assessment of the quarterly survey, which is the data source for building permits and registrations with a construction project, is made annually (according to an annual quality program for the official statistics which was established in line with the internal Regulation of the President of Statistics Poland No 35 of 28th December 2011 on measurement, evaluation and monitoring of statistical surveys quality). Quality indicators describing accuracy of quarterly survey are available in the quality report.

The data are final after the end of the reporting year (the revisions of previous quarters are possible after each quarter in reporting year).

Not applicable

Response rate – 100%

Nationally, data on building permits and registrations with a construction project are available approx.53 days after the end of the reference quarter in Local Data Bank.

Data are sent to Eurostat approx. 65 days after the end of the reference quarter according to Eurostat Release Calendar.

100% of releases delivered on time according to the scheduled release dates.

There are no problems with data comparability. The same statistical concepts and classifications are applied in the entire national territory. The Polish Classification of Types of Construction (PKOB) is consistent with the Classification of Products by Activity (CPA)

In the case of building permits and registrations with a construction project: number of dwellings variable, there were no subjective and objective changes since 2000. 
However, in the case of building permits: square meters of useful floor area variable, for the years 2000-2002, data on cubic volume were collected instead of useful floor area. The data on useful floor area for this period were estimated.

On the basis of the act dated 20 II 2015 amending the Building Law (Journal of Laws of 27 III 2015, item 443) investors can obtain registration with a construction project instead of a building permit for indicated investments. 

Comparison of quarterly data with monthly survey on a number of dwellings for which permits have been granted or which have been registered with a construction project.
No comparison as regards square meters of useful floor area.

The coverage of published data is coherent. The higher aggregates i.e. types of construction according to CPA are consistent with their main sub-aggregates.

Cost of the NSI –  2237 hours annually
Burden of respondents – 1664 hours annually

Data revision policy is consistent with Eurostat recommendations (ESS guidelines on revision policy for PEEIs). According to these recommendations, notice about major changes, e.g. in classifications, methodology or base year, is provided in advance of the change. Notice about minor changes is given at the time the change is introduced.
The same revision policy is applied to data released nationally and transmitted to Eurostat.

Revision of building permits and registrations with a construction project is possible after each quarter of the reporting year. The data are final after the end of the reporting year. Revisions are minor and difficult to estimate - it concerns mainly data on useful floor area.

Revision indicators for variable 150101 for unadjusted y-o-y growth rates:

• Mean Revision (MR): − 0.0001
• Mean Absolute Revision (MAR): 0.0001

 Revision indicators for variable 150102 for unadjusted y-o-y growth rates:

• Mean Revision (MR): − 0.0038
• Mean Absolute Revision (MAR): 0.0044

The source of data is statistical survey based on administrative data.
Frame on which the source is based – The Statistical Business Register (BJS) supported by the National Official Business Register (REGON);
Type of survey –  census of Construction and architectural administrative authorities.

Quarterly  
Collected data refer to the full reference period.

Quarterly report B-05: Report on building permits and registrations with a construction project granted for construction of building constructions;
All data collection is done by electronic questionnaire. 
Timetable of data collection:

• dissemination of electronic questionnaire on the Reporting Portal for reporting units – until the 15th calendar day after the end of the reference quarter,
• sending information from the Reporting Portal to reporting units which have not completed the questionnaire – on the 16th calendar day after reference quarter,
• the end of the edition of the survey on the Reporting Portal – until the 17th calendar day after the end of the reference quarter,
• the further actions concerning the realization of the survey take place in the leading statistical office.

Appropriate validation procedures are applied on the level of unit data and aggregates as well as before transmission to Eurostat.
In the first stage the Statistical Office realizes the following actions:

• monitoring and analyzing the data completeness,
• controlling, analyzing as well as explaining errors and data outliers (correction of unit data),
• consulting with the reporting units the need to revise data in quarter/quarters.

In the second stage the Statistical Office controls aggregated data with the results of the monthly survey on a number of dwellings for which permits have been granted or which have been registered with a construction project.
Before transmission to Eurostat, the structure of the data file and format is checked in detail.

In the Statistical Office the result tables are analyzed, compiled and approved.
Afterwards, the tables are transmitted to all regional statistical offices and tables are calculated for the Local Data Bank and for the Analytical Platform-Knowledge Databases-Construction- verified and approved.
Data are sent to Eurostat regularly in SDMX format within 90 days after the reference quarter.

 Level of detail:

For variable 150101 (Building permits – Number of dwellings): New residential buildings only

CPA 41.00.1 without CPA 41.00.14 (Residential buildings without Residences for communities),

CPA 41.00.11 (One-dwelling buildings),

CPA 41.00.12+CPA 41.00.13 (Two-dwelling buildings and Three and more dwelling buildings).

For variable 150102 (Building permits – Square metres): New residential and non-residential buildings only

CPA 41.00.1 (Residential buildings),

CPA 41.00.1 without CPA 41.00.14 (Residential buildings without Residences for communities),

CPA 41.00.11 (One-dwelling buildings),

CPA 41.00.12+CPA 41.00.13 (Two-dwelling buildings and Three and more dwelling buildings),

CPA 41.00.14 (Residences for communities),

CPA 41.00.2 (Non-residential buildings),

CPA 41.00.2 without 41.00.23 (Non-residential buildings without Office buildings),

CPA 41.00.23 (Office buildings).

Absolute value

Program JDemetra+, TRAMO/SEATS method

Pre-adjustment:

• regARIMA, 1 regressor connected with the changing number of working days in a week resulting from national holidays (if relevant – the effect is tested, currently it is not significant),
• leap year effect (if relevant),
• Easter effect (if relevant),
• outliers (AO, LS, TC) with automatic detection supported by additional analysis and a priori knowledge.

Seasonal adjustment:

• automatic model selection with additional non-automatic verification of problematic cases,
• additive or multiplicative decomposition,

Revisions:

model updated once a year including revision of historical data.

Not applicable