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.
Swiss Federal Statistical Office Short-Term Inquiries Espace de l'Europe 10 CH-2010 Neuchâtel
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
8 July 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
8 July 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
8 July 2025
3.1. Data description
The Construction Industry Production, Orders and Turnover Statistics (BAPAU) is a quarterly economic statistic describing the evolution of production, orders and turnover in the construction industry.
3.2. Classification system
NACE Rev. 2
3.3. Coverage - sector
Activities covered: Division 41-43
Size classes covered: enterprises with more than 2 employees
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Quarterly production in construction by NACE Rev. 2. Production is approximated by deflated turnover.
3.5. Statistical unit
Reporting unit: Enterprise
Observation unit: economic activity
3.6. Statistical population
All active enterprises in divisions 41-43 of NACE Rev. 2. with more than 2 employees.
3.7. Reference area
Switzerland
3.8. Coverage - Time
From 1999Q1
3.9. Base period
2021=100
Indices, percentage changes.
Quarter
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
All individual data are treated as confidential and rendered anonymous. Tabular data should not permit the disclosure of individual enterprises. Data are only published down to an activity level at which it is not confidential.
8.1. Release calendar
Results are disseminated quarterly within less than 50 days after the end of the quarter. All available results are publicly published on the FSO website.
The data are released simultaneously to all interested parties.
Internal government access to the data prior (5 days) to their release to the public is limited to the Ministry of Economy and the Swiss National Bank.
Data are transmitted to Eurostat under embargo
Quarterly
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Standardised quarterly news release by the FSO covering production, turnover and employment in the secondary and tertiary sector.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
No publication available.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Quarterly turnover and production indices at the 2-digit NACE level and above; gross, calendar and seasonally adjusted data.
The data is used by the Swiss National Bank, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Eurostat and many other users.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
All required time series are available.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The sampling and non-sampling errors in the data are small, the first estimates are not biased. Revisions from the first to the final estimate are less than 1 percentage point, results are considered final after 3 months. The most significant sources of error are coverage errors, classification changes and data processing errors.
13.2. Sampling error
The sample method is stratified random sampling. The coefficient of variance is less than 5%.
13.3. Non-sampling error
The secondary sector production, orders and turnover statistics includes enterprises that have their main activity in Divisions 41-43 (NACE Rev. 2). But the frame is constructed using a "frozen" version of the business register, so enterprises entering into the business register after this freezing moment or enterprises wrongly classified outside of retail trade represent undercoverage Enterprises exiting the frame (closures, wrongly classified) after this moment are excluded from the survey, so overcoverage should be minimal.
Unit nonresponse (September 2024): 45%
Item nonresponse: 0%
14.1. Timeliness
Timeliness: First estimate at t+2 months, final results at t+5 months
Timetable of data collection: The questionnaires are sent out during the last week of the reference quarter. The deadline for replies is 2 weeks after the end of the reference period. A reminder is sent after the deadline. Selective phone reminders are used by necessity.
14.2. Punctuality
Deadlines are respected and data are published on time.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
In line with ESS/international concepts and definitions.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Comparable quarterly time series since 1999Q1.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
SBS and STS data are coherent to a limited extent only. The reason is, among others, different methods of compiling the respective statistics due to different purposes of SBS and STS statistics. However, these limitations have no impact on the validity of the statistics themselves. Basically, the quiarterly statistics present the economic development in trade whereas the annual survey delivers information on the structure of the enterprises, their economic situation and their earnings.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The internal coherence is assured.
Global cost estimation for the FSO is about 1 full-time equivalent. Burden estimates for respondents is on average 30 minutes per form.
17.1. Data revision - policy
First estimate at t+2 month, revision at t+5 months.
Change of base year and weights every 5 years, in the years X0 and X5.
Major methodological changes and revisions are announced in advance.
The revision policy for data published nationally and for data sent to Eurostat is the same.
17.2. Data revision - practice
According to Eurostat guidlines on Quality Indicators MAR (Mean Absolute Revision) and MR (Mean Revision) are calculated for the latest 20 quarters (2020Q1 - 2024Q4):
Growth rates for calendar adjusted data (YoY): MR: 0.096 MAR: 0.545
Growth rates for seasonally adjusted data (QoQ): MR: 0.017 MAR: 0.422
18.1. Source data
Type of source: statistical survey
Frame on which the source is based: Swiss Business register of enterprises and establishments (REE)
Sample or census: stratified sample
Criteria for stratification: turnover and activity
Threshold values and percentages: small: 10%; medium: 100%; large: 100%
Frequency of updating the sample: 5 years
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Small and medium enterprises: quarterly collection of quarterly data
Big enterprises: quarterly collection of quarterly data
18.3. Data collection
Quarterly questionnaire for all enterprises, postal and online survey.
18.4. Data validation
Data are checked across quarters and against the samling frame
18.5. Data compilation
Treatment of non-response: non-response is treated by weighting
Method for calculation of production: deflated turnover
Method for grossing-up: production is grossed-up to the 2-digit level of the Nace to calculate a rate of change compared to the same period of the previous year.
Type of index: Laspeyres. The existing index is extended one period at a time by calculating the rate of change in the latest period compared to the same period of the previous year.
Method of weighting and chaining: The index is weighted by the quarterly values of the underlying strata.
18.6. Adjustment
The turnover index is deflated using the construction price index (Baupreisindex, BAP).
For seasonal and calendar adjustment X13-ARIMA is used. NACE aggregates are calculated by using the direct method. The calendar adjustment is based on a country-specific calendar and is performed within the RegARIMA part of the program, including regressors for easter effects and leap year. Models/Filters are selected automatically, if the automatic choice is not considered adequate it is corrected manually; models are fixed for at least one year, parameters are estimated every time a new value becomes available; the whole series is revised every time a new value becomes available.
no comment
The Construction Industry Production, Orders and Turnover Statistics (BAPAU) is a quarterly economic statistic describing the evolution of production, orders and turnover in the construction industry.
8 July 2025
Quarterly production in construction by NACE Rev. 2. Production is approximated by deflated turnover.
Reporting unit: Enterprise
Observation unit: economic activity
All active enterprises in divisions 41-43 of NACE Rev. 2. with more than 2 employees.
Switzerland
Quarter
The sampling and non-sampling errors in the data are small, the first estimates are not biased. Revisions from the first to the final estimate are less than 1 percentage point, results are considered final after 3 months. The most significant sources of error are coverage errors, classification changes and data processing errors.
Indices, percentage changes.
Treatment of non-response: non-response is treated by weighting
Method for calculation of production: deflated turnover
Method for grossing-up: production is grossed-up to the 2-digit level of the Nace to calculate a rate of change compared to the same period of the previous year.
Type of index: Laspeyres. The existing index is extended one period at a time by calculating the rate of change in the latest period compared to the same period of the previous year.
Method of weighting and chaining: The index is weighted by the quarterly values of the underlying strata.
Type of source: statistical survey
Frame on which the source is based: Swiss Business register of enterprises and establishments (REE)
Sample or census: stratified sample
Criteria for stratification: turnover and activity
Threshold values and percentages: small: 10%; medium: 100%; large: 100%
Frequency of updating the sample: 5 years
Quarterly
Timeliness: First estimate at t+2 months, final results at t+5 months
Timetable of data collection: The questionnaires are sent out during the last week of the reference quarter. The deadline for replies is 2 weeks after the end of the reference period. A reminder is sent after the deadline. Selective phone reminders are used by necessity.
In line with ESS/international concepts and definitions.
