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.
Quarterly services producer price indices are important short-term indicators used to analyse business cycle trends in the service sector and as input for National accounts statistics.
They are intended to trace price movements that reflect the supply and demand conditions in the service market.
They are also used as a deflators for compiling Index of Services Production (ISP).
3.2. Classification system
NACE Rev. 2
CPA used for determining groups of services
3.3. Coverage - sector
SPPIs cover services activities listed in sectors H to N of NACE Rev. 2.
In Croatia the covered services activities are:
Activities in Section H:
H491 Passenger rail transport, interurban
H492 Freight rail transport
H493 Other passenger land transport
H494 Freight transport by road
H495 Transport via pipeline
H501 Sea and coastal water passenger transport
H502 Sea and coastal water freight transport
H51 Regular passenger air transport
H521 Warehousing and storage services
H5221Service activities incidental to land transportation
H5222 Service activities incidental to water transportation
H5223 Service activities incidental to air transportation
H5224 Cargo handling
H5229 Other transportation support activities
H531 Postal activities under universal service obligation
H532 Other postal and courier activities
Activities in Section I:
I55 Accommodation
I56 Food and beverage service activities
Activities in Section J:
J58 Publishing activities
J59 Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities
J60 Programming and broadcasting activities
J61 Telecommunications
J62 Computer programming, consultancy and related activities
J63 Information service activities
Activities in Section L:
L68 Real estate activities
Activities in Section M:
M691 Legal activities
M692 Accounting activities
M702 Management consultancy activities
M711 Architectural and engineering services and related tecnical consulting services
M712 Technical testing and analysis
M731 Advertising services
M732 Market research and public opinion polling services
M74 Other professional, scientific and technical activities
Activities in Section N:
N77 Rental and leasing activities
N78 Employment activities
N79 Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities
N80 Security and investigation activities
N811 Combined facilities support activities
N812 Cleaning activities
N813 Landscape service activities
N82 Office administrative, office support and other business support activities
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Statistical variables provided by the SPPI surveys are services producer prices and turnover.
The services producer prices are in general transaction prices, i.e. the prices of the performed services which enterprise achieves on the market (excluding VAT). All price-determining characteristics of the products are taken into account, including quantity of units sold, transport provided, rabates, discounts, services conditions, subsidies, guarantee conditions and destination. Prices are collected for well specified services for reference quarter and for the previous quarter.
Information is also collected on turnover (excluding VAT) for the previous year. STS definition of turnover is used. Turnover comprises the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the whole reference year and this corresponds to market sales of services supplied to third parties. Turnover is used to calculate weights. Turnover covers flows during the calendar year.
Information about turnover cover total turnover from all activities of the enterprise and turnover from the specified activities. Share of that turnover by groups of services is also required.
3.5. Statistical unit
Reporting unit
In SPPIs reporting unit is Kind of activity units. In case of Telecommunication activities reporting unit is HAKOM - regulatory body for this services. In case of Passenger air transport services, the biggest enterprise is reporting unit. Enterprise is used as proxy for KAU.
Observation units
Since 2024, the observation unit for all SPPIs is a kind-of-activity unit (KAU).
3.6. Statistical population
The target population are business entities (legal units, tradesmen and free lances) which perform service activities that are proposed in the Requirement (listed under 3.3.).
The frame for identifying units for the population is the Statistical Business Register.
In the case of NACE J61 national regulator obtains the statistical population.
Sample frame consists of about 110.000 units.
Sample covers about 2.200 units.
3.7. Reference area
Geographical area covered: Republic of Croatia.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Time series for SPPIs have different length, depending on when the production of industry index started and how long in the past the backcasting was performed. Some series have data from 2006 but most of them have data from 2010 and some from 2015.
From 2006 data are available for: H50, H51, H521, H5224, H53, J61, N80
From 2010 data are available for: H494_N812_STS, H494, J58, J62, J63, M691, M692, M702, M711, M731, M732, N78, N79, N812
From 2015 data are available for: H491, H492, H493, H495, H5221, H5222, H5223, H5229, I55, I56, J59, J60, L68, M74, N77, N81, N82
3.9. Base period
Base year (the year on which the weights are based) is previous year (2023).
Base period (the period to which the index values are compared) is the last quarter of the previous year.
Reference year (the year when the index equals 100) is 2021.
From first quarter of 2024 onwards indices are published with base year 2021.
From March 2024 onwards, Eurostat publishes indices with base year 2021. The whole time series is recalculated / rescaled accordingly. Therefore, the data with reference year 2024 is published in Eurostat’s database with base year 2021.
The variables for which data are collected are prices (without VAT), expressed in euro and turnover (without VAT) expressed in euro.
Only price index numbers are calculated as the results of the surveys.
Data in absolute figures are not published nationally.
Data on prices are collected in reference period of the quarter with the exception of:
NACE H51 for which data on prices are collected on monthly basis
but price indices for all SPPIs are calculated on quarterly basis.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics
Methodological Guide for Developing Producer Price Indices for Services, ISSN 1725-0099, European Commission, OECD, Eurostat, Luxembourg 2005
Methodological Guide for Developing Producer Price Indices for Services (OECD, Eurostat, 2014, Second Edition)
Obligation on units to provide data is compulsory based on Law on Official Statistics. Fees for non-response are regulated by the Law on Official Statistics, but not really used in practice.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data sets for 33 SPPI series (for HTNXK, H, H49, H50, H51, H52, H53, I, I55, I56, J, J58, J59, J60, J61, J62, J63, L, L68, M_STS, M69, M702, M71, M73, M74, N, N77, N78, N79, N80, N81, N82) are regularly transmitted to Eurostat on quarterly basis.
There is no data sharing to other international institutions.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
National legislation
Under the Official Statistics Act (NN No.25/20 and 155/23), the CBS can not publish, or otherwise make available, to any individual or organization, statistics that would enable the identification of data for any individual person or legal entity. Individual data are strictly confidential and must not be published or reported.
European legislation
European legislation Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 11 March 2009, on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Confidential data are treated according to policy rules (see point 7.1).
For certain service activities in which an observation is based on a very few dominating enterprises data are considered confidential and are marked with the confidential flag.
With the first quarter of 2016 price indices started to be regularly nationally published in database and from 2023. data are published in First Release.
The same treatment with confidential data has been applied when published nationally as well as when transmitted data to Eurostat.
8.1. Release calendar
A release schedule for the coming year, specifying dates of release is published each December in the CBS Publishing Program. This document is available in both Croatian and English.
The exact dates of release are pre-announced in the Calendar of Statistical Data Issues.
Data are simultaneous released at the same time (11.00 ) to all interested parties by publishing on the CBS’s website.
There is no prior access to data before its release.
Data are transmitted to Eurostat 75 days after the reference quarter.
Data are disseminated quarterly to Eurostat as well as published nationally.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
News Release is published from 2023.
Indices are also published in excel sheet format in the STS database of CBS.
From 2024, gross series of indices are quarterly published for following activities: H-N, H, H49, H50, H51, H52, H53, I, I55, I56, J, J58, J59, J60, J61, J62, J63, L, L68, M, M69, M702, M71, M73, M74, N, N77, N78, N79, N80, N81, N82.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Indices are published in First Release from first quarter 2023. From 2024, the gross indices on the base year 2021, quarter on the same quarter of previous year and quarter on previous quarter are published. Service activities published are following: H-N, H, H49, H50, H51, H52, H53, I, I55, I56, J, J58, J59, J60, J61, J62, J63, L, L68, M, M69, M702, M71, M73, M74, N, N77, N78, N79, N80, N81, N82.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Indices are published online on the CBS website in STS Database Reports.
Gross series of indices are quarterly published for following activities: HTNXK, H, H49, H50, H51, H52, H53, I, I55, I56, J, J58, J59, J60, J61, J62, J63, L, L68, M_STS, M69, M702, M71, M73, M74, N, N77, N78, N79, N80, N81, N82.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Micro data are available only in some cases and in specific conditions.
SPPI indices have been disseminated to Eurostat in pre-defined tables through eDamis, to be used in European aggregates as well as released as national data.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
A short description on methodology is available in First Release.
There are some internal methodological documents available to statisticians.
Also, methodological notes are available in STS Database under Services Producer Price Indices.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Documentation on quality management is available only for internal users in database specially designed for the purpose of storing information on quality and assessing data quality.
11.1. Quality assurance
There is a written statement under the Official Statistical Act (NN No 25/20 and 155/23) that official statistics in Croatia should be of enough quality.
CBS has started systematic approach to quality management with the adoption of the European Code of Practice and with the decision to implement TQM. This process is still in course.
Data base for storing information for the purpose of assessing data quality has been developed.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
CBS has started systematic approach to quality management with the adoption of the European Code of Practice and with the decision to implement TQM. This process is still in course.
Data base for storing information for the purpose of assessing data quality has been developed.
Overall quality of SPPI indicators is good. Quality is achieved:
by complying with methodological recommendations,
by applying manual and automatic controls on reported data,
by comparing results with results from previous periods and with other countries and other statistical areas.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
User needs are considered almost fully met. Users of the SPPI are:
1. Internal CBS user:
National Accounts
Service statistics for calculating volume in turnover
Structural Business Statistics
2. External users:
Eurostat: Use a selection of Croatian SPPIs in the construction of an aggregate of services sector price index for all EU member states.
National Bank
Government
Research institutions
Media
Enterprises.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
There is a good cooperation with national accounts as a main users of SPPIs. Also, all questions from users are answered but there is no sistematic way to monitor user satisfaction.
12.3. Completeness
According to EBS Regulation CBS has developed all service activities.
Some service activities are still in experimental phase and are not ready to be published.
Other services activities are regularly published and sent to Eurostat.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
CBS does not measure difference between indices calculated with the real population value.
It is generaly considered that SPPIs are unbiased and accurate.
The main source of errors are:
out of date information in Business Register - influence on the quality of sample frame - coverage errors
misunderstanding of price questionnaires
errors in data editing
non-response
dealing with quality changes in services
Indices are not subject to revisions.
13.2. Sampling error
Most of SPPI surveys are based on a cut-off method where 60% to 70% of total turnover of that service activity is covered.
In just a few SPPI surveys PPS sample is used. Those are service activities where there is a lot of small units.
Sample error is not measured due to lack of resources.
13.3. Non-sampling error
The main source of errors is the degree of the accuracy of sample frame and non-response. Non-response amounts 10% on average.
Fixed quantity indices may contain a bias as a result from the entry of new services or if significant changes occure in the service structures and weights by industries. The bias caused by new service is minimised by adding new service to the ones monitored with the index.
The SPPIs' objective is to measure pure price movements, so changes in the quality must be taken into consideration during the index calculation. This is the main challenge in index calculation, so quality changes are very carefully monitored and treated. Two methods are frequently used: overlaping method and carrying forward method in order to find the price difference equal to the quality difference of the service. If the data are not obtained in two periods, new service is selected.
Data collected on prices sometimes are considered as confidential by the reporting units which influences on non-response rate.
During the survey conduction great number of units are found not in the scope of the survey.
In order to update the sample frame and in order to give a feedback to the Statistical Business Register, based on the information from the survey, units from the sample are classified as:
0 - runs business, refuse to report the data
1 - runs business, report submitted
2 - stopped running the business
3 - does not perform any service activities
4 - dormant unit
5 - bankruptcy
6 - undeliverable
7 - does not perform specified service activity but some other service activity
8 - paid by the state, unprofitable organisation
9 - organizational changes (merge, splits etc.)
Double checks and error listings of input data are used to avoid processing errors.
14.1. Timeliness
Results are published no later than 75 days after the reference quarter.
Indices are regularly calculated and sent to Eurostat on quarterly basis.
Reference period-Date of publishing
1st quarter 2024 - 17 June 2024
2nd quarter 2024 - 16 September 2024
3rd quarter 2024 - 16 December 2024
4th quarter 2024 - 17 March 2025
14.2. Punctuality
There is no time lag between the actual delivery of the data to Eurostat and the target date when it should have been delivered.No definition available for this concept
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Same statistical concepts are applied in the entire national territory: there is no problem of geographical comparability.
Data are also comparable with other member states because the methodology is based on the same regulations.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Data series for 7 SPPIs have been compiled from 2006 and are comparable over time (NACE H51, H521, H501_H502, H5224, H531, J61 and N80).
Other are available from 2010 and some from 2015.
All data series are comparable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Price movements for several activities in which private consumers are significant are cross-checked with CPI indices like in Regular Air Passenger Transport (NACE H51) and Sea and Coastal Passenger Water Transport (NACE H501).
15.4. Coherence - internal
SPPI indices are internally coherent.
For all NACE areas the same definitions of turnover and output prices are used.
Cost is presented in working hours of CBS staff that is spent on the compilation of producer price index and it is approximately 2500 hours per year. It includes work of 8 persons on 32 rugular surveys.
Burden for reporting units is available for 30 SPPI surveys which are conducted via Internet survey.
Reporting units give information on time they spent to fill out the questionnaire only in first quarter of the year.
17.1. Data revision - policy
There is no official revision policy on the level of CBS. The "de facto" revision policy used for this survey includes:
for mayor revisions (such as change of base year) - all series are recalculated but changes are not announced in advance. Explanations are given when new data are published.
if errors occur, corrected data are published as soon as possible or in the next issue of the publication.
The same revision policy is applied nationally and in transmission to Eurostat.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The data as indices in original, non-adjusted form are in general calculated and transmitted to Eurostat as final.
The exception could occur for data for the first quarter of the year when new sample is drawn and the results are provided before all units from the new sample respond.
If error on data occurs, corrected data are transmitted with the next delivery of data. The same revision is applied internally and transmitted to Eurostat.
18.1. Source data
The source for SPPI is in most cases statistical survey. Most of these surveys are web based surveys. In case of J61 Telecommunication sercices, the source is regulatory body.
For statistical surveys the frame is derived from Statistical Business Register.
The surveys on SPPIs are conducted either by using census (for NACE H51 and J61), sample method (for NACE H494, M691_M692, M702, M711, M731) or cut-off method (for the rest of activities).
The sample is updated every year.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Data are in general collected on quarterly basis.
For NACE H51 data are collected monthly.
18.3. Data collection
Quarterly questionnaires are used, mostly web questionnaires and in few cases excel tables sent via e-mail. In future it is planned to convert those excel spreads in web questionnaires.
Actions taken to speed up or increase the rate of response: automatic reminders sent through the web application, re-contact by e-mail (written reminders), telephone contacts.
18.4. Data validation
There is an automatic control during the entering data into the SPPI web aplication. At data entry essential errors are identified which force responding unit or administrator to eliminate them, if not the data could not be successfully sent to database.
The main checkings are looking for and dealing with the large fluctuations in prices between curent and previous period and with the influence of quality changes on the price movement.
18.5. Data compilation
The Statistical Business Register is in general used as a frame for sample selection.
Unit non-response and item non-response are treated by data editing (imputed).
In the index calculation first step is calculation of elementary indices as a ratio of the geometric mean of the prices collected in the observed quarter and the last quarter of the previous year.
Elementary indices are aggregated by weighted arithmetic mean. Values of turnover are used for weights. The main source for weights is the SPPI survey itself. Weights (turnovers) are collected for each service group for each enterprise for previous year.
Missing prices are estimated as an average change of the rest of prices of the service group (branch).
18.6. Adjustment
Indices are calculated in original, non-adjusted form.
Not available.
Quarterly services producer price indices are important short-term indicators used to analyse business cycle trends in the service sector and as input for National accounts statistics.
They are intended to trace price movements that reflect the supply and demand conditions in the service market.
They are also used as a deflators for compiling Index of Services Production (ISP).
10 June 2025
Statistical variables provided by the SPPI surveys are services producer prices and turnover.
The services producer prices are in general transaction prices, i.e. the prices of the performed services which enterprise achieves on the market (excluding VAT). All price-determining characteristics of the products are taken into account, including quantity of units sold, transport provided, rabates, discounts, services conditions, subsidies, guarantee conditions and destination. Prices are collected for well specified services for reference quarter and for the previous quarter.
Information is also collected on turnover (excluding VAT) for the previous year. STS definition of turnover is used. Turnover comprises the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the whole reference year and this corresponds to market sales of services supplied to third parties. Turnover is used to calculate weights. Turnover covers flows during the calendar year.
Information about turnover cover total turnover from all activities of the enterprise and turnover from the specified activities. Share of that turnover by groups of services is also required.
Reporting unit
In SPPIs reporting unit is Kind of activity units. In case of Telecommunication activities reporting unit is HAKOM - regulatory body for this services. In case of Passenger air transport services, the biggest enterprise is reporting unit. Enterprise is used as proxy for KAU.
Observation units
Since 2024, the observation unit for all SPPIs is a kind-of-activity unit (KAU).
The target population are business entities (legal units, tradesmen and free lances) which perform service activities that are proposed in the Requirement (listed under 3.3.).
The frame for identifying units for the population is the Statistical Business Register.
In the case of NACE J61 national regulator obtains the statistical population.
Sample frame consists of about 110.000 units.
Sample covers about 2.200 units.
Geographical area covered: Republic of Croatia.
Data on prices are collected in reference period of the quarter with the exception of:
NACE H51 for which data on prices are collected on monthly basis
but price indices for all SPPIs are calculated on quarterly basis.
CBS does not measure difference between indices calculated with the real population value.
It is generaly considered that SPPIs are unbiased and accurate.
The main source of errors are:
out of date information in Business Register - influence on the quality of sample frame - coverage errors
misunderstanding of price questionnaires
errors in data editing
non-response
dealing with quality changes in services
Indices are not subject to revisions.
The variables for which data are collected are prices (without VAT), expressed in euro and turnover (without VAT) expressed in euro.
Only price index numbers are calculated as the results of the surveys.
Data in absolute figures are not published nationally.
The Statistical Business Register is in general used as a frame for sample selection.
Unit non-response and item non-response are treated by data editing (imputed).
In the index calculation first step is calculation of elementary indices as a ratio of the geometric mean of the prices collected in the observed quarter and the last quarter of the previous year.
Elementary indices are aggregated by weighted arithmetic mean. Values of turnover are used for weights. The main source for weights is the SPPI survey itself. Weights (turnovers) are collected for each service group for each enterprise for previous year.
Missing prices are estimated as an average change of the rest of prices of the service group (branch).
The source for SPPI is in most cases statistical survey. Most of these surveys are web based surveys. In case of J61 Telecommunication sercices, the source is regulatory body.
For statistical surveys the frame is derived from Statistical Business Register.
The surveys on SPPIs are conducted either by using census (for NACE H51 and J61), sample method (for NACE H494, M691_M692, M702, M711, M731) or cut-off method (for the rest of activities).
The sample is updated every year.
Data are disseminated quarterly to Eurostat as well as published nationally.
Results are published no later than 75 days after the reference quarter.
Indices are regularly calculated and sent to Eurostat on quarterly basis.
Reference period-Date of publishing
1st quarter 2024 - 17 June 2024
2nd quarter 2024 - 16 September 2024
3rd quarter 2024 - 16 December 2024
4th quarter 2024 - 17 March 2025
Same statistical concepts are applied in the entire national territory: there is no problem of geographical comparability.
Data are also comparable with other member states because the methodology is based on the same regulations.
Data series for 7 SPPIs have been compiled from 2006 and are comparable over time (NACE H51, H521, H501_H502, H5224, H531, J61 and N80).
