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.
[MK1] State Statistical Office (MAKSTAT) (North Macedonia)
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Department for SBS (Structural Business Statistics), BD (Business Demography) and FATS (Foreign Affiliates Statistics)
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Str. "Dame Gruev " 4
1000- Skopje
The Republic of North MAcedonia
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
1 July 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
1 July 2026
2.3. Metadata last update
1 July 2026
3.1. Data description
Quarterly business demography (QBD) comprises data on registrations and bankruptcies of legal units in the country. Data are collected as absolute values.
3.2. Classification system
The classification NACE Rev.2 (Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community) is used.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Quarterly business demography cover units clasified by NACE Rev2. sections B_S excluding section O and division S94.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Registrations in the reference period are legal units that, based on a court procedure, are newly registered in the Adminsitrative Business Register kept by the Central Register, as a responsible institution for registration of the legal unit.
Bankruptcies in the reference period are legal unit that have started the procedure of being declared bankrupt by issuing a court declaration.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical unit used is the legal unit.
3.6. Statistical population
All market oriented legal units performing activities in sections B – Mining and quarrying to S – Other service activities (except section of activity O - Public administration and defence; compulsory social security and division 94 – Activities of membership organisation) by NACE Rev. 2.
3.7. Reference area
Registered legal unit on the teritory of the Republic of North Macedonia.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data available starting from the 1st quarter 2020 on.
3.9. Base period
Not aplicable, data are sent as a absolute figures.
Number of registrations and bankruptcies.
Quarter.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
National legislative :
Law on state statistics (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia” No. 54/1997, 21/2007, 51/2011, 104/2013, 42/2014, 192/2015, 27/16, 83/18 and 220/18);
Five year Statistical Programme, 2023-2027.
EU legal framework:
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.
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 on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics.
Data set for registrations and bankruptcies is regularly transmitted only to Eurostat.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
In general Policy on Statisical confidentiality is implemented for all disseminated data.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
Not aplicable for QBD.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not aplicable for QBD. The general Release Calendar is available at the national website.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Not aplicable for QBD.
Data not published on national level. To Eurostat sent on a quarterly level.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
There is no press release yet.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
There is no publicataion with QBD data.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Data are not published online.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
There is no QBD microdata acces to any user.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
QBD data have been disseminated to Eurostat in pre-defined tables by eDAMIS using the SDMX format.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
There is no published documentation on the methodolgy.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
There is no published quality report on QBD.
11.1. Quality assurance
Quality checks and validation of data are done throughout the whole process. In order to ensure the quality of results, SSO produces data based on the same standards and harmonized methods. In this respect, SSO follows the principles from the Code of Practise , according to the Official Statistic Act.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Registration and bankruptcy data are considered to be of a good quality. They are updated on a monthly basis by the administrative data source, maintained by the Central Registry Agency. The Central Registry Agency is an institution responsible for the registration of legal units, as well as for the collection of their annual financial statements. Registration is done upon issued declaration from the Commercial Court, and NACE activity code to each newly registered legal unit is assigned based on the owner's statement.
When there is a bankruptcy, confirmed with statement issued by the Commercial Court, the Central Registry updates the data and sends to the SSO on a monthly basis.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
So far , the main users is Eurostat. However , the Central Regsiter also provide and offer those data to the national users.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
In order to obtain the opinions of users on the products and services, the State Statistical Office conducts a survey to measure user satisfaction. The first survey was conducted in 2009, the second in 2012, the third in 2015, the fourth in 2017, and at the beginning of 2019 the SSO conducted the survey for the fifth time.
12.3. Completeness
The data cover all the variables required by Eurostat regulations.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The coverage rate is 100% due to the usage of the credible ,administrative data source managed by the Central Register institution as a resposnible for legal unit registration and other business demography events.
13.2. Sampling error
Not aplicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not aplicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Data are transmited to Eurostat within required deadline.
14.2. Punctuality
There is no time lag between the actual delivery of the data and the target date when they should have been delivered.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Data is comparable among the countries since they are based on a requirements of the EU regulation.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Data is comparable from 1st quarter 2020 on.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Coherence cross domain has not been analysed in deep yet. However, the coverage of the population is the same - non-market legal units from B_S exclusing section O and S94.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Data are internally coherent. Each level of aggregated data is compiled from micro data.
Data on Quarterly Business Demography is taken from the Statistical Business Register, there is no additional burden on the reporting units.
17.1. Data revision - policy
There is no planned revison. When mistake noticed, revised data should be prepared.
17.2. Data revision - practice
If there is a need, data are subjected to revision.
18.1. Source data
Data on registrations and declared bankruptcies are based on the Statistical Business Register data. Statistical business register is updated from the administartive data source Central Register.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Both registration and bancruptcieds are updated on a monthly level.
18.3. Data collection
Data is collected by the Central Register Agency and submit to the SSO and uploaded to Statistical Business Register on a monthly level using certain IT procedures.
18.4. Data validation
Data validation is done by comparation between curent and same period of previous year.
18.5. Data compilation
Data on registrations and bankruptcies are obtained by counting absolute numbers of the business demography events, from the Statistical Busines Register.
18.6. Adjustment
There is no data adjustment.
No comment.
Quarterly business demography (QBD) comprises data on registrations and bankruptcies of legal units in the country. Data are collected as absolute values.
1 July 2026
Registrations in the reference period are legal units that, based on a court procedure, are newly registered in the Adminsitrative Business Register kept by the Central Register, as a responsible institution for registration of the legal unit.
Bankruptcies in the reference period are legal unit that have started the procedure of being declared bankrupt by issuing a court declaration.
The statistical unit used is the legal unit.
All market oriented legal units performing activities in sections B – Mining and quarrying to S – Other service activities (except section of activity O - Public administration and defence; compulsory social security and division 94 – Activities of membership organisation) by NACE Rev. 2.
Registered legal unit on the teritory of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Quarter.
The coverage rate is 100% due to the usage of the credible ,administrative data source managed by the Central Register institution as a resposnible for legal unit registration and other business demography events.
Number of registrations and bankruptcies.
Data on registrations and bankruptcies are obtained by counting absolute numbers of the business demography events, from the Statistical Busines Register.
Data on registrations and declared bankruptcies are based on the Statistical Business Register data. Statistical business register is updated from the administartive data source Central Register.
Data not published on national level. To Eurostat sent on a quarterly level.
Data are transmited to Eurostat within required deadline.
Data is comparable among the countries since they are based on a requirements of the EU regulation.
