|
For any question on data and metadata, please contact: Eurostat user support |
|
|||
1.1. Contact organisation | Statistics Finland |
||
1.2. Contact organisation unit |
Economic Statistics
|
||
1.5. Contact mail address | Business statistics, FI-00022 Statistics Finland |
|
|||
2.1. Metadata last certified | 15/06/2023 | ||
2.2. Metadata last posted | 15/06/2023 | ||
2.3. Metadata last update | 15/06/2023 |
|
||||||||
3.1. Data description | ||||||||
The indices of turnover and volume in retail trade describe development in the turnover and sales volume of retail trade enterprises. Turnover for the largest enterprises in their respective industries is described with the data collected with the sales inquiry while the data on sales obtained from the self-assessed tax returns data are exploited to describe the turnover of other enterprises. Turnover is exclusive of value added tax. |
||||||||
3.2. Classification system | ||||||||
NACE Rev. 2. |
||||||||
3.3. Coverage - sector | ||||||||
Activities covered: Size classes covered: |
||||||||
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions | ||||||||
The index of turnover of trade describes development in the turnover of enterprises engaged in trade. Turnover for the largest enterprises in their respective industries is described with the data collected with the sales inquiry while the data on sales obtained from periodic tax returns are exploited to describe the turnover of other enterprises. Turnover is exclusive of value-added tax. The volume index of trade sales is aimed to measure the volume of the trade sales. It is obtained when price change is removed from a value index by means of a price index (deflation), in other words a value index is divided by price index and the obtained quotient is multiplied by one hundred. Variables on questionnaire in sales inquiry: Domestic sales, sales abroad and of which sales of goods between countries abroad. Reference period: flow during the calendar month. Variables on administrative declarations: Domestic sales by tax rate, Sales of goods to other EU Member States, Sales of services to other EU Member States, Sales of construction services, Sales taxable at zero VAT rate. Reference period: flow during the calendar month, quarter or year. |
||||||||
3.5. Statistical unit | ||||||||
Administrative source: legal unit. Statistical survey: legal unit, kind-of-activity unit for the major multi-industrial enterprises. |
||||||||
3.6. Statistical population | ||||||||
Statistical population is legal units which submit Periodic tax returns to the Finnish Tax Administration and fall into NACE category G. Business register is used for NACE information. The statistical population in trade is about 55 000 enterprises. The frame is updated monthly and demographic changes, such as start-ups and the most important mergers and split-offs, are included instantly. Closures are included as soon as they are noticed, at the latest in four months delay. |
||||||||
3.7. Reference area | ||||||||
Geographical area covered: The turnover/volume of sales figures also include activities carried outside Finnish territories. The largest companies are inquired monthly about the sales of goods and services from abroad to abroad. This information may contain e.g merchanting if it is reported on the financial statement of the company operating in Finland. Fully comprehensive information according to the National Accounts definition of global production has not been acquired through the questionnaire. The quality of turnover in major globally active enterprises has been examined but there is no comprehensive information on its coverage.
|
||||||||
3.8. Coverage - Time | ||||||||
Data is available from 1995. Some of the series published only nationally are produced only from 2010 onwards. |
||||||||
3.9. Base period | ||||||||
Base (reference) year: 2015. |
|
|||
Euro, data is published as indices. |
|
|||
Month. |
|
|||
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements | |||
The production of the indices is based on the Statistics Act (280/2004) and guided by Regulation (EU) (N:o 2019/2152) of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) (N:o 2020/1197) on European business statistics. The Regulation obliges Member States to produce index series on turnover data for certain industries. The Statistics Act is the general act for the National Statistical Service (NSS). It contains the principles for the data collection, processing, and dissemination of official statistics. The act defines the roles of statistical authorities (Statistics Finland, Customs, National Institute for Health and Welfare, and Tike, Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) and other authorities producing statistics. The Statistics Act (280/04) states that Statistics Finland (SF) shall provide for the general development of official statistics in collaboration with other central government authorities. Ensuring statistical reporting |
|||
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing | |||
According to the Statistics Act, data obtained by four statistical authorities may be released to other parties either if permitted by legal provisions explicitly concerning the NSS, or upon express consent of the subject of the data. As far as statistical authorities are concerned they are allowed to transmit confidential data with identifiers to each other if it is deemed necessary for the production of statistics. The same applies to the European Statistical System authorities (ESS Authorities). Co-ordination among data-producing agencies is normal practice at both specialist and top level. |
|
|||
7.1. Confidentiality - policy | |||
Several legal acts guarantee that individual data should be kept confidential. |
|||
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment | |||
Data is not confidential at the classification level used in the monthly publication. |
|
|||
8.1. Release calendar | |||
A release schedule for the coming year, specifying precise dates of release, is published in the Release Calendar in December by Statistics Finland. |
|||
8.2. Release calendar access | |||
The release dates are available on the Internet (https://www.stat.fi/en/future-releases). |
|||
8.3. Release policy - user access | |||
Indices are published simultaneously to all interested parties on predefined days on the home page of the Index of turnover of trade (https://www.stat.fi/en/statistics/klv). No one has prior access to the statistics before their general release. Series are transmitted to Eurostat during the same day they are published in Finland. The transmission is done via STADIUM by using GESMES/TS coding system. Commenting on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics |
|
|||
Monthly. |
|
|||
10.1. Dissemination format - News release | |||
A monthly publication is made available to the media and the public free of charge. The indices are published monthly on the Internet (https://www.stat.fi/en/statistics/klv). |
|||
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications | |||
A monthly publication is made available to the media and the public free of charge. The indices are published monthly on the Internet (https://www.stat.fi/en/statistics/klv).
|
|||
10.3. Dissemination format - online database | |||
Indices and revisions are published in the StatFin-databank of Statistics Finland (http://tilastokeskus.fi/tup/statfin/index_en.html). Information published:
Some of the above mentioned data is also published as quarterly, semiannual and annual aggregates. Revisions are published from the original, working day adjusted and seasonal adjusted index series. A revision is presented as the difference between percentage point changes found in the first and the latest release.
|
|||
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access | |||
Statistics Finland's researcher services offer unit-level data, i.e. micro data, for scientific studies and statistical surveys. The conditions and rules with respect to data access can be found on the home page http://tilastokeskus.fi/tup/mikroaineistot/index_en.html. |
|||
10.5. Dissemination format - other | |||
Data is sent monthly to Eurostat. Dissemination on request: Tailored tables and data files are provided for a fee. |
|||
10.6. Documentation on methodology | |||
The documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics is available on the Internet (https://www.stat.fi/en/statistics/documentation/klv). Advance notice is given to the public on the statistics website (https://www.stat.fi/en/statistics/klv) when major changes are introduced in methodology, sources, and statistical techniques. In the case of major changes, briefings for the main users and press will be organized. |
|||
10.7. Quality management - documentation | |||
The documentation on quality management is available on the Internet (https://www.stat.fi/en/statistics/documentation/klv). |
|
|||
11.1. Quality assurance | |||
Monthly follow-up of revisions is available for public within every release and in the StatFin-databank of turnover of trade. Quality policy Impartiality of statistics Guidelines for staff behavior |
|||
11.2. Quality management - assessment | |||
The quality of the turnover of trade indices is good, although preliminary indices are slightly biased. The top management of SF has made several self-assessments in line with the EFQM model. There have also been external audits by e.g. the EU and IMF experts. Processes are in place to monitor the quality of the statistical process and the processes of individual statistics. Quality considerations are an integral part of the planning and evaluation of the statistical programme. |
|
|||
12.1. Relevance - User Needs | |||
The information is used for the follow-up and analysis of the development of the business statistics in Eurostat, in the European Central Bank, in some international organizations and Finland's public administration and area developing. The economic life and the research institutions use information to the evaluation of the market's and competitors' development. The Trend Indicator Of Output and Quarterly national accounts use Index of turnover in trade as their source material in Statistics Finland. |
|||
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction | |||
Co-operation between SF and important users with regard to the relevance of statistics and the users’ needs consists of an extensive feedback system and co-operative working groups with the main users, such as users of national accounts. There are regular meetings of SF directors and experts with the users, even at the senior management level. Users are usually also invited to participate in discussions concerning the establishment of new statistics or revisions of existing ones. |
|||
12.3. Completeness | |||
All Eurostat's STS requirements are fulfilled. Data cover almost the entire entrepreneurial activity in Finland. The latest index figures may change a little due to material accumulation and changes in business reporting. The measured variable is similar to Eurostat definitions. The used concept of turnover, corresponds to the turnover according to the Accounting Act. The used data may include the use of asset sales, other income and extraordinary items. In the used data there may be errors due to for example in optical reading or reporting. The material available to the completeness of the statistical method can be considered almost unbiased. |
|
|||
13.1. Accuracy - overall | |||
Accuracy is good, due to total data in use. Data updates over one year backwards. However the most notable changes affect the five most recent months. The average absolute revision of the flash indices (sent at a lag of 28 days) of retail trade (Division 47 of NACE) in time period 1-12/2022 was 0,51 percentage points in turnover and 0,44 percentage in volume of sales (measured in March 2023). The average revision of the preliminary indices (sent at a lag of 45 days) of total trade (Section G of NACE) in time period 1-12/2022 was 0,72 percentage in turnover and 0,66 percentage in volume of sales. The most significant sources of error are coverage errors, data processing errors and classification changes. The first error source mentioned is the most significant one and the two latter are less significant. The turnover data used in the flash indices and preliminary indices is based on a cut-off sample and thus it is assumed that the units in the sample develop in a similar way with the rest of the population. However in different economic fluctuations it may be that the assumption does not apply and in that case the first estimates may be biased. The deflator of sales is calculated deflating the turnover indices with suitable price indices. The revision of the volume of sales is mainly caused by the revision of the turnover indices. The price indices used in the deflation are consumer price indices, producer price indices and construction price indices. Before deflation the effect of the tax changes are removed from the price indices. More information of the accuracy of the price indices can be found from the metadata of the price index in question. |
|||
13.2. Sampling error | |||
Turnover The turnover data is derived from two different sources: survey and administrative data. The flash turnover indices and the preliminary turnover indices (delay of 1½ months) are both based on survey data, namely Statistics Finland's sales inquiry. It is carried out based on a cut-off sample which includes approximately 600 most important companies in the trade sector (Section G of NACE). The share of number of the legal units the sample covers is around 1.1 per cent. But when measured by turnover, the sample covers around 66 per cent of the total turnover in the trade section. The turnover coverage of the sample in retail trade division is around 63 per cent, in wholesale trade division around 68 per cent and in trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles around 72 per cent. From delay of 2½ months onwards the turnover information is complimented by VAT data for the cut-off part of the business population (small businesses).The first time (lag of around 30 & 45 days) VAT data is received the coverage is approximately 40 per cent and the second time (lag of around 75 days) approximately 99 per cent in terms of business turnover. It turns out that because we have total information on the history, we can disregard the direct collection of all the smaller businesses and use the cut-off sampling. This and the high concentration of the turnover greatly reduces the required sample size. The accuracy of flash turnover indices and the preliminary turnover indices may be reduced in some industries because the development of the large enterprises in the sample may differ from the rest of the population covered by the VAT data. However due to the sampling method being as a cut-off and the sample being quite fixed within years the sampling error is not relevant to be calculated. The average absolute revision caused by the cut-off sample in total trade (Section G of NACE) in time period 1-12/2022 was 0.5 percentage points on year-on-year growth rate. The samples of direct data collections are updated once in a year against the size and importance of an enterprise in its respective industry. Also during the year the sample is kept up to date by removing closures and companies whose activity is greatly reduced, or adding with new and expanding businesses. The sample size has been kept as minimum as possible while still achieving an adequate coverage in terms of turnover in different industries. Volume of sales The volume indices for the trade sector are compiled by deflating the turnover indices. The deflators are formed from many price indices thus estimating the sampling errors is complex. The average revision caused by the cut-off sample of turnover data in total trade (Section G of NACE) in time period 1-12/2022 was 0.5 percentage points on year-on-year growth rate of volume of sales. |
|||
13.3. Non-sampling error | |||
The flash turnover indices and the preliminary turnover indices are both calculated from a sample. When the flash indices were calculated the weighted response rate of retail trade in time period 1-12/2022 was 97.71 percentage. When the preliminary indices were calculated the weighted response rate of total trade in time period 1-12/2022 was around 97.67 percentage. There is no item non-response. From the beginning of January 2019 time series modelling has been used for helping calculations of the indices at a lag of around 45 days. More information about the used forecast methods is available on the Methodological report. The regular indicators, calculated from the VAT-source complemented by the direct inquiry data, are published 75 days after the end of the reference month. Due to accumulation of the VAT data the indices are revised for over a year. The data will be revised the most in the five latest months after the first publication. The first time (lag of around 30 & 45 days) VAT data is received the coverage is approximately 40 per cent and the second time (lag of around 75 days) approximately 99 per cent in terms of business turnover. The turnover used from VAT data does not fully correlate the turnover with the Accounting Act since it may contain for example fixed asset sales, other income and extraordinary items. The data may also contain for example optical reading errors or human errors in filling the forms. Because of the coverage of the data used the statistical method is considered nearly unbiased. The latest two months in the time series are supplemented by the imputation of the missing data. The imputation is conducted on a legal unit level. The imputation may not perform well for the legal units with abnormal observations or when there is significant changes in business cycle. Due to the uncertainty of the used imputation method there might be occasional revision in the series in various industry levels.
|
|
|||
14.1. Timeliness | |||
The flash turnover indices are delivered to Eurostat 30 days after the reference month. The preliminary turnover indices are published 45 days after the end of the reference month. Data is revised until the annual level data is final in the Business Register of Statistics Finland.
|
|||
14.2. Punctuality | |||
National publication always on time. 100 percent of the deliveries to Eurostat on time (2022).
|
|
|||
15.1. Comparability - geographical | |||
European definitions are used and the data covers the whole national territory. |
|||
15.2. Comparability - over time | |||
The effects of the changes in the methods are taken into consideration in statistics production so that no breaks occur in the time series of the published index series. Comparable data is available from 1995. Some of the series published only nationally are produced only from 2010 onwards. |
|||
15.3. Coherence - cross domain | |||
Comparisons are made regularly, for example with the statistics on trade inventories and annual data from Business Register. Sources of differences between statistics are as follows: Separate purposes of use of statistics Some differences are likely to remain because of differences in statistical units used. |
|||
15.4. Coherence - internal | |||
Aggregate industries are coherent with the sub-aggregates. |
|
|||
Total costs of survey data productions: 574 * person-hours. Total burden on respondents: 2390** person-hours. * on year 2022 ** on year 2019 |
|
|||
17.1. Data revision - policy | |||
Revisions are possible particularly during the following five months after the publications. Indices are revised according to changes in the data, and errors are corrected. More detailed explanation can be found here http://www.stat.fi/org/principles/publication-principles-for-statistics/practices-when-changes-are-made-to-statistical-data Same revision policies are applied to national releases and to transmissions to Eurostat. All revisions caused by accumulation of the data and corrections in/to the data used are applied immediately. Large revisions due to methodological changes are implemented at the same time with the change of the base year every five years. All the major changes in the statistical production are informed on the statistics website (https://www.stat.fi/en/statistics/klv). Revisions are analysed for group and division levels monthly. Comparisons are made once a year between STS and SBS data. See more in the paragraph 15.3. of this metadata report. Classification changes introduce regular revisions and are taken into account once a year on one year delay when the Business register is final for the described year.
|
|||
17.2. Data revision - practice | |||
Because the Tax Administration's self-assessed tax return data supplements also after the due date, the data is repeatedly updated for over a year. Also the compilation of structural business statistics make revisions to the classifications of the legal units for a year. Revised figures are published monthly according to the changes in data, but not announced as such. Methodological changes, errors in the newest release and the outstandingly significant revisions are announced at the time of change. Errors are corrected immediately. An annual overhaul of seasonal adjustment models is carried out. Monthly follow-up of revisions. Available for public in http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/klv/rev_en.html The Mean Absolute Revision (MAR) and Mean Revision (MR) of year-on-year growth (2020-2022) rates for unadjusted and calendar adjusted data for total trade (G) turnover are as follows (calculated on the data when 12/2022 figures were first published): Unadjusted MAR = 0,61 % Unadjusted MR = -0,16 % Calendar adjusted MAR = 0,60 % Calendar adjusted MR = -0,17 % And for total trade (G) volume of sales are as follows: Unadjusted MAR = 0,58 % Unadjusted MR = -0,16 % Calendar adjusted MAR = 0,54 % Calendar adjusted MR = -0,17 %
|
|
|||
18.1. Source data | |||
Administrative source (VAT data, which is basically a census) complemented by a statistical survey of the largest enterprises in each industry (cut-off sample). In trade (NACE sector G), there is 600 largest enterprises in the survey. Imputation is used for part of the missing data. The unit non response is corrected with one of the five simple rules, and imputed values are included into calculations only when the single imputation can be considered as reliable. The most recent month's VAT data was introduced in April 2020 in indices published with a one and a half months delay. In the first sampling, the coverage of the turnover data is on average of 40 per cent, measured by the turnover of the companies. In the second sampling, the data is almost completely accumulated. |
|||
18.2. Frequency of data collection | |||
Monthly. |
|||
18.3. Data collection | |||
A web questionnaire is used to collect the survey data. E-mail reminders are sent twice and thereafter the remaining non respondents are contacted by phone. |
|||
18.4. Data validation | |||
Validation level 0: Validation level 2-3: Transmission to Eurostat: EWA (EDAMIS Web Application) is used for data transmission to Eurostat. |
|||
18.5. Data compilation | |||
Type of index: The index is calculated using a panel of enterprise level data on turnover. The sum of turnover during the reference month is compared to the sum of turnover during the same month previous year and the year-on-year percentage is calculated. The change is then used to calculate the index number of the latest reference month. This index number is corrected by the index of enterprises that have closed. From the beginning of January 2019 time series modelling has been used for helping calculations of the indices at a lag of around 45 days. Indirect method is used to produce the aggregate indices at the lag of around 45 days to ensure consistency. More information about the used forecast methods is available on the Methodological report. Data editing: Estimates for non-response: Imputations are made by 5 simple methods for the latest and the second latest month. Note that only the most reliable values are taken into account. Method of weighting and chaining: In the panel an enterprise gets the weight of its share of the sum of turnover in the panel for a given month. This is a fixed base year index. For volume of sales the aggregation method was changed when changing the base year from 2010 to 2015. In the present method, aggregation is made to volume indices instead of deflators (old method). However, the old method, aggregation of deflators is still used for flash indices (sent at a lag of 28 days) in volume of sales.
|
|||
18.6. Adjustment | |||
Gross, working day adjusted, seasonally adjusted and trend series with TRAMO/SEATS-method. - Software used is JDemetra+ 2.2.2. Information of seasonal adjustment policies in Statistics Finland is available here: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tramo_seats_en.html Attached metadata template's answers concerning seasonal adjustment is coherent in all produced levels required in EBS regulation. The seasonal adjustment is performed on partially overlapping sub-periods, where structural breaks in seasonality patterns are detected. The overlapping period is set to twelve months in order to avoid breaks in the final seasonally adjusted series. |
|
|||
Not available. |
|
|||
|
|||
Metadata template 2022 |