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.
[LU1] National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (STATEC) (Luxembourg)
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Unit ENT4 'Business indicators, tourism and transport statistics'
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
BP 10 L-4401 Belvaux.
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
18 May 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
18 May 2026
2.3. Metadata last update
18 May 2026
3.1. Data description
The turnover data source is an administrative data file provided by indirect tax administration. The turnover index is a monthly short-term indicator used for the business cycle analysis. Retail trade turnover is used to compile the turnover value and turnover volume index. The deflators used to compute the volume index are the price indicators that correspond the closest to the NACE level available.
3.2. Classification system
NACE Rev2.
3.3. Coverage - sector
NACE Rev2 G45, G46, G47.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Turnover defined as in Commission Regulation 2020/1197.
3.5. Statistical unit
Legal units.
3.6. Statistical population
Population for NACE Rev2 G45, G46, G47 according to the Luxembourg business register.
3.7. Reference area
Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Monthly figures from 2000 on.
3.9. Base period
Base 100 in 2021.
Indices.
Month.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
European Business Statistics Regulation:
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 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistic (General Implementing Act)
National context :
Statec is the National Institute of statistics and economic studies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Statec's administration is placed under the authority of the Ministry of the Economy and Foreign Trade. It is professionally and scientifically independent, i.e. it sets its own work programme in accordance with national and European statistical legislation, produces and disseminates data in complete neutrality.
The Law of July 10, 2011 on the organisation of the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies sets out the missions of Statec and its internal organisation. These missions are to provide a public information service of high quality to public and private decision-makers as well as to citizens. Statec is committed to produce statistics, analyses and studies giving a detailed, reliable and objective image of the society of Luxembourg.
Statec coordinates the statistical system of Luxembourg, organised according to the principle of statistical centralisation. For this purpose it widely relies on collaboration with other producers of data as well as with public and private research centres. Statec so centralises data available from public authorities to carry out its studies, but also to make them available to its users on a single platform. With the new law of July 10, 2011, applied scientific research is added to Statec’s missions.
Turnover indices are produced according to the European short-term statistics regulation.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
There is no general datasharing.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
STATEC guarantees the non-disclosure of confidential information when the statistical results are disseminated, except for foreign trade statistics. Regarding the latter, the detailed data that allows a resident exporter or importer to be indirectly identified is only kept confidential if the concerned economic operator sends a request for this to STATEC.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
The ESS confidentiality rules are applied.
8.1. Release calendar
There is no official national release calendar.
8.2. Release calendar access
There is no official national release calendar.
8.3. Release policy - user access
The release days are the days data are transmitted to Eurostat. According to the principle of independence, data is released to all users at the same time.
As it is not possible to publish the results within the deadlines set by the EBS Regulation, Statec releases all month a first estimate. Only after approximately 3 1/2 months can it be considered that all legal units have submitted their figures, allowing for a complete dataset. The indices are based on administrative data provided by the VAT administration.
National results for the use in European aggregates or for dissemination of national data are transmitted in the prefixed format to Eurostat.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
There are no national methodological documents available except STS variable definitions. Statec uses the methodology published in the STS manual.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
There is no document on quality management available.
11.1. Quality assurance
This indicator is produced according to the EBS regulation and the the ESS Code of practice.
Quality assurance : Before each notification and transmission to Eurostat, time series of each STS aggregate are compared to the figures of the previous notification in order to measure and identify discrepancies.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Quality assessment : Since the coverage of the Administrative data used to calculate turnover index is not complete for the first transmission of the reference period, the calculation is largely based on Demetra forecast for the reference period. Due to the high volatility which is specific to small economies, this leads frequently to high revisions when all data are available.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The indices are prouced according to European guidelines and Eurostat is the principal user of the results. There is no further information on the relevance of this indicator for users.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
There is no specific collection of the user's satisfaction. The results are quite often used in comments by the stakeholders, so the relevance has to be quite high.
12.3. Completeness
Considering that results are compiled from administrative sources, the STS requirements are fulfilled in the best possible way.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Overall accuracy : Since data calculation is based on Administrative data which are not complete, the first reported period could be based on estimation. Usually, after 2-3 months from the first release results could be considered as final.
13.2. Sampling error
The sampling error is considered to be negligible.
The data comes from administrative source.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not available.
14.1. Timeliness
In order to guarantee timeliness and punctuality according to the EBS regulation, Statec releases a first estimate of indices in the delays foreseen by the EBS regulation.
14.2. Punctuality
Deadlines are largely respected: like in other small MS, the delays can exceed one or two additional days.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Raw data is taken from administrative data files covering national territory.
15.2. Comparability - over time
No further comment.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
STS statistics are used for business cycle analysis as well as for the compilation of quarterly national accounts. Due to the different concepts, short-term statistics are not completely cohernt with other business statistics as SBS. In order to guarantee the coherence with other statistics, restructuration of important entities and change of NACE activity revisions are carried out .
15.4. Coherence - internal
The unit in charge of STS tries to achieve a high level of coherence within the given data set (sub-aggregates / aggregates, unadjusted/adjusted time series, etc.).
Not vailable, but burden = 0 (data source= administrative data files provided by the VAT administration).
Cost for the NSI: 240 person-hours per year.
17.1. Data revision - policy
In the field of STS, Statec has no official release or revision calendar. Data dissemination depends on the deadlines foreseen in the EBS regulation. Revisions are made each time when newer, completed or corrected figures are available. The revised results are used for national releases as well as for the data transmission to the European Commission. Users are only informed about the reasons of non-scheduled revisions if the revisions are considered to be important. Different versions of historical data are not stored, only the last available version is saved. Nevertheless, LU plans to introduce the storage of the different versions of released data, but this project is depending on the availability of resources. The base year remains unchanged for five years as stated in the EBS regulation. After changing the base year according to the EBS regulation, LU publishes results according to the new base year = 100 which is indicated in the publications. STS statistics are confronted with quarterly national accounts and, if necessary, corrected.
17.2. Data revision - practice
In the field of STS, and as said in 17.1., revisions are made each time when newer, completed or corrected figures for the different variables are available. There is no official revision calendar or regular process. The data and level of revisions depend on the data available. It is impossible to quantify the expected average size of revisions, for the same reason, users cannot be informed in advance of major revisions.
For reference period 2023-2025 : For G47 the MR is 6 and the MAR is 6.7%
18.1. Source data
For this indicator, the raw data is transmitted in administrative files provided by the VAT administration.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly administrative data and restricted turnover survey in the main enterprises (food and non-food, excl. electronic trade).
18.3. Data collection
The data source is admin data provided by the indirect tax administration.
18.4. Data validation
For each NACE aggregate, time series are compared to the previous notification version (figures + graphics). Major differences are investigated. Usually the reason could be : reclassification of a major legal unit from a NACE activity code to another, data correction due to an error, replacement of a previously estimated figure by the consolidated figure, etc..
18.5. Data compilation
The results are produced by the STS unit with the help of the QNA unit. Missing informations are imputed according to a set of internal rules by using figures of comparable months for the same KAU or other KAUs in a comparable activity branch.
18.6. Adjustment
Time series are published unadjusted and working-day adjusted. Seasonnally adjusted series are not disseminated.
No further comment.
The turnover data source is an administrative data file provided by indirect tax administration. The turnover index is a monthly short-term indicator used for the business cycle analysis. Retail trade turnover is used to compile the turnover value and turnover volume index. The deflators used to compute the volume index are the price indicators that correspond the closest to the NACE level available.
18 May 2026
Turnover defined as in Commission Regulation 2020/1197.
Legal units.
Population for NACE Rev2 G45, G46, G47 according to the Luxembourg business register.
Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.
Month.
Overall accuracy : Since data calculation is based on Administrative data which are not complete, the first reported period could be based on estimation. Usually, after 2-3 months from the first release results could be considered as final.
Indices.
The results are produced by the STS unit with the help of the QNA unit. Missing informations are imputed according to a set of internal rules by using figures of comparable months for the same KAU or other KAUs in a comparable activity branch.
For this indicator, the raw data is transmitted in administrative files provided by the VAT administration.
As it is not possible to publish the results within the deadlines set by the EBS Regulation, Statec releases all month a first estimate. Only after approximately 3 1/2 months can it be considered that all legal units have submitted their figures, allowing for a complete dataset. The indices are based on administrative data provided by the VAT administration.
In order to guarantee timeliness and punctuality according to the EBS regulation, Statec releases a first estimate of indices in the delays foreseen by the EBS regulation.
Raw data is taken from administrative data files covering national territory.
