European business statistics methodological manual for business demography statistics : 2025 edition

This is the first edition of the European business statistics methodological manual for business demography statistics. It contains guidance for compiling and interpreting comparable and harmonised data on the business demography in the European Union and its Member States. It covers topics like concepts, compilation of the data and metadata, data validation and transmission, legal requirements within the framework of European Business Statistics, and the relevance and usage of data on business demography. This manual guides statistical experts compiling Business Demography Statistics in the European Union and describes the many small steps needed to achieve quality, particularly cross-country comparability. It complements the new legislative framework for European Business Statistics with methodological clarifications and practical advice. The manual highlights some of the changes introduced by the new legislative framework and provides operational guidance to support its consistent implementation in practice. The chapters of this manual provide an overview of the concepts of Business Demography Statistics and show how to implement them in practice. The manual also sketches the statistical production systems at the national and European level, e.g. the data sources, the compilation and processing of the data and metadata, the quality management, and the dissemination. Finally, the manual clarifies the essential aspects for the successful transmission of data and metadata from National Statistical Institutes to Eurostat. This manual provides the compilers' community with a common point of reference. It reflects the regular exchange of good practices and experiences, and any other relevant aspects discussed in the Working Group on Structural Business Statistics and Business Demography Statistics. As such, the manual can be seen as a living document, to be regularly updated as new topics and issues are discussed in the Working Group.