Statistical business register

A statistical business register (SBR) plays a central part in a system of official economic statistics at a national statistics office.[1]

A company register has a different purpose: protection, accountability and control of legal entities.

Register contents

Data sources

Countries use whatever data sources they seem relevant. E.g. they often integrate a company register in one form or another.

Type of business units

In EU a corresponding regulation define register contents:

• all enterprises carrying on economic activities contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP), and their local units
• the legal units of which those enterprises consist
• enterprise groups

Characteristics

• identification properties
  • identification number
  • name
  • address
  • contact info
  • VAT number
• dates of creation/liquidation
• main activity
• operational status
• legal form
• links to other registries
• links to other organizations or structural units
• control
• ownership
• employees

Business registries in the world

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe provides Guidelines on Statistical Business Registers which describes the roles of the statistical business register.[2]

European Commission provides a legal framework for business registers for statistical purposes.[3]

• Germany: Business Register System

References

1. Ritzen, Jean. "Statistical Business Register: Content, place and role in Economic Statistics" (PDF). Statistics Netherlands.
2. "Guidelines on Statistical Business Registers". Guidelines on Statistical Business Registers. UNECE.
3. "Regulation (EC) No 177/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 2008 establishing a common framework for business registers for statistical purposes and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 2186/93". European Commission.