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.
Indices for sectors 07.2 and 09.9 are not compiled since phenomenon is not significant.
Indices for sectors 05.1, 05.2 and 07.1 are not compiled since phenomenon does not exist.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Net turnover consists of all income arising during the reference period in the course of ordinary activities of the statistical unit, and is presented net of all price reductions, discounts and rebates granted by it. Income is defined as increases in economic benefits during the reference period in the form of inflows or enhancements of assets or decreases of liabilities that result in increases in equity, other than those relating to contributions from equity participants. The inflows referred to are arising from contracts with customers and are realized through the satisfaction by the statistical unit of performance obligations as foreseen in said contracts. Usually, a performance obligation is represented by the sale (transfer) of goods or the rendering of services, however, the gross inflows can also contain revenues obtained as a yield on the use by others of the statistical unit’s assets.
Excluded from net turnover are:
all taxes, duties or levies linked directly to revenue;
any amounts collected on behalf of any principal, if the statistical unit is acting as an agent in its relationship with said principal;
all income not arising in the course of ordinary activities of the statistical unit. Usually, these types of income are classified as ‘Other (operating) income’, ‘Financial income’, ‘Extra-ordinary income’ or under a similar heading, depending on the respective set of generally accepted accounting standards used to prepare the financial statements. Infra-annual statistics may not be able to take into account aspects such as annual price reductions, subsidies, rebates and discounts.
The indices of domestic and non-domestic net turnover require net turnover to be split according to the first destination of the product based on the change of ownership (whether or not there are also corresponding physical movements of goods across frontiers). The destination is determined by the residency of the third party that purchased the goods and services.
3.5. Statistical unit
The observation unit is generally the enterprise.
In some special cases, the observation unit is the activity close to the kind-of-activity unit (KAU).
The observation unit is the same as the reporting unit.
3.6. Statistical population
The following rules are applied to define the statistical population of each 3 digit NACE sectors:
Enterprises with at least 20 employees.
Enterprises with less than 20 employees if rule A) does not guarantee a statistical population of at least 20 statistical units.
All the enterprises for very small sectors with less than 20 enterprises.
Approximately 30,000 enterprises, out of more than 350,000 active companies in Italy, have their main activities classified under NACE sections B (mining and quarrying) and C (manufacturing), according to the latest official business register data for the year 2023.
3.7. Reference area
Italy without geographical breakdown.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Since January 2000.
3.9. Base period
Starting from January 2024 indices are in base 2021=100.
Index
Month
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Legal basis:The survey is mandatory as stated every year in a Decree of the President of the Republic (D.P.R.).
European level The legal basis for the STS indicators are the 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) and the Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 (General Implementing Act). Data provision is mandatory. Penalties are foreseen for non-respondent large enterprises with a yearly turnover equal or greater than 50 million or with at least 100 employees.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data are sent only to Eurostat (not to other international organizations).
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Confidentiality provisions are explicitly stated in the Istat President¿s letter attached to data collection questionnaire along with references to different legal acts on statistics.>
Links to relevant legal acts on statistics are also listed on the website of Sistan. Several national legal acts guarantee the confidentiality of data requested for statistical purposes. According to art. 9, paragraph 1 of the Legislative Decree n. 322 of 1989, personal data cannot be disseminated but in aggregated form, in order to make it impossible to make any reference to identifiable individuals. They can only be used for statistical purposes. Legislative Decree n. 322 of 1989, art. 6 bis and Legislative Decree n. 196 of 2003 Annex A3 (Code of conduct and professional practice applying to the processing of personal data for statistical and scientific research purposes within the framework of the national statistical system), art. 8, provide that the exchange of personal data within the National Statistical System (Sistan) is possible if it is necessary to fulfil requirements provided by the National Statistical Programme or to allow the pursuit of institutional purposes. The supply of the identification data of statistical units is allowed within the framework of entities included in the National Statistical System if the requesting party declares that no identical statistical result can be obtained otherwise. Regarding subjects who do not belong to Sistan, Article. 7 of the Code of conduct (Decree n. 196/2003, Annex A3) states that it is possible to transmit individual data files without direct identifiers within the framework of specific laboratories set up by entities included in the National Statistical System, under certain conditions and only if that the data are protected by the application of different statistical methods that make it highly unlikely the identification of statistical units.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
9 of 101 sectors are confidential according to three digit NACE Rev. 2, for domestic, non-domestic and euro area turnover. Non confidential data can be downloaded from IStatData, the data warehouse of the Institute.
According to the article n. 9 of the Legislative Decree n. 322 of 6 September 1989 data collected by statistical offices within the statistical surveys included in the National Statistical Programme may not be disclosed other than in aggregated form such that no reference to identifiable people can be extracted. Furthermore, they may be used only for statistical purposes. Data may not be communicated or disseminated either to any external subject, public or private, or to any department of the public administration other than in aggregate form and using modalities which prevent the identification of the people involved. In any case, data cannot be used to identify again the people involved. The Code of Conduct annexed to the Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003 (Personal Data Protection Code) provides special rules concerning the processing of personal data for statistical purposes within Sistan. In order to make statistical secrecy and protection of personal data effective, Istat is currently taking appropriate organisational, logistical, methodological and statistical measures in accordance with internationally established standards.
In accordance with the Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003 (Personal Data Protection Code) and subsequent modifications and additions, respondents are informed of their rights and obligations with regard to the provision of information, and they are assured that the information they provide will be used for statistical purposes only.
All euro area/non euro area time series are confidential (confidentiality is planned to be removed).
8.1. Release calendar
Every year in December ISTAT publishes a release calendar providing the precise release dates for the coming year. The calendar is distributed to the press and is available free of charge to interested parties.
1) Turnover indices are released on the Istat datawarehouse (IstatData).
2) Turnover indices are sent to Eurostat using SDMX format through the EDAMIS web portal on the release day.
Monthly.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Data are released simultaneously to all interested parties by issuing the press release "Turnover of industry and services" posted on the Istat website. Time series are available on IstatData database.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Data are made available also through the yearly publication Italian Statistical Yearbook, whose last release is "Annuario Statistico Italiano 2024".
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Data are disseminated in Istat database (IstatData), theme Industry and Construction, data set Industrial turnover index. The on-line database IstatData is open and free, statistics are organised by theme in a two-level hierarchical tree. Data are presented in aggregate form in multidimensional tables; acting on variables, reference periods and the arrangement of heads and sides users can create custom tables and graphs. Datasets can be searched by keyword, theme and region. A wide range of standard metadata facilitates the retrieval and understanding of statistics by users.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Validated microdata are stored in the repository of the Institute, ARMIDA (ARchive of validated MIcroData). ARMIDA was established with the main objective of preserving and documenting the data produced by Istat surveys, and has subsequently supported the objective of disseminating data. The data stored in ARMIDA supplies, in fact, the different channels for the dissemination of microdata (to internal users according to the 'Memorandum of access to microdata of ARMIDA', to authorities in Sistan, for research files, for standard files, etc.).
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Data are available as national data in the Eurostat database (Eurobase, theme "Industry, trade and services", sub-theme "Short-term business statistics").
10.6. Documentation on methodology
A short description of the methodology and the main features of the survey are contained in a technical explanatory note attached to the monthly press release. It is regularly updated. The transition to a new base is generally documented through a technical note named 'Nota informativa'. Concerning the introduction of base 2021=100, the document Nota informativa is always available along with the monthly press releases.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Quality documentation is available through SIQual, the Istat Information System on QUALity of statistical production processes. It contains information on both statistical processes and on activities implemented in Istat in order to guarantee quality of the produced statistical information.
11.1. Quality assurance
Since the 90s Istat adopted a systematic approach to ensure quality in both statistical information and service to the community. For this purpose the Institute has defined a quality policy providing itself with appropriate tools as well as management changes to carry it out. Istat quality policy is coherent with the European framework developed by Eurostat, taking up its main principles and definitions. In 2005, the European Statistics Code of Practice (revised in 2011) established the principles to follow in order to ensure and strengthen both accountability and governance of the European Statistical System and the National Statistical Systems inside it.
Essential points of Istat quality policy are: 1) Process quality: consisting in the production of accurate statistical information efficiently and effectively; 2) Product quality: consisting in the dissemination of high-quality timely statistical data which are relevant for the users, also the potential ones; 3) Documentation: consisting in the storage and availability of information necessary not only for a proper use of data but also to ensure transparency in all the production activities of statistical data; 4) Respect for respondents: consisting in the reduction of response burden and in the respect of respondent's privacy; 5) Strengthening of statistical literacy: consisting in promoting a proper use of statistical information in policy-making to better support decisions and policies; >6) Users' orientation: consisting in making statistical information easily accessible and understandable and in satisfying user needs as much as possible.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
As regards main issues of quality, index is compliant with a good standard. Eurostat's requirements in terms of time series are fulfilled, timeliness is respected and checks are implemented for monitoring cross-domain coherence.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Main users of industrial turnover index are:
Institutions: government departments, ECB, national central bank, international organisations, etc.
Social actors: employers' organisations, trade unions, lobby groups, etc.
Media
Researchers & students
Enterprises/businesses
Internal users
Eurostat
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
European requirements are fulfilled
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Since a non-probability sampling method (the cut-off method) is used, it is not possible to compute sampling errors.
The main source of error is non-response.
In order to guarantee a satisfactory level of accuracy several checks and operations are implemented. Three of them are noteworthy:
1) daily treatment of corporate events (merger, split-up, etc.);
2) alignment of the sample to the reference business register in order to take into account its updates;
3) yearly integration of the sample.
13.2. Sampling error
It is not possible to compute sampling errors because a non-probability sampling method (cut-off) is used.
13.3. Non-sampling error
When the first version of indices is released, about 60 days after the end of the reference month, the response rate reaches alomost 92% in terms of firms and 96% in terms of turnover value (referred to the base year). Such indicators are computed excluding about 900 surveyed firms because they are not yet included in the calculation of turnover. Many efforts are carried out in order to reduce non-sampling errors: 1) in the collection phase the use of an electronic questionnaire helps detecting potential mistakes (respondent¿s attention is drawn to values exceeding certain thresholds based on past values); 2) an effective and complex reminder campaign, aimed at increasing the response rate, is implemented via e-mail and phone, according to a strict calendar defined at the beginning of each year; 3) in the micro-editing phase potential errors are detected considering the contribution of each respondent to the year-on-year growth rate of its own 3 digit NACE sector and intensive follow ups by phone are addressed to the selected units to obtain clarification/confirmation/correction (an ongoing experiment is comparing this approach with a more sophisticated selective micro-editing based on probabilistic models); 4) the macro-editing considers the contribution of each sector index to the year-on-year growth rates of more aggregated indices according a schema allowing both top-down and bottom-up checks.
14.1. Timeliness
The monthly turnover indices are disseminated through press releases, usually in provisional form approximately 60 days after the end of the reference month.
14.2. Punctuality
Releases are delivered on time according to the calendar set annually.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
European definitions are used and they refer to the whole national territory.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Consistent time series data are available for a long period of time (since January 2000). When changes in source data, methodology and statistical techniques are introduced, retrospective time series are calculated as far back as possible.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
A deflated version of turnover indices (obtained firstly dividing domestic and non-domestic 3 digit NACE turnover indices by the respective producer price indices and secondly aggregating the resulting indices) is compared with industrial production indices. These comparisons show a good level of coherence for main aggregates.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal coherence between aggregates is verified.
The cost estimate is compiled in terms of total number of hours worked (THW). It is equal to the product of three terms: (total) Annual Working Days (AWD), (total) Hours Worked per Day (HWD), Number of Persons involved in the Survey (NPS).
AWD
HWD
NPS
Cost estimate (THW)
220
7.12
7
10,965
The burden to respondent, i.e. the person who fills in the questionnaire on behalf of the enterprise, is estimated as the time (minutes) necessary to fill in a single monthly questionnaire and is less than 30 minutes.
The questionnaire proposed to respondents in December does not point out any difference between beginners and experts.
Type of Respondent
Burden estimate (TNM)
Beginner
burden ≤ 30 min.
Expert
burden≤ 30 min.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Unadjusted data
Routine revisions 1) Monthly revision: indices referred to month m are revised after one month when indices referred to month m+1 are released. They take into account late respondents (estimated values for missing responses are replaced by reported figures) and correction from respondents. 2) Once a year data are revised in order to take into account changes due to: a) late respondents and correction from respondents; b) corporate events (merger, split-up, etc.); c) updating of business registers.
Non-scheduled revisions due to unforeseeable events such as errors or accidents, they are communicated through an ad hoc note made available on the website. Major revisions Performed every five years, when of a new base year is introduced, they take into account new weighting systems and sample adjustments.Major changes in methodology, sources and statistical techniques are announced in ad hoc publications, together with the revision horizon.
Advanced notification of methodological changes is also provided through seminars and papers disseminated throughout the scientific community. Calendar and seasonally adjusted data The revision policy is based on the partial concurrent approach, that is specifications are revised annually, while parameters of regArima models are re-estimated monthly. The same revision police is applied nationally and in transmission to Eurostat.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The 'Revisions section' is included in the press release referred to month m+1, reporting revisions of year-on-year (month-on-month) growth rates computed on calendar (seasonally) adjusted turnover indices referred to the previous month m.
Vintages referred to unadjusted, calendar adjusted and seasonally adjusted time series and information about treatment specifications are systematically stored in an internal vintage database (implemented in Oracle). They are made available to external users on request.
Revision analysis Availability of vintages stored in an Oracle database allows revision analysis for unadjusted, calendar adjusted and seasonally adjusted data. However, since the above revision policy was introduced in January 2018 (before unadjusted data had been revised once a year), time series of homogeneous 1-step and 12-step revisions are too short to compute reliable revision measures: Mean Revision (MR), Mean Absolute Revision (MAR), Relative MAR (RMAR%) and Maximum of Absolute Revisions (MaxAR).
18.1. Source data
Data on turnover are collected through a statistical survey. The reference frame used to sample enterprises is the business register, managed and yearly updated by Istat (Archivio Statistico delle Imprese Attive - ASIA). The industrial turnover survey is based on a cut-off sample (i.e. a non-probabilistic sample). For each 3 digit NACE group (whose statistical population is defined according rule A) of item 3.6), enterprises are ranked according to the percentage of the turnover they represent in the sector. Then the highest ranked units are drawn until the threshold of 70% of the turnover is reached. As a result about 8,000 units are surveyed each month (see item 3.6). The sample is refreshed every year. Very frequent updates are needed to handle almost daily corporate events. Criteria for stratification: not applicable
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly
18.3. Data collection
Data collection is carried out through a web portal called 'Portale delle Imprese'. Respondents need to login in order to access, to fill in and to trasmit the web questionnaire.
18.4. Data validation
Time series checks are used for plausibility of data validated (more details are available at the item 13.3 Non sampling errors). Integrity of files structure and used codes is ensured by extractions made from a database respecting integrity constraints.
18.5. Data compilation
Data for non-respondents are generally estimated using the year on year growth rate of the respondent enterprises belonging to the same NACE 3 digit sector. In case of corporate events or dominant enterprises, missing data are not estimated automatically.
Aggregated indices are derived according the Laspeyres formula with a fixed base (2021=100) using elementary indices referred to 3 digit NACE groups for domestic and non-domestic market. The weighting system refers to the base year and is based on the enterprises' turnover from Structural Business Statistics data.
18.6. Adjustment
The seasonally adjusted data (TRAMO-SEATS+ software) are released for the longer series available. Further details are available in the annex.
Net turnover consists of all income arising during the reference period in the course of ordinary activities of the statistical unit, and is presented net of all price reductions, discounts and rebates granted by it. Income is defined as increases in economic benefits during the reference period in the form of inflows or enhancements of assets or decreases of liabilities that result in increases in equity, other than those relating to contributions from equity participants. The inflows referred to are arising from contracts with customers and are realized through the satisfaction by the statistical unit of performance obligations as foreseen in said contracts. Usually, a performance obligation is represented by the sale (transfer) of goods or the rendering of services, however, the gross inflows can also contain revenues obtained as a yield on the use by others of the statistical unit’s assets.
Excluded from net turnover are:
all taxes, duties or levies linked directly to revenue;
any amounts collected on behalf of any principal, if the statistical unit is acting as an agent in its relationship with said principal;
all income not arising in the course of ordinary activities of the statistical unit. Usually, these types of income are classified as ‘Other (operating) income’, ‘Financial income’, ‘Extra-ordinary income’ or under a similar heading, depending on the respective set of generally accepted accounting standards used to prepare the financial statements. Infra-annual statistics may not be able to take into account aspects such as annual price reductions, subsidies, rebates and discounts.
The indices of domestic and non-domestic net turnover require net turnover to be split according to the first destination of the product based on the change of ownership (whether or not there are also corresponding physical movements of goods across frontiers). The destination is determined by the residency of the third party that purchased the goods and services.
The observation unit is generally the enterprise.
In some special cases, the observation unit is the activity close to the kind-of-activity unit (KAU).
The observation unit is the same as the reporting unit.
The following rules are applied to define the statistical population of each 3 digit NACE sectors:
Enterprises with at least 20 employees.
Enterprises with less than 20 employees if rule A) does not guarantee a statistical population of at least 20 statistical units.
All the enterprises for very small sectors with less than 20 enterprises.
Approximately 30,000 enterprises, out of more than 350,000 active companies in Italy, have their main activities classified under NACE sections B (mining and quarrying) and C (manufacturing), according to the latest official business register data for the year 2023.
Italy without geographical breakdown.
Month
Since a non-probability sampling method (the cut-off method) is used, it is not possible to compute sampling errors.
The main source of error is non-response.
In order to guarantee a satisfactory level of accuracy several checks and operations are implemented. Three of them are noteworthy:
1) daily treatment of corporate events (merger, split-up, etc.);
2) alignment of the sample to the reference business register in order to take into account its updates;
3) yearly integration of the sample.
Index
Data for non-respondents are generally estimated using the year on year growth rate of the respondent enterprises belonging to the same NACE 3 digit sector. In case of corporate events or dominant enterprises, missing data are not estimated automatically.
Aggregated indices are derived according the Laspeyres formula with a fixed base (2021=100) using elementary indices referred to 3 digit NACE groups for domestic and non-domestic market. The weighting system refers to the base year and is based on the enterprises' turnover from Structural Business Statistics data.
Data on turnover are collected through a statistical survey. The reference frame used to sample enterprises is the business register, managed and yearly updated by Istat (Archivio Statistico delle Imprese Attive - ASIA). The industrial turnover survey is based on a cut-off sample (i.e. a non-probabilistic sample). For each 3 digit NACE group (whose statistical population is defined according rule A) of item 3.6), enterprises are ranked according to the percentage of the turnover they represent in the sector. Then the highest ranked units are drawn until the threshold of 70% of the turnover is reached. As a result about 8,000 units are surveyed each month (see item 3.6). The sample is refreshed every year. Very frequent updates are needed to handle almost daily corporate events. Criteria for stratification: not applicable
Monthly.
The monthly turnover indices are disseminated through press releases, usually in provisional form approximately 60 days after the end of the reference month.
European definitions are used and they refer to the whole national territory.
Consistent time series data are available for a long period of time (since January 2000). When changes in source data, methodology and statistical techniques are introduced, retrospective time series are calculated as far back as possible.
