Methodology and Quality Update

Latest Update on Methodology and Quality

2025/08/04

Statistical Presentation

Data description

Business Demography Statistics present statistical indicators related to the demography of the business community, such as the number of active enterprises, the number of enterprises births, and the number of enterprises deaths in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Business Demography Statistics are collected based on the following key characteristics:
•    The Business Demography Statistics publication relies on two main data sources:
-    Administrative records, through which data can be obtained annually.
-   Statistical surveys carried out by the General Authority for Statistics. 
•    Business Demography Statistics are released annually.
The annual Business Demography Statistics are subject to international standards in data collection and classification.

Classifications

The following classifications are applied in the Business Demography Statistics:
The National Classification for Economic Activities (ISIC4):
It is a statistical classification based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC4), used to describe the productive activities of an enterprise. 
Classifications are available on the GASTAT website: www.stats.gov.sa

Statistical concepts and definitions

Terms and concepts of the Business Demography Statistics:
•    Statistical business register:
A comprehensive and regularly updated database that includes information on enterprises by size and economic activity. It aims to track economic enterprises and monitor any changes to maintain a complete and up-to-date list of active enterprises.
•    Enterprise: 
A legal unit or a group of legal units managed as an organizational unit for the production of goods or the provision of services. It has a certain degree of autonomy in making decisions related to the allocation of its resources. Enterprises carry out one or more activities at a single location or multiple locations. They represent the level at which business demography indicators are measured.
•    Active Enterprises:
Enterprises that have carried out economic activity, meaning they generated revenue, had employees, produced goods, or provided services, or made investments—at any point during a given period.
•    Enterprises Births:
New business enterprises that engage in economic activities during a given period.
•    Enterprises Deaths:
Enterprises that permanently ceased their economic activity during a given period.

Data sources

The Business Demography Statistics data are based on two sources.
First source: Data from administrative records:
•    Ministry of Commerce.
•    Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
•    Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development.
•    General Organization of Social Insurance GOSI.
Second source: From business statistical surveys conducted by the General Authority for Statistics:  
 The key variables published from the survey data are: 
•    Number of active enterprises.
•    Number of enterprises births.
•    Number of enterprises deaths.

Designing the data collection tool

Not applicable.

Questionnaire test (cognitive test)

Not applicable.

Statistical population

The statistical population for business demography in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia consists of all economic enterprises that engage in any economic activity within the Kingdom and hold official operating licenses issued by the relevant government authorities.

Sample Design

Not applicable.

Statistical unit (sampling unit)

The statistical unit in Business Demography Statistics is the enterprise.

Data collection

Data collection from administrative records:
In coordination with the Data Management Center, the registry data for the Business Demography Publication are obtained from the Ministry of Commerce, the General Organization for Social Insurance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. These data include information on the number of employees, commercial records, and economic activities.
The data is stored in the authority's databases after undergoing auditing and review processes following approved statistical methods and recognized quality standards. If errors or discrepancies are discovered, the data is cross-referenced with the data source for correction or clarification.

Data collection frequency

Annual.

Reference area

Business Demography Statistics cover all 13 administrative regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Reference period (time reference)

Business demography data are fully collected from administrative records and business surveys conducted by the General Authority for Statistics. These statistics refer to the fiscal year ending before the collection period.

Base period

Not applicable.

Measurement unit

Most results are measured in numbers (e.g., number of enterprises).

Time coverage

Data is available for 2023.

Publication frequency

Annual.

Statistical processing

Error detection

Data are reviewed and cross-checked to ensure their accuracy in a manner appropriate to their nature, to enhance the quality and accuracy of the statistics produced:
•    Ensuring data completeness: Reviewing key fields and filling in missing information using administrative sources and economic survey data for the business sector.
•    Removing duplicates: Identifying duplicate records and merging or deleting them based on predefined criteria.
•    Aligning formats: Aligning dates, activity names, and addresses to ensure consistency.
•    Validating data: Reviewing values to ensure the logic and consistency of related fields.
•    Linking data: Comparing administrative data with each other, as well as with other management databases such as various economic surveys.

Data integration and matching from multiple sources

Specialists of the business, investment, and international trade statistics department have processed and analyzed data in this stage, and this step was based on the following measures:
•    Sorting and arranging data into various groups or categories in a sequential manner
•    Summarizing detailed data into key points or main insights
•    Integrating multiple parts of data and making them interconnected.
•    Converting data into statistically significant data.
•    Arranging, presenting, and interpreting data.

Imputation and calibration

Not applicable.

Seasonal adjustments

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Adjustment of preliminary results

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Quality dimensions

Suitability

A criterion that indicates how well the product meets users’ needs.

User needs 

The key disseminated variables commonly used by external users include:

Completeness

Business Demography Statistics are based on administrative data sources and business survey data conducted by the General Authority for Statistics to provide comprehensive information on Business Demography Statistics with complete data coverage.

Accuracy and reliability

 A standard that measures how close the calculations or estimates are to the exact or true values that reflect reality.

Overall accuracy

•    Administrative data are reviewed upon receipt to ensure their quality and logical consistency.
•    The internal consistency of the data is checked before it is finalized.
•    The links between variables are checked and coherence between different data series is confirmed.

Timeliness and punctuality

A standard that measures the time gap between the availability of information and the occurrence of the event.
However, timeliness reflects the time difference between the date of data publication and the target date when it is actually published.

Timeliness

The General Authority for Statistics is committed to applying internationally recognized standards regarding the announcement, clarification of the time of publishing statistics on its official website, as outlined in the statistical calendar, as well as adhering to the announced time of publication. In the event of any delay, updates will be provided accordingly.

Punctuality

 The publication takes place according to the published release dates on the statistical calendar for Business Demography Statistics on the website of the General Authority for Statistics.
The data are available at the expected time, as scheduled in the statistical release calendar, If the publication is delayed, reasons shall be provided.

Coherence and comparability

The ability for users to access data, the availability of accurate or complete data, and the availability of a methodology and quality report.

Comparability – geographical

Data are fully comparable.

Comparability - over time

Business Demography Statistics began in 2023 and are conducted annually.

Coherence- Cross domain

Not applicable.

Coherence- Sub-annual and annual statistics

Not applicable.

Coherence- National Accounts

 Not applicable.

Coherence- Internal 

Business Demography Statistics estimates have full internal coherence, as they are all based on the same corpus of microdata, and they are calculated using the same estimation methods.

Accessibility and clarity

The ability for users to access data, the availability of accurate or complete data, and the availability of a methodology and quality report.

Press releases

The announcements for each publication are available on the statistical calendar as mentioned in 9.1. The press releases can be viewed on the website of GASTAT on the link: 
https://stats.gov.sa/news

Publications

The General Authority for Statistics issues Business Demography Statistics publications and reports regularly according to a pre-prepared dissemination plan, and they are published on the Authority’s website. GASTAT is keen to publish its publications in a way that serves all users of different types, including publications in different formats that contain (publication tables, data graphs, indicators, metadata, methodology, and questionnaires) in both English and Arabic.
The results of Business Demography Statistics are available on:
https://www.stats.gov.sa/statistics

On-line database

Not available.

Microdata accessibility

Not available.

References and standards

The annual Business Demography Statistics are based on international standards for data collection and classification. Among the most important classifications and standards relied upon in the publication's data are: 

• The National Classification for Economic Activities (ISIC4)
• Eurostat-OECD Manual on Business Demography Statistics
• Guidelines on Statistical Business Registers
• Manual on the Maturity Model for Statistical Business Registers

Quality assurance

GASTAT considers the following principles: Impartiality, ensuring that the statistical product is user-oriented, maintaining the quality of processes and outputs, enhancing the effectiveness of statistical operations, and reducing the burden on respondents. 
Data is validated through procedures and quality controls that are applied during the process at various stages, such as: (data entry, data collection, and other final controls).

Quality assessment

GASTAT performs all statistical activities according to a national model (Generic Statistical Business Process Model – GSBPM). According to the GSBPM, the final stage of statistical activities is overall evaluation using information gathered in each stage or sub-process. This information is used to prepare the evaluation report, which outlines all the quality issues related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality – Policy

According to Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07/12/1397, data must always be kept confidential and must be used by GASTAT for statistical purposes only.
Therefore, the data is protected in the data servers of GASTAT.

Confidentiality - Data Treatment

Data were displayed in appropriate tables to facilitate their summarization, comprehension, and results extraction. Also, to compare data with other data and extract statistical meanings for the study community. It is also easier to check tables without the need to see any sensitive or confidential data, which violates the confidentiality of statistical data.

Publishing policy

Statistical calendar

Business Demography Statistics have been included in the statistical calendar.
Statistical Calendar

User access

One of GASTAT’s objectives is to better meet its clients' needs, so it immediately provides them with the results once the Business Demography Statistics publication is published.
It also receives questions and inquiries from clients about the publication and its results through various communication channels, such as:
•    GASTAT official website:  www.stats.gov.sa
•    GASTAT official e-mail address:   info@stats.gov.sa
•    Client support e-mail address: info@stats.gov.sa
•    Official visits to GASTAT’s official head office in Riyadh or one of its branches in Saudi Arabia.
•    Official letters.
•    Statistical telephone: (199009).