SERVICE ACTIVITIES, MARCH 2024

In March 2024, the turnover from service activities increased at the annual level¹⁾, but remained the same at the monthly level²⁾.

The total seasonally and working-day adjusted turnover from service activities realised in March 2024 remained at the same level compared to February 2024

The highest increase in the turnover was recorded in the following activities: Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities (of 24.5%), Rental and leasing activities (of 8.6%) and Information service activities (of 7.4%).

The highest decrease in the turnover was recorded in the following activities: Postal and courier activities (of 16.8%), Real estate activities (of 10.5%) and Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis (of 6.5%).

The total working-day adjusted turnover from service activities realised in March 2024 increased by 8.8%, as compared to March 2023

The highest increase in the turnover was recorded in the following activities: Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities (of 43.1%), Accommodation (of 22.5%) and Security and investigation activities (of 21.2%).

The highest decrease in the turnover was recorded in the following activities: Water transport (of 20.4%), Management consultancy activities (of 11.3%) and Postal and courier activities (of 6.8%).

Observing the first three months, the working-day adjusted turnover from service activities increased by 9.5% compared to the same period of the previous year.

1) Data compared to those of the same month of the previous year (the so-called working-day adjusted data).
2) Data compared to those of the previous month (the so-called seasonally and working-day adjusted data).

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Notice

Since January 2024, the base year has been changed to 2021 and the new observation unit is a kind-of-activity unit (KAU).

The new base year and the new observation unit – kind-of-activity unit (KAU) are defined by Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics, which concerns short-term business statistics of all Member States.

The time series of the turnover indices of service activities starting with 2010, with the base year 2021 = 100, are published on the dissemination site of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics in the STS databases (Short-Term Business Statistics Database) in the area Services under the heading Turnover Indices of Service Activities − monthly data and within Statistics in Line under the title Economy – Basic Indicators. The tables in databases published with the previous base year (2015 = 100) will no longer be updated.

Precise dissemination dates are listed in the Calendar of Statistical Data Issues for 2024, which is available on the web site of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics.

The monthly indices with the base year 2021, working-day adjusted, seasonally and working-day adjusted and unadjusted, are regularly submitted on the monthly basis to the Eurostat and are available on the Eurostat’s website, together with the indicators of all EU Member States they are comparable to.

Sources and methods of data collection

The data are based on the Monthly Report on Service Activities (USL-M form) and administrative data sources (databases of value added tax reports of the Tax Administration), except data on retail trade activities (division G 47), which were calculated on the basis of the Monthly Report on Retail Trade (TRG-1 form).

The data are collected via a web-based application (the so-called CAWI). The reporting units enter data directly into the USL-M form, which is available on the dissemination site of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. The period for data collection ranges each month, as a rule, between the 1st and the 25th day in a month for the previous reference month data.

The methodology for this survey is based on the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics, and the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197. This survey is conducted on the basis of the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20).

The survey is mainly aimed at measuring turnover changes in service activities.

Coverage and comparability

The survey is carried out by using the sampling method.

The sample is selected once a year. It is based on size and on the annual turnover of business entities.

All medium-sized and large enterprises (sizes 5, 6 and 7) are taken over from the Statistical Business Register. Units marked in the Register as small ones are also included if they exceed the determined threshold according to the turnover.

A subset of units that will be included into the regular survey (USL-M form) is selected from all units selected in the sample. A selection criterion has been determined according to a particular turnover threshold, which has to be covered by these units.

The total sample consists of about 14 000 units, of which about 1 000 are included in the regular Monthly Report on Service Activities (USL-M form).

The main activity is defined for each business entity according to the NKD 2007 (NN, Nos 58/07 and 123/08).

The criterion for determining the size of a business entity is the number of persons in employment. Business entities of size 1 are those employing 0 – 4 persons, of size 2 those employing 5 – 9 persons, of size 3 those employing 10 – 19 persons, of size 4 those employing 20 – 49 persons, of size 5 those employing 50 – 99 persons, of size 6 those employing 100 – 249 persons and of size 7 those employing 250 and more persons.

The statistical unit of the services turnover index is a kind-of-activity unit. The most significant multi-industry enterprises have been divided into kind-of-activity units to improve the homogeneity of the results of statistical surveys by activity as well as their international comparability.

Observation units in the Monthly Report on Service Activities (USL-M form) are business entities (legal entities and tradesmen) that are registered by their main activity in the following sections of the NKD 2007:

Index presentation

The presentation and interpretation of indices have been entirely harmonised with Eurostat´s requirements for the presentation of short-term business indicators and with the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics, and with the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.

Seasonal and working-day adjustment method

Since 2016, in the process of seasonal adjustment the software package JDemetra+ and X13 ARIMA method has been used. This process identifies and assesses seasonal and working-day effects in time series by using statistical models and procedures.

The revision of previously published seasonally and working-day adjusted indices is due to several causes. The most common cause is a change in estimated parameters of existing statistical models while conducting new estimates, which occurs due to new observations. Other causes are changes in source data or in applied statistical models.

Calendar effects have significant impact on time series movement, the most common of which are the effect of moving holidays, the effect of the leap year and the effect of working days.

Seasonally and working-day adjusted indices

The seasonally and working-day adjusted indices imply that the gross indices are adjusted for seasonal and working-day effects. Indices adjusted in that way and associated rates of change in two consecutive observations are used to compare data with data from the previous month.

Working-day adjusted indices

Working-day adjusted indices imply that the gross indices are adjusted only for calendar effects. Indices adjusted in that way and associated inter-annual rates of change are used to compare data with data from the same month of the previous year.

Gross, unadjusted indices

This term is used to indicate that indices are not adjusted for seasonal and working-day effects. Gross, unadjusted indices are published, but they are not commented in particular.

Indices are presented as gross, non-deflated indices, that is, the price change effect is not excluded from them.

Definitions

Turnover (business revenue) is the value of all goods sold and services provided on the market during the reference period, irrespective of whether they are paid for or not. Value added tax is excluded.

In the Monthly Report on Service Activities, business entities report their total turnover (business revenue) generated from both their main and secondary activities and turnover (business revenue) generated only from their main activity.

The turnover indices calculated from the value added tax databases have been obtained from the data on total deliveries (both taxable and non-taxable ones). Deliveries recorded in the value added tax databases June differ from the definition of turnover applied in statistical surveys, which affects the comparability of data.

Abbreviations

The survey whose data are published in this First Release has been conducted with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
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Persons responsible:
Milenka Primorac Čačić, Director of Business Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Josipa Kalčić Ivanić and Maja Dozet

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