REVISION OF STATISTICAL DATA
METHODOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS – REVISION OF STATISTICAL DATA
Purpose of revising statistical data
Definitions and explanations
Statistical surveys in which data are revised
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Purpose of revising statistical data
The purpose of data revision is to provide users with high-quality statistical data.
Definitions and explanations
Statistical data are numerical values presenting the size of the observed phenomenon. For
the sake of simplification, further on the term “data” is used.
Statistical information is statistical signs, comments, tables, charts, figures, definitions,
methodological explanations and other text explaining the content of statistical data.
Published data: Data are published when they are disseminated to the public via the
Internet or in printed form.
The status of data determines whether the published data are final or provisional and thus
subject to revision.
Provisional data are data that will be subject to planned revision due to the inclusion of a
more complete/additional data source or due to seasonal adjustment and/or elimination of
calendar effects.
Final data are data that will not be subject to any planned revision.
Data revision is a statistical process that changes the value of published data.
This methodological explanation does not describe unplanned data revisions due to errors
(irregularities in published statistical data and information). Errors are described in the
methodological explanation “Correction of errors in published statistical data and
information”.
The Office classifies data revision in relation to planning, time of implementation and
purpose.
(1) Types of data revisions in relation to planning
a) Planned data revision
Planned data revision is subject to the following reasons:
I. Due to the needs of users for timely information, data are published that meet the criteria
of the quality of official statistical data, but do not meet the quality that can be met with
additional statistical procedures. Final data are based on more complete answers about the
phenomenon and/or analyses and are published later on;
II. Seasonal adjustment and/or elimination of calendar effects;
III. Change in methodology and classifications.
b) Unplanned data revision
Unplanned data revision is not part of the regular statistical process. It appears due to
unpredictable changes in the methodology, unpredictable emergence of new and better data,
unpredictable changes regarding reporting units that transmit their data to the Office,
unpredictable obstacles in data processing and publishing, and errors in data processing and
publishing (e.g. a key unit corrects its data for the past few months, an unpredictable change
in the administrative data source).
(2) Types of data revisions in relation to time of implementation
The reasons for revising data in relation to time of implementation are:
a)
Regular revisions: inclusion of a more complete/additional data source or a change
in the data source, seasonal adjustment and/or elimination of calendar effects;
b)
Occasional revisions are a consequence of including a new/more
complete/additional data source that becomes the standard in later data releases or a
consequence of an unpredictable obstacle in data processing and publishing, and
change in methodology.
(3) Types of data revisions in relation to the purpose
The reasons for revising data in relation to the purpose are:
a) Inclusion of a more complete/additional data source or a change in the data source;
b) Seasonal adjustment and/or elimination of calendar effects;
c) Transition to a new base period;
d) Improvement of methodology due to a change in the statistical method or a change
in classifications, concepts and definitions;
e) Elimination or errors (not errors in the sense of irregularities in publishing statistical data
and information, the correction of which is regulated by the Guideline for correction of errors
in published statistical data and information at the Statistical Office of the Republic of
Slovenia).
(4) The frequency of planned data revisions is balanced with the need to provide quality
data and their simple use. Data are revised when newer/more quality data can significantly
contribute to the quality of data-based decision-making and when due to publication
deadlines determined by the European or national legislation or due to unpredictable
obstacles in data processing and publication less accurate data are published on the basis of
incomplete coverage.
(5) Monitoring of long-term effect of data revision
To improve the quality, we monitor the long-term effect of data revision and regularly report
about it in Chapter 6 “Coherence” of the Quality Reports.
(6) Informing users about planned revisions
The planned data revisions due to the change in methodology or classifications are
announced to data users in the methodological note of the First Release; in case of planned
major revisions, users are informed in a different way.
(7) Data releases
Any publication of statistical data in collections First Release, Electronic Release and Rapid
Reports contains in the title information about the status of published data – i.e. whether the
data are provisional or final. In case of final data the last part of the publication title is written
with lowercase letters »- final data« and in the case of provisional data also with lowercase
letters »- provisional data«.
Examples:
Average monthly earnings, detailed data, Slovenia, August 2009 – final data
Turnover and new orders in industry, detailed data, Slovenia, August 2009 – provisional data
Due to the specific character of national and regional accounts, the statuses of published
data are not marked.
Example:
Gross domestic product, main aggregates of national accounts and employment, Slovenia,
2005-2008
After the publication of provisional data (may be repeated), final data are also always
published.
Final data are published in the following ways:
 With a First Release, when first published data are already final (data are not
published as provisional);
 With an Electronic Release, when data in the First Release were published as
provisional;
 In the SI-STAT database, with a note under the table containing information about the
status of the data (how long the data are provisional; after this period the data
become final);
When publishing provisional data a First Release, we write in the space intended for
methodological notes when the next provisional data or the final data will be published.
In the Statistical Yearbook, in Some Important Statistics on Slovenia and in promotional
publications we mark the status of data only if they are provisional. The status of data is
marked with a note under the table or chart.
In the SI-STAT database newer versions of data always replace older ones.
Methodological explanations for individual statistical surveys contain in the chapter on
publishing and data revision notes about the policy of publishing provisional data with the
following elements: type of data revision in relation to planning, purpose and frequency (time
of implementation).
Quality Reports for individual statistical surveys contain, in addition to information from the
previous paragraph, in Chapter 6 “Coherence” also coherence between provisional and final
data and the reasons for eventual major differences between provisional and final data.
In the SI-STAT database notes under the table contain information until when data will be
provisional and a link to Methodological explanations about data revision at SURS.
The note reads: »Data for XX are provisional. With each release the data for all months of
the current year can be corrected and supplemented with new data.« or »Data for the last XX
months are provisional. With each release the data for the last XX months can be corrected
and supplemented with new data.«
Statistical surveys in which data are revised
From 1 January 2016 on statistical surveys:
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SSP/L
IND/L
POSL-P/ČL
IND-PN/M
GRAD/M
GRAD-GD/M
TRG-D/M
TRG/M
STOR/M
SPR-DEM/L
SPR-DEM-EBD/L
KME-DEC
KME- ZAKOL/M
KME-MLEKO
ERK
KME-INPUT/M
KME-JUNSTRK
KME - JUN
KME-ŽIV/L
KME-BIL-RAST/L
KME-BIL-ŽIV/L
KME-ODK/M
KME-LES/M
KME-ZGK-P/L KME-ZGK-K/L
KME-POZP-P/L, KME-POZPK/L
DEM-ROJ
DEM-UMR
DEM-PRIZ
DEM-POR
DEM-RAZ
SEL
Obrazec 1 - ZAP/M
ZAP-SP/L
ZAP-DELURE
R-RD-IZV
INOV
ESSPROS
EU-SILC
E1-EE/M
E2-SP/M
E3-TOP/M
E4-EEP/M
E5-EED/M
E6-NAF/M
E7-NP/M
E8-NPT/M
E9-PL/M
E10-TGT/M
Statistics on Performance of Enterprises
Industrial Production
Quarterly Performance of Business Entities
Turnover and Value of Stocks in Industry
Construction and New Orders
Building Permits
Wholesale
Retail Trade, Motor Trade and Repair of Motor Vehicles
Business and Other Service Activities
Business Demography
Employer Business Demography
Livestock Slaughter and Area Sawn in Autumn
Livestock Slaughter in Slaughterhouses
Milk and Milk Products
Economic Accounts for Agriculture
Agricultural Input Prices
Structure of Agricultural Holdings
Areas Sown
Animal Production
Crop Supply Balance Sheets
Animal Supply Balance Sheets
Purchase of Agricultural Products
Purchase of Wood
Yield of Early Crops and Fruits and Yield Forecast of Some Important
Yield Forecast of Late Crops, Late Fruit and Grapes
Births
Deaths
Acknowledgement of Paternity and Adoption of Child
Registration of Marriage
Registration of Divorce
Migrations
Monthly Report on Earnings at Legal Persons
Labour Cost
Structure of Earnings Statistics
Hours Worked
Research and Development Activity by R&D Providers
Innovation Activity in Industry and Selected Services
European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics
Living Conditions
Electricity and Heat Production
Autoproducers of Electricity and Heat
Heat Supply
Electricity Transmission
Electricity Distribution
Production and Supply with Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Feedsto
Petroleum Products Production
Petroleum Products Trade
Gas Supply
Solid Fuels Trade
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E11-TG/M
E-CEE
E-CPL
E-CTOP/M
INTRASTAT
EXTRASTAT
ZT-IPVIU/ČL
KO-TEL/ČL
KO-TEL/L
TR-CES-P/M
TR-PRI/M
TU/M, TU/L
Prepared by
Simona Klasinc
Last Updated
25. 1. 2016
Coal Mining
Electricity Prices
Natural Gas Prices
Heat Energy Prices
Trade in Goods between EU Member States
Trade in Goods with Non-Member Countries
Unit Value Indices of Exports and Imports
Electronic communication services
Performance of Companies in the Telecommunications Sector
Passengers in road public scheduled transport
Port Traffic
Tourist Arrivals and Overnight Stays
Agri-Environmental Indicators