branschdata

Branschdata refers to data that describes the size, structure and performance of economic sectors or industries. It includes indicators such as market size, growth rates, employment, productivity, value added and the distribution of firms across sub-sectors. The term encompasses both official statistics and data collected by industry organizations and private providers. Branschdata is used to map the economic landscape, support market analyses, and inform policy, business strategy and investment decisions.

Sources and types of branschdata typically include official statistics from national statistical agencies and international bodies, industry associations, surveys of firms, financial statements, and trade data collected by government and private entities. The data are usually organized by sector using classification systems such as NACE, NAICS, or national frameworks, allowing aggregation from macro sectors down to more detailed sub-sectors. Common indicators cover revenue, number of enterprises, employment, wages, value added, productivity, and shares of exports or imports.

Applications and challenges: Branschdata supports market analysis, benchmarking, policy assessment, risk evaluation, and business planning. Challenges include differences in classification, coverage gaps (notably among small or informal firms), time lags in publication, revisions, and sampling error. Ensuring data quality, consistent definitions, and adequate metadata is important for reliable use and comparability, especially in cross-country analyses.

Access and governance: Much branschdata is publicly accessible through statistical portals, though some datasets require licenses for commercial use. Privacy and confidentiality rules limit disclosure of microdata. Effective governance, standardization and interoperability of classifications and methods are important to enable robust analyses and comparisons across sectors and borders.