Statistical business register

A statistical business register (SBR) plays a central part in a system of official economic statistics at a national statistics office.

A company register has a different purpose: protection, accountability and control of legal entities.

Data sources
Countries use whatever data sources they seem relevant. E.g. they often integrate a company register in one form or another.

Type of business units
In EU a corresponding regulation define register contents:


 * all enterprises carrying on economic activities contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP), and their local units
 * the legal units of which those enterprises consist
 * enterprise groups

Characteristics

 * identification properties
 * identification number
 * name
 * address
 * contact info
 * VAT number
 * dates of creation/liquidation
 * main activity
 * operational status
 * legal form
 * links to other registries
 * links to other organizations or structural units
 * control
 * ownership
 * employees

Business registries in the world
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe provides Guidelines on Statistical Business Registers which describes the roles of the statistical business register.

European Commission provides a legal framework for business registers for statistical purposes.

See: List of company, tax and statistical business registers