Statistical business register
# 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.

## Register contents

### 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

