National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria 

National Non-financial Accounts

Radostina Partinova

Nachko Milenov

State expert

Chief expert

2 P. Volov Str., Sofia 1038

[email protected]

[email protected]

+359 2 9857 402

+359 2 9857 670

Regional accounts are a regional specification of the national accounts and therefore based on the same concepts and definitions as national accounts (see domain nama10). The main specific regional issues are addressed in chapter 13 of Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the so-called "European System of Accounts 2010", but not practically specified. For practical rules and recommendations on sources and methods use the publication "Manual on regional accounts methods".

Classification of Economic Activities (CEA-2008, for international use NACE.BG-2008);                                                                                                              Classification of Territorial Units for Statistical Purposes in Bulgaria (NUTS)

Regional accounts are not available for all institutional sectors. According to Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the so-called "European System of Accounts 2010" shall calculate Allocation of Primary Income Account of Households and Secondary Distribution of Income Account of Households.

The production approach GDP at market prices is calculated as the sum of gross value added at basic prices in the economy and adjustments, which include net taxes on products, non- value-added tax and import duties.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Gross output (at basic prices) is the value of goods and services produced as a result of the production activity of resident units in three months.                                                                                                                                                                                                              Intermediate consumption includes the value of all goods and services transformed or fully consumed in the production process during the relevant period, except for the consumption of fixed assets recorded as consumption of fixed capital (depreciation). Regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is used to measure and compare the economic activity of the regions. This is the most important indicator for the selection of regions eligible for support under the investment objective for growth and jobs in the country's regional policy. Regional GDP figures are estimates of Bulgaria based on a harmonized methodology. Gross value added data at basic prices is used as the primary valuation variable. Additional data (ie, added value created eg in embassies, foreign armies, etc.) is treated like any other region; But because there is no population in the region, there is no GDP per capita in the external region.

National accounts deal with the economy (or large sub-sectors) as a whole. They combine data from a host of base statistics, and thus have no common sampling reference frame. The elementary building block of ESA2010 statistics is the institutional unit, which is defined as an elementary economic decision-making centre characterised by uniformity of behaviour and decision-making autonomy in the exercise of its principal function. This can be, inter alia, a household, a corporation or a government agency. Institutional units producing goods and services are often engaged in a combination of activities at the same time. As regards the regional GDP, the economy is considered as a whole but the regional level is calculated according to the regional breakdown, called NUTS 1, 2 and 3 ( use Classification of Territorial Units for Statistical Purposes in Bulgaria (NUTS).

Regional Accounts combine data from many source statistics. Per inhabitant figures are obtained by dividing absolute figures by the total population (average annual data for the total of the male and female population). With the implementation of ESA2010, i.e. since the end of 2014, NSIs have to transmit this data as part of the mandatory ESA2010 data transmission programme. When the annual regional GDP release is prepared, the regional population data is grossed up to the corresponding national population data which NSIs transmitted as part of the ESA2010 data transmission programme for national data. This grossing up ensures coherence between regional and national population data at the time of the regional GDP release. 

The reference area for national accounts is the total economy of a country. The total economy of a country can be broken down into regions. The NUTS classification provides a single, uniform breakdown of the economic territory of (the Member States of) the EU.

2000-2015

not applicable

Core data (ie gross value added, population data and national GDP) used to calculate regional gross domestic product are developed and provided by the National and Regional Accounts Department. The main incoming statistics are provided by various sources, such as departments in the NSI directorates, also administrative data from the government, censuses and surveys of businesses and households. The profit and loss account of non-financial enterprises, including the statistical annexes, shall be used; Labor Force Survey.

Annual

Comprehensive sample (labour force). The legal base for the collection of regional GDP is the European System of Accounts ESA2010

The sources are subjected to a sequence of checks within the departments within the NSI directorates. Data is checked for completeness (range of reference periods and variables) and sequence (accounting sequence and sequence over time).

Implementation of validated procedures for assessing the quality of data and the development of estimation of the completeness of the data. Data on NUTS1, NUTS2 and NUTS3 are collected within our country.

Not applicable. Regional accounts are being developed on an annual basis.

Quality is assured by strict application of ESA 2010 concepts and by thorough validation of the data.

Users of regional accounts data are typically interested in cross-region andin analysing structural changes in the economy from a medium-term perspective.

User satisfaction is regularly monitored in the context of user satisfaction surveys. For regional accounts, it is usually high and has been increasing lately, most likely due to the delay in releasing regional GDP by 12 months.

BG NSI follows up the interest perceived from users on the basis of databases and downloads of the data.

BG NSI follows up the interest perceived from users on the basis of databases and downloads of the data.

Overall accuracy increases with the size of the region concerned, e.g. NUTS2 data is more accurate than NUTS3 data.

Not applicable as regional accounts consist of aggregated data only.

Not applicable as regional accounts consist of aggregated data only.

Not applicable as regional accounts consist of aggregated data only.

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Before each submission, regional GDP data is compared and recalculated to national GDP figures. This adjustment is only done once a year with the development of regional GDP.

Not applicable

Not applicable. Regional accounts are being developed on an annual basis.

Output data is reviewed according to the national calendar. When new data is transmitted. The calendar is available on the NSI website: http://www.nsi.bg/en/node/488. Revisions are also published when NUTS classification changes are applied. Where a new NUTS classification is applied, if the regional allocation has changed.Revisions of regional GDP and regional population data are applied when new regional GDP figures are made only once a year.

Revisions of data other than regional GVA, GDP and population are published when  transmit the revised data. Revisions of regional GDP and regional population data are applied to Eurostat's reference database when a new set of regional GDP data is released, i.e. only once per year. Changes in methodology may also occur as a result of implementing new EU Regulations. Any such change will be commented at the time of the first data release after the changes.

The deadline for the transmission of basic data from NSIs to Eurostat is at the moment T + 12 or T + 24 months, depending on the variable.

The deadline for the transmission of basic data from NSIs to Eurostat is at the moment T + 12 or T + 24 months, depending on the variable.

The deadline for the transmission of basic data from NSIs to Eurostat is at the moment T + 12 or T + 24 months, depending on the variable.

The deadline for the transmission of basic data from NSIs to Eurostat is at the moment T + 12 or T + 24 months, depending on the variable.

The deadline for the transmission of basic data from NSIs to Eurostat is at the moment T + 12 or T + 24 months, depending on the variable.

The comparability is ensures by the application of common concepts and definitions (European System of Accounts ESA2010). Between regions comparability is ensured by the NUTS classification.

The comparability is ensures by the application of common concepts and definitions (European System of Accounts ESA2010). Between regions comparability is ensured by the NUTS classification.

By using a common framework, the European System of Accounts  ESA 2010, data can be comparable over time.  

By using a common framework, the European System of Accounts  ESA 2010, data can be comparable over time.  

Regional GDP data is consistent with national GDP when developing regional GDP. National GDP data is continually revised until the region's GDP is revised only once a year.

Regional GDP data are coherent between NUTS0, NUTS1, NUTS2 and NUTS3 levels.

Regional GDP data are coherent between NUTS0, NUTS1, NUTS2 and NUTS3 levels.

Regional GDP data are coherent between NUTS0, NUTS1, NUTS2 and NUTS3 levels.

News releases online.

Free publication online; Publication "Main Macroeconomic Indicators";  Statistical Yearbook;  Statistical Reference book; Electronic publication

Data are available to all users of the NSI website under the heading Macroeconomic statistics - Gross Domestic Product - Annual data - GDP - regional level: http://www.nsi.bg/en/node/5493/gdp-regions

Not applicable, as regional accounts only consist of aggregated data.

Not applicable

European System of Accounts (2010) (Eurostat). The methodology is also available on BG NSI website.

European legislation and guidelines are explained in ESA2010

Quality is assured by strict application of ESA 2010 concepts and by thorough validation of the data

Regional GDP data are based on other statistics, in particular national accounts and business statistics data, i.e. there is no additional burden on respondents. 

Law on Statistics; Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society. The European Statistics Code of Practice provides further conditions that have to be respected by statistical offices in regard to statistical confidentiality (Principle 5): The privacy of data providers (households, enterprises, administrations and other respondents), the confidentiality of the information they provide and its use only for statistical purposes are absolutely guaranteed. 

If  data are with a confidentiality flag or are under an embargo date, these data are not published. 

Geographical consistency:  The sums of regional GDP data usually coincide with the national data published in national accounts at the time of the regional GDP release. National GDP data are more frequently updated than regional GDP.                                                                National Currency: As a Member State of the Eurozone, the database of the Republic of Bulgaria has been converted from "old" to "new" national currency. This data in the "new" national currency has been converted from the former national currency series by applying the irrevocably fixed exchange rate of the euro for all years.