Structural Business Statistics 2019
Growth in the business sector before the pandemic
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2021-05-05 9.30
Net turnover among enterprises in the business sector increased by 4 percent and the number of employees increased by 1 percent in 2019 compared with 2018. Net turnover in enterprises in the publishing industry, including publishers of computer games and software, increased by 36 percent between 2014 and 2019. The number of employees in the beverages and tobacco industries increased by 16 percent in the same period.
There was a positive development in the business sector over a five-year period that continued in the year before the pandemic. In addition to an increase in net turnover and the number of employees, value added and total assets also increased between 2018 and 2019, by 5 percent and by 7 percent respectively. In total, the business sector comprised 1 160 000 enterprises with 2 940 000 employees, which taken together, generated SEK 9 520 billion in net turnover and SEK 2 770 billion in value added. The enterprises’ total assets amounted to SEK 20 860 billion and net investments were SEK 470 billion in 2019.
The figures below show the progress of the enterprises’ sales (net turnover) and the number of employees in four selected industry groups over a five-year period.
Source: Structural Business Statistics, basic data enterprises
The industry that increased the most was publishing of books and software, in which sales increased by 36 percent between 2014 and 2019, and amounted to a total net turnover of SEK 84 billion. This industry includes enterprises that publish books, magazines, computer games, and other software. The largest contribution to the positive development in the five-year period came from publishers of computer games and software. Wholesalers, the largest industry group, had a stable development curve where net turnover increased by 27 percent to SEK 1 630 billion in 2019. Net turnover in water transport enterprises increased by 24 percent and amounted to SEK 41 billion in total. Sales in manufacture of beverages and tobacco decreased between 2016 and 2017, rebounded in the last two years, and the net turnover amounted to SEK 27 billion in 2019.
Source: Structural Business Statistics, basic data enterprises
Definitions and explanations
Structural Business Statistics is the only survey that is based on the annual accounts of all non-financial enterprises in Sweden.
All information in this item of statistical news is reported in current prices. All comparisons have been made with final data for 2018.
Business sector: Enterprises conducting business activities in Sweden regardless of legal form. Businesses with financial activities and housing cooperatives are not included in Structural Business Statistics. Public administration activities are also not included.
Net turnover: Net turnover excluding excise taxes and merchanting.
Employees: Average number of employees, full-time equivalents: two half-time employees are counted as one full-time employee.
Value added: Actual production minus costs for purchased goods and services, except salaries, payroll taxes and the costs of goods for resale (because only the trade margin for these is included in the production value). Value added can also be referred to as the contribution to GDP (gross domestic product).
Total assets: Balance sheet total, that is, the sum of all intangible, fixed and financial assets.
Net investments: This year’s acquisitions minus this year’s sales of tangible fixed assets such as machinery, equipment, buildings and land. Sales refer to the income the enterprise received from the sale of the fixed asset.
Information on the quality of the statistics, production methods, frequently requested tables, charts, the statistical database and more is available on the Statistics Sweden website here:
Structural business statistics
Statistical Databases
Further information is available in the databases available free of charge under Structural business statistics. These databases contain information by industry, on net turnover, value added, balance sheet total, and number of employees. It is also possible to produce entire income statements and balance sheets for each industry.
Next publishing will be
The next statistical news in this series is scheduled for publication on 2021-12-08 at 09.30.
Statistical Database
More information is available in the Statistical Database
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.