Structural Business Statistics 2014:
Mostly upwards for the business economy in 2014
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2016-05-12 9.30
Compared with 2013, value added (contribution to GDP), increased by 5.5 percent, turnover by 3.1 percent and number of employees by 1.3 percent. Operating profits equalled slightly more than SEK 500 billion in 2014, an increase of 13.7 percent. In addition, positive net results from financial investments totalled SEK 200 billion. Most of the financial ratios improved. Operating margin, return on total assets and value added by employees increased in the service sector as well as the industrial sector.
In 2014, the Swedish business economy (excluding financial services) consisted of over one million enterprises and employed 2.7 million persons (measured in full-time equivalents). These enterprises had a joint turnover of SEK 7 331 billion and created value added equal to SEK 2 165 billion. Their total assets amounted to SEK 16 675 billion.
The business economy consists largely of small and medium sized enterprises. A very large proportion (97 percent) of these are known as micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees. These enterprises accounted for less than one quarter of the value added created in the business economy in 2014. Large enterprises with 250 or more employees made up less than 0.1 percent of the total enterprise population, but contributed with an entire 39 percent to the value added.
The variable for costs for raw materials and goods for resale was by far the largest cost item, SEK 3 532 billion, which represents 47 percent of total operating revenues. Other external costs accounted for 23 percent. These costs include payment of rents and all costs for services purchased, including payments for the supply of external personnel. Only 19 percent of operating revenues were used for personnel costs.
Employment activities (NACE 78) is an industry which has grown sharply for some time now. In 2014, value added increased by 10 percent, turnover by 7 percent and employees by 4 percent. Computer consultancy activities (NACE 62020) is an industry which has grown steadily the last years. Turnover increased by 25 percent between 2008 and 2014, value added by 23 percent and employees by 17 percent. Publishing of computer games (NACE 58210) is an example of a small industry which has grown sharply in recent years. Value added has increased 3.5 times and turnover has more than doubled since 2008. Both the operating margin (41 per cent) and the return on total assets (72 percent) were very high in 2014.
Definitions and explanations
All information is reported in current prices. All comparisons in this statistical news have been made with final data for 2013.
Net turnover: net turnover excluding excise duties.
Employees: Average number of employees, full-time: Two half-time employees are counted as one full-time employee.
Value added: Actual production minus costs for purchased goods and services, although not salaries, payroll taxes and the costs of goods for resale (because only the trade margin for these is included in the production value).
Operating profit: Operating profit after depreciation.
Operating margin: Operating profit in relation to net turnover in percent.
Return on total assets: Operating profit and financial income in relation to total assets in percent.
Business economy: Enterprises conducting business activities in Sweden regardless of legal form. Businesses with financial activities and housing cooperatives are not included in the Structural Business Statistics. Public administration activities are not included either.
The industrial sector: NACE 01-43 according to NACE Rev. 2.
The services sector: NACE 45-96 (excl. 64-66 and 84) according to NACE Rev. 2.
Next publishing will be
2016-12-13 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.