Annual Business Survey
type: Dataset
conforms to: http://mlcommons.org/croissant/1.0
contact point: ContactPoint
date modified: 2026-08-13T12:16:45.258137
date published: 2026-08-13T12:14:05.221444
description: [Scottish Annual Business Statistics (SABS)](https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-annual-business-statistics-2023/) data are mainly sourced to the Annual Business Survey and measures the non-financial business economy (which covers the Production, Construction and Service Sectors in Scotland). The main sectors not covered are the financial sector & parts of agriculture and the public sector. Data are classified according to industry group and geographical area. All figures are in current prices (i.e. values have not been adjusted for inflation). Variables include employment, employees, turnover, purchases of goods & services, approximate gross value added (aGVA), gross wages & salaries, labour costs, total output and number of business units. GVA per head, gross wages & salaries per head and labour costs per head are also available.
accuracy: Please visit Quality Measures and Data Reliability in these [methodology notes](https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-annual-business-statistics-2023/pages/methodology-notes/)
comment: Financial and employment data by broad industry by year. Annual Business Survey (ABS) provides data mainly on the Production (including Manufacturing), Construction and Service Sectors in Scotland. The statistics are best suited to the analysis of individual industries rather than the economy as a whole.
completeness: For other Tables, commentary and more methodology please visit [SABS website](https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-annual-business-statistics-2023/)
confidentiality: Any starred cell contains confidential data. This is data which has been withheld from publication in order that no information relating to an individual business is disclosed. Caution should therefore be exercised if summary data is calculated; it may include suppressed cells in which case it will not be a true representation of industry or area totals.
consistency: Data can be compared between different industries, local authority areas and to look at trends over time. For comparisons with other UK regions, please visit [Office for National Statistics website](https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/bulletins/nonfinancialbusinesseconomyukandregionalannualbusinesssurvey/2023results)
geographical coverage: S92
geographical coverage: S12
license id: uk-ogl
next update: 2026-10-01
quality management: Standard Errors at Local Authority area level for 2012 to 2018 and 2020 to 2023 are available in the Tables published in [SABS 2023](https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-annual-business-statistics-2023/documents/) Please note that it was not possible to produce Standard Errors for 2019, for more information please visit Quality Measures in these [methodology notes](https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-annual-business-statistics-2023/pages/methodology-notes/)
reference period: PeriodOfTime
  end date: 2023
  start date: 2008
timeliness: It is the aim to publish Scottish Annual Business Statistics as soon as feasible after the release of the [Office for National Statistics' regional results.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/bulletins/nonfinancialbusinesseconomyukandregionalannualbusinesssurvey/2023results)
uniqueness: Not assessed
update frequency: annual
validity: The Annual Business Survey, from which the statistics are largely derived, covers approximately two thirds of the economy. The main sectors not covered are the financial sector & parts of agriculture and the public sector. These statistics are therefore best suited to the analysis of individual industries rather than the economy as a whole. Industries are compiled using [Standard Industrial Classification (SIC 07) codes](https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/ukstandardindustrialclassificationofeconomicactivities/uksic2007). A SIC code is allocated to a business site according to its main activity.
will be updated: true
included in data catalog: CKAN
keywords: Business, Enterprise and Energy
license: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
record set: records

Scottish Government
type: Organization
contact point: ContactPoint
  contact type: customer service

Value
type: Field
data type: Text
source:
  extract:
    column: Value

annual-business-survey.csv
type: FileObject
description: Data file for Annual Business Survey
comment: Financial and employment data by broad industry by year. Annual Business Survey (ABS) provides data mainly on the Production (including Manufacturing), Construction and Service Sectors in Scotland. The statistics are best suited to the analysis of individual industries rather than the economy as a whole.
dictionary: Column
  column: IndicatorAbs
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Measurement
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Value
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyCode
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: DateCode
  type: int
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyName
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Units
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Industry SectorSic07
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyType
  type: text
encoding format: CSV

GeographyName
type: Field
data type: Text
source:
  extract:
    column: GeographyName

GeographyCode
type: Field
data type: Text
source:
  extract:
    column: GeographyCode

IndicatorAbs
type: Field
data type: Text
source:
  extract:
    column: IndicatorAbs

DateCode
type: Field
data type: Integer
source:
  extract:
    column: DateCode

Industry SectorSic07
type: Field
data type: Text
source:
  extract:
    column: Industry SectorSic07

GeographyType
type: Field
data type: Text
source:
  extract:
    column: GeographyType

Measurement
type: Field
data type: Text
source:
  extract:
    column: Measurement

Units
type: Field
data type: Text
source:
  extract:
    column: Units