What you should know

The Business climate survey is a quarterly official statistical operation forming part of the 2024 annual programme for statistical actions (action 02 03 06), as regulated by the Law on the Statistical Plan for Catalonia 2017–2020. These statistics are governed by a collaboration agreement between Idescat and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.

The operation collects data from five different activity sectors, for each of which a specific questionnaire has been designed: industry, construction, trade, accommodation and food and beverage service activities and other services.

The results of the survey for previous quarters can be viewed on the Idescat website.

2. What are the objectives?

The main objective of the Business climate survey is to quickly find out about the situation and evolution of establishments with activity in Catalonia and, on the basis of this information, foresee possible changes of tendency in the economic cycle.

3. Who is the survey addressed at?

The survey is addressed at establishments in Catalonia with an activity in one of the sectors covered by the operation.

4. When does the data collection operation take place?

The field operation is conducted from the 15th of March, June, September and December and takes an expected 20 calendar days.

5. How can the survey be answered?

Information is mainly collected using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) method. Selected establishments will be provided via email with an Internet address and a code and password that must be used to answer via the Idescat website.

Additionally, other systems are accepted, such as telephone, fax and email, to help informant units to provide the information.

6. Is it compulsory to respond?

Given the nature of public interest, established by the Parliament of Catalonia, of all statistics included in the Statistical Plan for Catalonia, the collaboration of the population and companies in answering the questionnaires is a legal obligation, in order to guarantee an adequate quota of replies and consequently statistically reliable results (Chapter V of the Statistical law of Catalonia). It is stated in article 38 of the Statistical Law of Catalonia that "all citizens, entities and institutions are obliged by law to provide the information requested and this information must be complete and truthful."

7. Is the information protected well enough?

The data of an individual nature in the in the Business climate survey is protected by statistical secret as established by the Statistical law of Catalonia. This supposes that the individualised data collected in the questionnaires cannot be made public nor can it be communicated to any person or entity, not even those of public administration, other than those that are also bound by the obligations of statistical secret. In this regard, all staff of the bodies that participate in official statistics in Catalonia make a solemn declaration of the preservation of statistical secret and face severe penalties should they violate this.

Similarly, the obligation to observe statistical secret is extended to the publication of the results, such that Idescat, like all other bodies forming part of the Statistical system of Catalonia, takes special care to avoid the possibility of detecting data of an individual nature from any of the information that appears in any tables.

8. Where can I request further information?

For any doubts or queries in relation to the content of this survey or other doubts arising from the same, you can contact us by phone at 934 300 743, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by sending an email to climaempresarial at idescat dot cat.

9. Where can I view the results of the survey?

The results of the statistics are published on the websites of Idescat and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and can be viewed for free.