How we source and check our data

Business Stats publishes statistics on markets, companies, economies and consumers. Each statistic page brings together a chart, the key figures, a data table, notes on definitions and the sources the figures come from.

This page explains how those figures are chosen, collected, checked, presented and kept up to date. It applies to every statistic page on businesstats.com and on our German edition, de.businesstats.com.

Where several sources report the same indicator, we use the one closest to the data. We cite the organisation that produced the figure, not a website that repeated it.

1. Define the question. We decide exactly what the page measures: the indicator, unit, currency, geography and period, and whether it is nominal or inflation-adjusted.
2. Collect from the source. The analyst takes the most recent release from the source and records its title, publisher, release date and any definition notes.
3. Verify. A second team member re-checks each value against the source, checks that totals and shares add up, and compares the figures with the previous release to catch obvious errors.
4. Visualise. The chart is built with honest axes and like-for-like comparisons. Units, periods and the source line are shown on or next to the chart.
5. Review and publish. The Managing Editor reviews the page before it goes live. The page shows the date it was last updated.

• Currency: figures are shown in the currency the source publishes. Where we show U.S. dollars, we use the source's own conversion where one exists and state the basis used.
• Nominal and real values: we say whether a value is in current prices (nominal) or adjusted for inflation (real or constant prices).
• Fiscal and calendar years: company data follows the company's fiscal year unless stated otherwise; we name the fiscal year end where it differs from the calendar year.
• Percentages: we distinguish between per cent changes and percentage-point changes.
• Rounding: values are rounded for display. Totals may therefore differ slightly from the sum of their parts.

Not every number is a final, official count. We label the type of figure so readers can judge how much weight to give it.

Monthly and quarterly series are refreshed when the source publishes new data. Annual series are updated after each new release. When a source revises past figures, we carry the revision over, so values on our pages can change from one update to the next.

Every statistic page shows the date it was last updated. If you compare our figures with an older copy of the same source, differences are usually due to revisions by the source.

Where a statistic page contains a data table, a Download this table (CSV) link and a ready-made citation appear below the article, so the figures can be opened in Excel or Google Sheets. Our data tables are also described with structured data (schema.org Dataset), which helps search engines and research tools find them.

Our original charts and data tables are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). You may share and adapt them, including commercially, if you give appropriate credit.

The underlying data remain subject to the terms of the organisation that published them. Our article text, logo and photos are not covered by this licence; see our terms of use.

• Different sources can report different values for the same indicator because of definitions, coverage or timing. We name the source we used so you can compare.
• Data for recent periods are often preliminary and may be revised.
• Some older reports on the site were published before these standards were introduced. We are reviewing and rewriting them; see review of older reports.
• Our statistics are for general information and are not financial or investment advice. See our disclaimer.

If you think a figure is wrong or out of date, send us the link to the page and the value you are questioning. Every report is checked against the source. How we handle this is set out in our corrections policy.