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Companies and establishments on 1 January. By activity sectors and number of wage earners

Companies and establishments on 1 January. By activity sectors and number of wage earners Catalonia Companies with establishments in Catalonia
Industry Construction Services Total
2023 33,205 (b) Break in time series 67,816 (b) Break in time series 499,069 (b) Break in time series 600,090 (b) Break in time series
2022 35,688 76,493 529,502 641,683
2021 35,702 75,565 519,207 630,474
2020 36,195 76,123 525,454 637,772
2019 36,954 76,605 514,134 627,693
2018 38,613 75,418 515,989 630,020
2017 37,267 73,689 508,534 619,490
2016 36,568 74,309 495,635 606,512
2015 37,208 73,837 483,453 594,498
2014 37,977 74,908 473,558 586,443
2013 38,962 78,180 473,487 590,629
2012 41,152 86,094 474,915 602,161
2011 42,584 91,087 478,080 611,751
2010 44,776 97,019 477,883 619,678
2009 48,510 106,410 474,442 629,362
2008 49,398 118,002 468,045 635,445
Source: Idescat, based on the INE's Central companies directory (DIRCE).
Notes:
From the reference date of 1 January 2019, the concept of a company changed from the legal unit to the statistical unit. Consequently, that year's results are not strictly comparable with those of previous years.
The new definition of economically active company affects the calculation of the number of companies and establishments and, therefore, the data as of 1 January 2023 are not comparable with those of previous years.
(b) Break in time series.

Last update: February 29, 2024.

Methodological note

Definition of concepts

Company
The smallest combination of legal units constituting an organisational unit for the production of goods or services, one having certain autonomy in terms of decision-making, principally for allocating the resources it has at its disposal.
Establishment
Company (or part of a company) located in a specific geographical location at which economic activities are conducted on behalf of the company.

Methodological aspects

Information is offered on the Statistics on companies and establishments that Idescat produceson the basis of the Central Companies Directory (DIRCE) published by the INE. This operation presents the number of companies and establishments with activity in Catalonia in accordance with different criteria: by activity sectors, by legal status and by number of wage-earners. The DIRCE covers all economic activities except agricultural production and fishing, central, regional and local Administration's administrative services (including social services), the activities of property owner groups and domestic services.

It should be considered that in these statistics, when classifying companies by activity sector and number of wage-earners, reference is made to the sector and wage-earners in the company as a whole (if the company has wage-earners outside of Catalonia, they are also included).

Until the 2018 reference year, the concept of the company was coterminous with the legal unit, but it changed from 2019 on. The new statistical concept of the company has to do with the company's organisational structure, autonomy of decision and market orientation. To sum up, the economic factors of units are prioritised over a traditional vision, which is more orientated at legal aspects. The legal units that do not form part of groups of companies continue to be considered companies in their own right.

The new definition of economically active company, after Regulation 2019/2152 on European business statistics (EBS) and Implementing Regulation 2020/1197 came into force, affects the calculation of the number of companies and establishments; therefore, the data as of 1 January 2023 are not comparable with those of previous years.

You can get more information about these statistics in the methodology.