Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2017

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released Scottish Annual Business Statistics (SABS) 2017.

The publication includes financial and employment statistics on businesses operating in Scotland, by industry sector, local authority area and business ownership. The statistics cover the non-financial business economy and are best suited to analyses of individual industries. The financial sector, parts of the agricultural sector and parts of the public sector are not included in the SABS data.

The main findings include:

• Between 2016 and 2017, approximate Gross Value Added (aGVA) increased for three of the four main sectors of the non-financial business economy – Services (+7.0%), Primary Industries (+32.0%) and Construction (+7.6%). Manufacturing was the only main sector that experienced a decrease in aGVA year-on-year (-2.1%).

• In 2017, the largest contribution to aGVA within the Services sector came from Retail Trade (11.0%), followed by Wholesale Trade (8.1%), then Architectural and Engineering Activities (8.0%).

• In 2017, the largest contribution to aGVA within the Manufacturing sector came from Manufacture of Beverages (17.6%), followed by Manufacture of Food Products (12.8%), then Manufacture of Fabricated Metal Products (9.4%).

• Out of the six key Growth Sectors, five experienced an increase in aGVA between 2016 and 2017: Energy (+29.6%), Creative Industries (+11.1%), Food & Drink (+6.3%), Sustainable Tourism (+6.0%) and Business Services (+4.7%). Life Sciences was the only growth sector that experienced a decrease in aGVA between 2016 and 2017 (-6.1%).

The figures released today were produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Background

The full statistical publication is available at: http://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business/SABS

The Scottish Annual Business Statistics (SABS) are based on the Annual Business Survey (ABS) conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Summary 2017 data, for all regions and countries within the UK, were published by ONS on 16 May 2019 and are available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/datasets/uknonfinancialbusinesseconomyannualbusinesssurveyregionalresultssectionsas

The results published today present more detailed 2017 figures for Scotland, with revised figures for 2016.

The latest SABS results include data for the Scottish Government’s Growth Sectors. Data for the Growth Sectors, covering the period from 2008 to 2017, are provided at:

https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business/Publications/GrowthSectors

Note that data for the oil and gas extraction sector (part of the Primary Industries main sector and the Energy Growth Sector) includes off-shore oil and gas activity; off-shore activity, under UK regional accounts procedures, is normally allocated to a separate ‘Extra Regio’ category rather than allocated to a region within the UK. 

Further information on Business and Enterprise statistics within Scotland can be accessed at: http://www2.gov.scot/topics/statistics/browse/Business

Official statistics are produced in accordance with professional standards – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: http://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/About