| Description |
The business demography dataset includes births, deaths and survivals of UK enterprises. The active stock of businesses is also shown, so that birth and death rates can be calculated. This indicator is based on data from a new series produced by the Office for National Statistics (Business Demography) aimed at obtaining the best estimates of new business formations. The new Business Demography series will replace, by 2009, the current VAT registrations and de-registrations publication currently available on the BERR website. The new series measures business births in a different way to VAT registrations statistics and as a result will be extended to include businesses registered for PAYE. The new methodology conforms to a European definition and excludes businesses registering due to restructuring of existing businesses and re-activations of dormant units from the count of new business formations. The new Business Demography series will not be revised in the same way as the current VAT registration series. The VAT registrations series is subject to back revision every year, whereas the new Business Demography enterprise births series will not be revised once published. The new statistics were published for the first time on 28 November 2008 and contained the number of business registrations occurring in 2007.
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