Belgian statistical office
The Belgian Statistical Office ( STATBEL ), formerly the General Directorate of Statistics and Economic Information ( GDSWI ), before that the State Statistical Office ( SLA ), is part of the Belgian Federal Public Service for Economy, SMEs, SMEs and Energy and is headquartered in the WTC III building, boulevard Simon Bolivar 30, in Brussels .
The GDSWI organizes surveys of Belgian households and companies, evaluates or processes existing official databases (e.g. the national register) and transmits data to Belgian and international authorities and attitudes. Third parties can also make use of GDSWI's statistical expertise. It is also the official point of contact for international recruitments such as Eurostat and Belgium's OECD .
Statbel publishes series of figures, press releases and studies on its website . Some databases can be called up directly using the online application be.STAT.
Tasks and assignments
The basic task of the GDSWI could be summed up in three words: collect, process and disseminate relevant, reliable and well-interpreted figures on Belgian society.
'Collecting' means the gathering of data from the various actors in the social and economic area. This is done using direct or indirect surveys. In the case of surveys, the population to be examined is questioned directly by the surveyor, while in the case of indirect surveys, official registers (social security file, VAT register, central register of companies ...) are used. The latter way of working is increasingly used because it reduces the workload and costs for companies and private individuals.
'Processing' statistical data primarily includes a critical evaluation of the information provided. This is followed by checking and validating the answers by checking them for accuracy and probability. The GDSWI then records the basic data in overview tables. By combining and comparing information of various types and origins, GDSWI adds added value to the original figures.
'Disseminating' means making the collected data accessible (insofar as the rules for the protection of privacy are not violated) for the widest possible audience:
- the state authorities (all Belgian political bodies at any level, as well as international attitudes and organizations)
- the business world (all companies regardless of their size or goals)
- society (researchers, journalists, faculty, students and citizens in general)
The GDSWI publishes statistical information on:
- the households (population numbers, household budget, time use, travel behavior patterns ...)
- industry, construction, trade and other services (data from surveys at companies)
- the economy, in the form of indices (e.g. consumer price indices ) and economic indicators on industrial production, investment, exports, employment, retail and the service sector ...
Surveys
Surveys carried out by the GDSWI include a. the labor force survey, income and living conditions, the structure and distribution of wages, the structure of companies, the agricultural survey, the 2011 census (the former “census”) and the household budget survey.
The Directorate-General is also involved in some important surveys of other attitudes. Examples of this are the health survey of the Scientific Institute for Public Health and the time budget survey of the TOR research group at the Free University of Brussels (VUB). Other government settings can also use the methodological expertise of the GDSWI.