This publication provides a summary of the information available in the OECD Structural and Demographic Business Statistics (SDBS) database. Key economic variables are presented at the International Standard of Industrial Classification, Revision 3 (ISIC) 2-digit level, for all industries and OECD member countries.

It provides a wealth of information at a very detailed sectoral level including: turnover, value-added, production, operating surplus, employment, labour costs and investment. The breakdown by industrial sector, including services, is supplemented by a further breakdown into business size classes, further enhancing the analytical capabilities of the database. The database also includes business demography statistics such as business birth, death and survival rates as well as the number of high-growth enterprises.

As such, the database and the publication will help answer such questions as: Which sectors have experienced positive/negative growth in recent years? What contribution do small businesses make to economic activity? How does the structure of businesses vary across OECD countries? Which industrial sectors have the highest labour productivity? How does labour productivity vary by business size? Are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more or less profitable per employee than large businesses? Which sectors invest most?