Survey at a glance
| Purpose |
To provide annual data for financial performance and financial position by broad industry groups |
| Selection process |
Business that had traded within the survey year can be selected |
| Population |
Approximately 450,000 |
| Sample |
Approximately 22,500 |
| Frequency |
Annually |
| Results |
Annual Enterprise Survey |
About the survey
What is the purpose of the Annual Enterprise Survey?
The main objective of the Annual Enterprise Survey (AES) is to provide annual data for financial performance and financial position by broad industry groups.
Who is included in the survey?
Businesses that had traded within the survey year (for greater than six months if a single geographic enterprise) can be selected. Participants in the survey are randomly selected based on a number of criteria, including industry, type of legal entity and number of employees. In general the larger the contribution a business makes to the totals that Statistics New Zealand publishes, the more likely they are to be selected to be in a survey. Totals are not only on a national basis, but can also be by industry, and type of legal entity. Thus it is impossible to give a precise idea of a businesses chance to be selected as this may vary from business to business. Administrative data is used for small businesses and organisations.
What is the chance of being selected and how long will I be in the survey for?
The survey is randomly selected based on a number of criteria, including industry, type of legal entity and number of employees. The AES is not reselected annually between periodic redesigns as we require a degree of sample overlap in order to maintain time series consistency. The last redesign of AES was in 1999, and a redesign project is currently underway.
What is this information used for?
Accurate information on the financial performance and position of New Zealand businesses forms the backbone of our economic statistics system. AES data provides the main accounting aggregates needed to construct the annual GDP and provides the starting point for economic and financial analysis.
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About giving data
How often does this survey take place?
This survey takes place annually.
If our business is included in the survey, who should complete the survey?
Owner, accountant, financial controller, etc.
Where can I download a copy of the questionnaire?
Follow this link for the Annual Enterprise Survey questionnaires.
What is Statistics New Zealand doing to reduce respondent load?
A number of initiatives are currently under way which aim to reduce compliance costs for New Zealand businesses, especially those of small to medium size. These options include a redesign of the AES in the near future, making more use of administrative data from within the New Zealand tax system.
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About your obligations
Why should I provide information to Statistics New Zealand?
Under the Statistics Act 1975 you must provide the information requested by Statistics New Zealand. It is also important that information from all of the businesses surveyed is accurately represented in the statistical results.
Will I be paid for providing information to Statistics New Zealand?
Providing information to Statistics New Zealand is a statutory obligation. There is no provision in the Statistics Act for people to be paid for providing information. Where possible, we request information in a way that is easily obtainable from business records. We also recognise that completing survey questionnaires can be time consuming. For some surveys, we provide survey respondents with information that can be useful for your business planning purposes. Also, survey results are available free of charge on the Statistics New Zealand website.
Will my information be shared with other government agencies?
The Statistics Act 1975 states that:
- all information collected under the Act must be used only for statistical purposes
- no information is released by Statistics New Zealand in a form that could enable the person or undertaking to whom it relates to be identified.
Consequently, Statistics New Zealand does not share your information with other government agencies. Other government agencies can provide their information to Statistics New Zealand, but only for statistical purposes. Statistics New Zealand sometimes undertakes a statistical survey jointly with another government department or government agency. In all cases, respondents are informed that it is a joint collection. You may object to information being passed to the other party by writing to Statistics New Zealand. Where this right is exercised, Statistics New Zealand withholds the information from the other party.
Do I have to complete this questionnaire?
Businesses selected for any Statistics New Zealand survey must provide the information requested. This is a legal requirement under the Statistics Act 1975. We appreciate that it can be difficult and time consuming to complete survey forms. If you would prefer to provide information by fax or by email, please phone our Survey Help Desk on 0800 809 464 to discuss these options.
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About using information
Are results from the Annual Enterprise Survey available?
Yes, free standard results are available each year. Use this link for information on Annual Enterprise Survey and this link to access key results from other Statistics New Zealand surveys.
Is statistical information available?
Many statistics are available to you and your business as it is 'public good' information. This means that you can access this information free of charge, from this website, or by contacting our Customer Services staff via email info@stats.govt.nz, or by phone at your nearest Statistics New Zealand office. Our newsletters also contain information which you may find useful. The information available could assist you in business planning and for monitoring business performance.
Does Statistics New Zealand have information useful for my business?
We can provide information that could help your business. For instance we have information that can help in:
- assessing future population trends
- economic monitoring
- target marketing
- profiling an area
- estimating your market share
- assessing consumer spending patterns
- benchmarking your business.
Further explanation can be found in Business Helper, a web-based guide for business users. We can also provide statistics that enable a comparison of the results of your business with industry results. Contact our Information Centre for more information on Business Helper or on business profiling, please phone toll free 0508 525 525, or send an email to info@stats.govt.nz.