Accounting statistics for non-financial limited companies

Updated: 29 September 2023

Next update: 26 April 2024

Companies return on equity
Companies' return on equity
2022
16.6
%
Accounting statistics for non-financial limited companies
Accounting statistics for non-financial limited companies1
NOK millionNOK millionPer cent
202120222021 - 2022
Income statement
Operating income (NOK million)6 874 8838 410 05522.3
Operating profit (NOK million)957 0781 727 93280.5
Operating profit before tax (NOK million)1 658 0882 548 81953.7
Net profit (NOK million)1 144 7131 468 29128.3
Balance sheet
Fixed assets (NOK million)11 948 49113 060 2139.3
Current assets (NOK million)5 297 8706 263 46318.2
Equity (NOK million)8 169 6858 826 6008.0
Liabilities (NOK million)9 076 67610 497 07515.6
Per centPer centPercentage points
Key figures
Operating profit margin (per cent)13.920.56.6
Return on total assets (per cent)10.414.13.7
Return on equity (per cent)14.016.62.6
Equity ratio (per cent)47.445.7-1.7
1Figures for 2022 are preliminary.
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Selected accounting figures, income statement. NOK million.
    Selected accounting figures, income statement. NOK million.1
    202020212022
    Operating income (NOK million)5 813 8726 874 8838 410 055
    Revenue (NOK million)5 406 0676 447 2557 991 720
    Operating expences (NOK million)5 441 2085 917 8056 682 123
    Raw materials and consumables used (NOK million)2 795 2313 168 8264 023 104
    Payroll expence (NOK million)982 1981 057 5541 088 894
    Depreciation and write down of tangible and intangible fixed ass. (NOK million)394 856326 423340 120
    Operating profit (NOK million)372 664957 0781 727 932
    Income from subsidiaries, other group entities and from ass. (NOK million)198 002282 600783 999
    Interest income (NOK million)60 13557 888108 176
    Interest expence (NOK million)155 692143 960166 928
    Write-down of financial assets (NOK million)106 17774 941104 806
    Financial items, net (NOK million)319 026701 010820 886
    Operating profit before tax (NOK million)691 6901 658 0882 548 819
    Tax (NOK million)122 481516 7011 080 337
    Net profit (NOK million)567 5741 144 7131 468 291
    Proposed dividends (NOK million)......
    Number of enterprises313 139331 371336 324
    1Figures for 2022 are preliminary.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Selected accounting figures. Balance sheet. NOK million
    Selected accounting figures. Balance sheet. NOK million1
    202020212022
    Fixed assets (NOK million)10 925 73511 948 49113 060 213
    Intangible fixed assets (NOK million)374 473416 769601 013
    Tangible fixed assets (NOK million)3 456 8973 603 2043 771 647
    Financial fixed assets (NOK million)7 094 3647 928 5198 687 553
    Current assets (NOK million)4 033 0215 297 8706 263 463
    Inventories (NOK million)515 729575 251651 677
    Debitors (NOK million)2 067 0942 833 9333 531 116
    Investments (NOK million)521 766743 300869 196
    Cash and bank deposits etc (NOK million)928 4321 145 3851 211 473
    Total assets (NOK million)14 958 75617 246 36119 323 676
    Equity (NOK million)7 138 8178 169 6858 826 600
    Invested equity (NOK million)4 526 6235 084 1085 455 960
    Retained earnings (NOK million)2 612 1933 085 5773 370 640
    Liabilities (NOK million)7 819 9399 076 67610 497 075
    Provisions (NOK million)815 236938 060988 905
    Other long-term liabilities (NOK million)3 963 9704 083 2084 365 233
    Short-term liabilities (NOK million)3 040 7334 055 4085 142 937
    Total equity and liabilities (NOK million)14 958 75617 246 36119 323 676
    Number of enterprises313 139331 371336 324
    1Figures for 2022 are preliminary.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Key figures for limited companies.
    Key figures for limited companies.1
    202020212022
    Operating profit margin (per cent)2 6.413.920.5
    Operating margin (per cent)3 11.924.130.3
    Return on total assets (per cent)4 5.710.414.1
    Return on equity (per cent)5 8.014.016.6
    Equity ratio (per cent)6 47.747.445.7
    Current ratio7 1.331.311.22
    Number of enterprises313 139331 371336 324
    1Figures for 2022 are preliminary.
    2Operating profit in per cent of operating income.
    3Operating result before tax in per cent of operating income.
    4Operating result before tax + interest expense in per cent of total equity and liabilities at 31 December.
    5Operating result in per cent of total equity at 31 December.
    6Equity in per cent of total equity and liabilities at 31 December.
    7Current assets at 31 December in proportion to short-term liabilities at 31 December.
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

Accounting statistics for non-financial limited companies provide profit/loss statements, balance sheets and analytical figures for different industry groups and regions.

Operating income and operating expenses are ordinary income and expenses outside financial ones. Operating income is divided into sales revenues (taxable and tax-free), rental income, commission revenues, profits from the sale of fixed assets and other operating-related revenues. Operating expenses include changes in stocks, costs of raw materials and consumables used, wages and salaries, depreciation and write-downs of tangible fixed assets and intangible fixed assets as well as a number of different types of other operating expenses. Examples of operating expenses that are specified are subcontracting, repair and maintenance and expenses relating to means of transport.

Cost of raw materials and consumables used includes stock changes of work in progress and finished goods.

Wages and salaries include wages, holiday pay, employers' national insurance premium, pension costs and other personnel expenses.

Financial income and financial expenses are ordinary revenues and expenses relating to investments, securities, receivables and liabilities. The financial items also include share of earnings relating to foreign exchange gains and losses (agio) and value changes of market-based current asset investments.

Extraordinary revenues and expenses apply to material items that are unusual for the business and do not occur regularly.

Taxes represent taxes relating to the accounting result, and consist of taxes payable, expected reimbursement claims from owners and changes in deferred taxes. Taxes payable are the taxes expected to be assessed on the year's taxable income corrected for any discrepancy between calculated and assessed taxes the year before.

Allocation of the profit/loss for the year shows how a profit is allocated and losses are covered. It provides information on transfers to/from equity and dividends to owners.

Fixed assets cover assets that are mainly included in the enterprise's long-term creation of value and are intended for permanent ownership or use, as well as receivables and securities scheduled for repayment later than one year after the time of settlement. This includes tangible fixed assets broken down into buildings and facilities, facilities under construction, transport equipment, machinery etc. Long-term receivables and investments are included as fixed assets, such as investments in other activities and loans to enterprises in the same group.

Current assets are assets relating to the enterprise's sales of goods and services, or which are expected to have a functional period of less than one year in operation. This includes cash and short-term capital investments (cash, bank deposits, shares, bonds etc.), receivables and inventories. Receivables are current assets if it has been agreed or scheduled that they shall be repaid within one year after the end of the financial year.

Equity is the portion of the total capital belonging to the owners, and is shown as the value of assets less liabilities. Equity is classified in two main divisions, invested equity and retained earnings. Invested equity consists of share capital and share premium accounts. Retained earnings consist of fund for assessment differences and other reserves/uncovered losses.

Liabilities cover all obligations that can come to place restrictions on the future use of the enterprise's resources, and are divided into provisions for liabilities and charges (pension commitments, deferred tax liabilities, etc., other long-term liabilities and short-term liabilities. Long-term liabilities are legal or financial obligations not meant to be redeemed during the coming accounting period, and are not related to the enterprise's short-term sales of goods and services. Short-term liabilities are liabilities that fall due for payment within one year from the time of settlement, or are directly related to the enterprise's short-term sales of goods and services.

Industrial classification is in accordance with the revised Norwegian Standard Industrial Classification. Limited companies operating in several fields are mainly grouped by the activity that contributes the most to the company's overall added value.

Name: Accounting statistics for non-financial limited companies
Topic: Establishments, enterprises and accounts

26 April 2024

Division for Accounting Statistics and Business Register

National level

Annually

None

Statistical files with data from the trading statements that have been put through link and estimation programs are stored.

The purpose of the statistics is to obtain detailed statistical material for analyses and overviews of economic enterprise.

The statistics were produced for the first time for the 1999 financial year, and the purpose is to provide more detailed information than Accounts Statistics. Annual report statistics for non-financial limited companies.

The major user of the statistics is the National Account Division, in Statistics Norway. In addition, the statistics are used by the Ministry of Finance.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 08 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given inthe Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

The statistics cover virtually the same population and reveal the same results as Accounts Statistics. Annual reports for non-financial limited companies . The population furthermore corresponds to a large degree to Income statistics for limited companies.

Statistics Act Sections 2-2 and 3-2.

None

The population are economically active non-financial limited companies. Limited companies, which operate financial activities such as commercial banks, mortgage companies, finance companies, insurance companies and the like are not included in the population.

The statistical unit is the enterprise (limited company).

The statistics are based on the Tax questionnaire on accounting. The questionnaire documents revenues and expenses vis-à-vis tax authorities, and is an attachment to the tax return in conjunction with the tax assessment of limited companies. Joint-stock companies and other enterprises that prepare annual accounts pursuant to the Accounting Act (tax liable enterprises) should use Tax questionnaire on accounting 2. The questionnaire contains company accounts, not consolidated accounts.

To the data on each enterprise is added industry and institutional sector information from the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises.

A representative sample of limited companies in various industries has been drawn. Limited companies meeting one or more specified criteria have been included in the sample. The criteria is linked inter alia to whether the limited company is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange, or whether it is a public limited company and whether they meet the size criteria determined by employment, operating revenues and/or total assets (balance-sheet amount). A sample among other limited companies was selected.

The statistics are based on tax questionnaires on accounting obtained for other statistics and have no independent data collection. Furthermore, tax questionnaires reported electronically to the Directorate of Taxes is collected.

The Register of Companies in Brønnøysund and Statistics Norway check the annual reports manually and mechanically to ensure that the information is correctly recorded. More checks are carried out to make sure that there is consistency between some accounts in profit and loss account and the balance sheet.

The controls of the material are done mechanically and manually. Controls have been worked out which apply to consistency both within the individual statement, and in relation to available information, among others, the annual accounts submitted to the Register of Annual Company Accounts in Brønnøysund.

Not relevant

As a rule, a figure is not published if it is based on fewer than three units. Also, if one company has a share of 90 per cent or more of the value, or if two companies contribute 95 per cent or more to the value, the figure is not published.

The statistics were first prepared in their present form for the 1999 financial year.

From 2000 and onwards, the statistics do not cover turnover at the Nordic exchange of electric power. From 2000 the amounts of sale and purchase of electricity is net reported.

Preliminary accounting statistics are mainly based on annual reports obtained from the Register of Company Accounts in Brønnøysund. Since not all accounts are available when the statistics are produced, the statistical basis is not complete. Final accounting statistics will be published in spring t+2. The final statistics cover more companies and are mainly based on tax questionnaires on accounting. There are some conceptual differences between accounting information in the tax questionnaire on accounting and accounting information in annual reports.

The preliminary statistics are however combined with the final statistics for the previous years. The aforementioned conceptual differences should be taken into account when the preliminary and final figures are compared.

A new institutional sector classification was introduced in 2012. This had an impact on enterprises in portfolio investments, which were moved from the non-financial limited companies.

In those cases where tax questionnaires on accounting are obtained from the tax authorities, the tax assessment can also cause changes in the questionnaire that cannot be traced back to the items where the change really took place. It should be pointed out that the information on the tax questionnaire in the first instance is to be regarded as the enterprise's assertions vis-à-vis the tax authorities, i.e. in those cases where the tax questionnaire has been obtained directly from the enterprise, it has not been subjected to any tax assessment-related processing. When the tax questionnaires on accounting are obtained from the tax authorities, the vast majority of the questionnaires will not contain changes resulting from of tax assessment processing. It is only in some cases that the tax assessment has caused changes that can be traced back to the tax accounting questionnaire.

Our routine controls disclose errors, when there are logical flaws in the forms, and deviations from the information in the Register of Annual Company Accounts in Brønnøysund. In some areas there are differences between the Accounting Act and the Tax Act, as well as between accounting and tax assessment practice. As a result, data in the accounts filed according the specifications of the Accounting Act and the tax questionnaire on accounting can be different. The controls are therefore in the first instance used as an aid to uncover units in the statistics that contain errors and inconsistencies. In many cases, the findings of the controls will turn out not to be errors in the statement of accounts, but a result of different adjustments the limited company has an opportunity to use.

Non-response in the sample is because the limited company is no longer in operation due to closure, merger or that the company has not prepared or delivered tax questionnaire on accounting for other reasons. The non-response rate is between 5 and 7 per cent. In those cases where one and the same company is included in both the statistics by direct obtainment of the tax questionnaire on accounting from the enterprise, and in the income survey for limited companies that obtains data from tax assessment authorities, the failure to supply information for one survey may be replaced by submissions to the other. When the tax accounting questionnaires are obtained from both the enterprise and tax authorities, it is mainly the questionnaire from the enterprise that is used.

All sample surveys are encumbered by uncertainty. In general, the fewer the observations the more uncertain the results. Groups based on relatively few observations will be very strongly influenced by extreme observations, i.e. observations that deviate greatly from the average. Extreme observations are therefore given a weight equal to 1, so that they only represent themselves in the material.

When drawing the sample, emphasis is placed on including the large joint-stock companies in the various industries in order to prepare reliable macro numbers. This is mirrored in the calculations of weights for the limited companies in the survey. The sample is nonetheless unevenly drawn, in that large joint-stock companies are overrepresented, and that the limited company must be included in the manufacturing statistics, structural statistics, income statistics for limited companies or reported electronically to the Directorate of Taxes in order to be included in the accounts statistics sample.

The quality of the register, which is the basis for drawing the sample and the data from administrative registers have an impact on the quality of the finished result. The sample selection is based on simple register information valid the year before the survey year. Both the administrative and statistical registers are updated continually, and will thus be changed during the production process.

The fact that statistics for some industries can be strongly affected by a single company. For example, the accounting figures for arts, entertainment and recreation are strongly affected by the inclusion of Norsk Tipping Limited in this industry. Norsk Tipping accounts for a large proportion of the activity in the industry and has an accounting structure and profitability which are different from the rest of the industry. This also applies to statistics broken down by regional classifications such as counties.

Not relevant

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