CBS’ statutory task is to compile statistics on a wide range of topics that are important to society and to make the outcomes publicly available. To this end, CBS gathers data from individuals and enterprises. The data gathered is then processed as statistics. CBS uses several methods to gather this data. It carries out surveys among individuals and enterprises. This is mainly done digitally, but may also be done in writing or in a face-to-face interview. In recent decades, CBS has increasingly made use of existing registers such as the Personal Records Database or the files held by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. In addition to government records, CBS has also started using business records – data from supermarket checkout scans, for example – to calculate price developments. The main advantage of using registers is that CBS no longer needs to contact individuals and enterprises as often, which makes the survey process less intensive and time-consuming for everyone involved.
