Export Statistics Scotland: methodology

Comparison with GDP Quarterly National Accounts, Scotland (QNAS)

Export Statistics Scotland (ESS) estimates are based on the Scottish Government Global Connections Survey (GCS), Scottish Annual Business Statistics (SABS), the ONS International Trade In Services Survey (ITIS) and Monthly Business Survey (MBS), as well as estimates provided through other official sources. For further information on sources in ESS, see data sources table.  

ESS reports the value of goods and services exported from Scotland in current prices. It captures goods physically exported from Scotland, which are goods actually transported from a business in Scotland to elsewhere. The questions in the GCS survey to measure the value of exports have remained unchanged since it began in 2002. This definition of exports is similar to that used in HMRC UK overseas trade statistics. 

The Scottish Quarterly National Accounts (QNAS) produced by the Scottish Government reports estimates of Scotland’s exports on a balance of payments basis. This means that exports are counted when there has been a change in economic ownership. The value of exports measured on an economic change of ownership basis can differ from that measured on a physical movement of goods basis. Further information is available on the Quarterly National Accounts website. 

The export estimates in ESS are a key data source for QNAS but need to be adjusted to meet this economic change of ownership definition. In addition, there are also account balancing adjustments made to ensure that exports are consistent with the other values for supply and demand in the accounts. Following balancing, export figures in the national accounts are valued on a consistent basis with imports – which allows the calculation of a trade balance – and with GDP. These adjustments mean that export estimates from QNAS can be different from those in ESS. However, generally they follow a similar trend over time. 

QNAS produce statistics for Scotland's onshore economy, including trade statistics. QNAS excludes any extra-regio activity, such as off-shore oil and gas extraction, as does ESS. 

Figure 4. The estimated value of international exports from ESS and QNAS show a relatively similar trend between 2019 and 2021 

The value of international export estimates, from 2019 to 2021, sourced from ESS 2021 and QNAS Q2 2023

Figure 5. The estimated value of exports to the rest of the UK from ESS were consistently lower than from QNAS from 2019 to 2021 

The value of exports to the rest of the UK, from 2019 to 2021, sourced from ESS 2021 and QNAS Q2 2023