Survey on the access to finance of enterprises (SAFE)
Press releases
- April-September 2017
- October 2016-March 2017
- April-September 2016
- October 2015-March 2016
- April-September 2015
- October 2014–March 2015
- April-September 2014
- October 2013-March 2014
- April-September 2013
- October 2012-March 2013
- April-September 2012
- October 2011-March 2012
- April-September 2011
- September 2010-February 2011
- March-September 2010
- Second half 2009
- First half 2009
Reports
- April-September 2017
- October 2016-March 2017
- April-September 2016
- October 2015-March 2016
- April-September 2015
- October 2014–March 2015
- April-September 2014
- October 2013–March 2014
- April-September 2013
- October 2012-March 2013
- April-September 2012
- October 2011-March 2012
- April-September 2011
- September 2010-February 2011
- March-September 2010
- Second half 2009
- First half 2009
SAFE main series (zipped Excel files)
All time series
Report and data of the joint European Commission & ECB waves of the survey
As of 2013, the data and report are published every year (previously every two years), covering all EU Member States and a few other countries.
Description of the survey
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are of high importance in the euro area corporate sector. They account for 99.8% of the number of firms in the euro area, 60% of turnover and 70% of employment. At the same time, SMEs are not just “scaled-down” versions of large businesses. It is likely that the monetary policy transmission mechanism is different for SMEs compared with large firms because of SMEs’ higher dependence on bank financing.
An investigation both by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission (EC) showed that comparable, timely, and frequent data do not exist for SMEs in the European Union. To fill this gap, the EC and the ECB decided in 2008 to collaborate on a survey on the access to finance of enterprises in the European Union.
The survey covers micro, small, medium-sized and large firms and it provides evidence on the financing conditions faced by SMEs compared with those of large firms during the past six months. In addition to a breakdown into firm size classes, it provides evidence across branches of economic activity, euro area countries, firm age, financial autonomy of the firms, and ownership of the firms. The first wave of the survey was held in June-July 2009.
Part of the survey is run by the ECB every six months to assess the latest developments of the financing conditions of firms in the euro area. The more comprehensive survey has been run every year since 2013 (previously every two years) in cooperation with the European Commission.
- Methodological information on the survey and user guide for the anonymised micro dataset
- Annex 3 to the methodological information on the survey (including a summary of all changes introduced to the questionnaire over time and the general characteristics of the euro area enterprises that participated in the survey)
Questionnaire used for the Survey on the access to finance of enterprises
- April-September 2017
- October 2016–March 2017
- April-September 2016
- October 2015–March 2016
- April-September 2015
- October 2014–March 2015
- April-September 2014
- October 2013–March 2014
- April-September 2013
- October 2012-March 2013
- April-September 2012
- October 2011-March 2012
- April-September 2011
- September 2010-February 2011
- March-September 2010
- Second half 2009
- First half 2009
Access to microdata
To request the anonymised microdata, please send the confidentiality declaration form to the survey access team via email.
confidentiality declaration form
SAFE access team
Upon authorisation by the ECB, the returned form needs to be printed, signed, and submitted by post to:
Survey on the Access to Finance - Statistics Development/Coordination
European Central Bank
60640 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Methodological information on the survey and user guide for the anonymised micro dataset last update: 24 November 2017
- Annex 3 to the methodological information on the survey (including a summary of all changes introduced to the questionnaire over time and the general characteristics of the euro area enterprises that participated in the survey) last update: 24 November 2017
Survey respondents
Twice a year, usually in March and October, thousands of businesses in Europe are contacted and asked about their ease of access to finance and about financing conditions.
Panteia, a policy research company, in cooperation with GDCC, an independent market research firm, have been selected to carry out this important survey on behalf of the ECB and the European Commission. The interviews are conducted over a four-week period mainly by telephone, but respondents can also complete an online questionnaire.
You may have been contacted as a potential respondent. If so, we would greatly appreciate your participation. If you have any questions about the survey, please write to survey.accesstofinance@ecb.europa.eu or to the company conducting the interviews via survey.accesstofinance@gdcc.com.