Official statistics must be interpreted with care, as changes at the margins of firm size categories may strongly affect size distribution and with that the picture of the role of SMEs in an economy. Wherever possible, data should be collected on a (sub-national) regional basis as the differences in birth rates and growth within an economy, and indeed within a locality or region, may be as substantial as between countries. There is evidence that in regions with a large stock of small businesses birth rates and growth will be high compared with regions that have a relatively weak locally owned business sector. Different policies may therefore.
