Statistics of Affiliates of Spanish Companies Abroad (FILEXT)

In 2022, there were 5,090 affiliates of Spanish companies abroad in the sectors of Industry, Construction, Trade and Other Non-Financial Market Services.

Turnover generated by these affiliates generated 234,530 million euros. As for employment, they employed 815,146 people, with a personnel cost of 44.92 billion euros. The gross tangible investment they made was 65.62 billion euros.

The Services sector accounted for the largest percentage of Spanish affiliate companies abroad (39.3%). It also registered more employees than the rest of the sectors (43.2% of the total), larger personnel costs (47.6%) and larger gross investment (53.4% of the total).

On the other hand, abroad affiliate companies that practised their activities in the Trade sector generated 38.3% of the total turnover.

The activity branches with the highest number of affiliates were Sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and Wholesale trade (with 19.8% of the total) and Manufacturing industry (18.2%).

With regard to turnover, the branches that contributed the highest percentage to the total were also Manufacturing industry (22.9%) and Sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorbikes and Wholesale trade (20.2%).

Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorbikes was the sector with the largest employment (22.8% of the total). Manufacturing industry followed behind (21.6%).

Information and communications was the branch with the largest personnel costs (34.6% of the total), followed by Manufacturing (14.4%).

Information and communications and Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply were the activities with the largest material investment (41.3% and 13.0% of the total, respectively).

The majority of Spanish companies' affiliates abroad were located in America (36.6%) and in the Eurozone of the European Union (29.4% of the total).

According to the turnover, the affiliates of Spanish companies in America generated 39.0% of the total during 2022 and those located in the Eurozone generated 34.2%.

With regard to the number of persons employed, the affiliates of Spanish companies in the Americas employed 51.5% of the total and those established in the Eurozone 24.5%.

The Eurozone was the geographical area with the largest personnel costs, with 45.4% of the total, and the one with the largest gross tangible investment, with 53.6%.

In Industry, Construction and Services, the affiliates of Spanish parent companies were more established in the Americas, with 31.4%, 49.9% and 47.1%, respectively. In Trade, the largest presence was in the Eurozone (49.8%).

With regard to the turnover, the largest percentages were obtained in the affiliates located in the Americas for the Industry (38.0%), Construction (63.7%) and Services (54.1%) sectors, while Trade stood out in the Eurozone (38.9%).

Affiliates in America lead the percentage of persons employed in three out of the four activity sectors, Industry (38.7%), Construction (69.4%) and Services (78.5%). In the Euro zone, the largest percentage of people were employed in the Trade sector (47.2%).

Personnel costs in Trade (52.3%) and Services (64.8%) were higher in the Eurozone than in the other zones. In Industry (32.0%) and Construction (77.4%) the largest personnel costs were in the Americas.

Finally, the Eurozone had the largest gross physical investment in Industry (33.0% of the total), Trade (50.0%) and Services (71.6%), while America had the largest gross physical investment in Construction (83.3%).

The principle objective of the Statistics on Subsidiaries of Spanish Companies Overseas (FILEXT) is to provide annual information on the main variables that determine the structure and activity of subsidiaries overseas that are ultimately controlled by Spanish parent companies, in the industrial sector as well as construction, business and other non-financial market services.

Information is provided on the main variables, broken down by activity, size and country or geographic area of the subsidiary company.

The results of these statistics are prepared using administrative information from the Register of Foreign Investment of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise as a basis. This Ministry supplies primary data to the INE by virtue of a collaboration agreement between both organisms. The INE also has an additional collaboration agreement with the Tax Agency, through which it receives and uses form 231 of the Country-by-Country Information Declaration to complement the aforementioned information. Likewise, the European Register of Groups and the Structural Statistics on Companies act as a source for calculating the necessary raising factors.

The Statistics on Affiliates of Spanish Companies Abroad (FILEXT) complements the information which, in the scope of the economic globalisation statistics, provides the Statistics on Affiliates of Foreign Companies in Spain (FILINT), the results of which are contained, as of reference year 2021, in the Statistics on Companies according to Group Membership (EEPG).

Type of survey:

annual continuous operation.

Population scope:

affiliates of Spanish companies located abroad whose main activity is included in sections B to E (Industry), F (Construction), G (Trade) and H to S (Services), except K (financial) and O (Gen. Government) of the CNAE-2009.

Geographical scope:

the statistics refer to affiliates located outside of Spain, both within the European Union and outside of it.

Reference period:

annual.

Collection method:

administrative registry completed with estimation methods.

For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and the Code of Best Practices.