Vital Statistics: Births

• 1. Contact

  • 1.1. Contact organisation

    • National Statistics Institute of Spain

  • 1.5. Contact mail address

    • Avenida de Manoteras 50-52 - 28050 Madrid

• 2. Metadata update

  • 2.1. Metadata last certified

    • 31/10/2025

  • 2.2. Metadata last posted

    • 20/11/2024

  • 2.3. Metadata last update

    • 31/10/2025

• 3. Statistical presentation

  • 3.1. Data description

    • The births statistic gathers information on the births occurring in Spain each year. The data are collected in a document known as the Statistical Birth Bulletin.

      As of October 2015, the INE receives files from the Ministry of Justice with information on those births registered by their parents from the hospital thanks to the ANDES service. In those registrations that are made in person directly at the Civil Registry, the data is collected in a document called the Statistical Birth Bulletin. This document is completed by the parents, relatives or persons required by law to declare the birth or, failing that, by the person in charge of the Civil Registry. The civil registry in which the birth is registered, fills in the data related to the registration of each born.

      The births statistic provides disaggregated information at both the national level and that of the autonomous communities, provinces, capitals and towns.

  • 3.2. Classification system
    • • Comunidades y Ciudades Autónomas

        • 01   Andalucía 02   Aragón 03   Asturias, Principado de 04   Balears, Illes 05   Canarias 06   Cantabria 07   Castilla y León 08   Castilla - La Mancha 09   Cataluña 10   Comunitat Valenciana 11   Extremadura 12   Galicia 13   Madrid, Comunidad de 14   Murcia, Región de 15   Navarra, Comunidad Foral de 16   País Vasco 17   Rioja, La 18   Ceuta 19   Melilla

      • Provincias

        • 02   Albacete 03   Alicante/Alacant 04   Almería 01   Araba/Álava 33   Asturias 05   Ávila 06   Badajoz 07   Balears, Illes 08   Barcelona 48   Bizkaia 09   Burgos 10   Cáceres 11   Cádiz 39   Cantabria 12   Castellón/Castelló 13   Ciudad Real 14   Córdoba 15   Coruña, A 16   Cuenca 20   Gipuzkoa 17   Girona 18   Granada 19   Guadalajara 21   Huelva 22   Huesca 23   Jaén 24   León 25   Lleida 27   Lugo 28   Madrid 29   Málaga 30   Murcia 31   Navarra 32   Ourense 34   Palencia 35   Palmas, Las 36   Pontevedra 26   Rioja, La 37   Salamanca 38   Santa Cruz de Tenerife 40   Segovia 41   Sevilla 42   Soria 43   Tarragona 44   Teruel 45   Toledo 46   Valencia/València 47   Valladolid 49   Zamora 50   Zaragoza 51   Ceuta 52   Melilla

  • 3.3. Sector coverage

    • It includes all childbirths that occur in Spain, regardless of whether they are resident or non-resident population

  • 3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
    • • Childbirth

        • The definition of childbirth used in these statistics coincides with the medical-biological concept, that is, the expulsion or extraction of a viable product of conception from its mother. Therefore, miscarriage or expulsion of the unviable foetus is excluded.

      • Late foetal death

        • This is death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of viable conception. This viability is precisely what serves to differentiate between late foetal deaths and abortions. Currently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified the viability of the foetus with those born dead that weigh at least 500 grammes, and should this data not be available, with a gestational age of at least 22 weeks.

      • Legal marital status

        • Legal marital status is defined as that which every individual has in accordance with marriage legislation (or marriage uses) of the country (in other words, the legal situation).

      • Newborn

        • A foetus will only be classified as born if it has a human-like appearance and lives for twenty-four hours completely outside the mother's womb

      • Order of birth

        • This refers to the number of live births that the mother has had throughout her life, including the delivery of the considered birth.

      • Sex

        • Sex refers to the biological sex of the person. According to the WHO, "sex" refers to biological and physiological features defining to men and women, whereas "gender" refers to the roles, behaviour, activities and attributes constructed socially that a specific culture regards as appropriate for men and women. In accordance with this description, the WHO regards "man" and "woman" as sex categories, whereas "male" and "female" are gender categories.

      • Usual residence

        • Place where a person normally spends rest periods, not taking into account temporary absences due to leisure trips, holidays, visits to family and friends, business, visiting friends or relatives or religious pilgrimages. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight that only usual residents in a region will be considered: - Those who, according to the previous definition, would usually have lived therein for a continuous period of at least 12 months. - Those who, according to the previous definition, would have established their usual residence therein less than 12 months ago, but with the intention of remaining therein for at least one year. Where the above circumstances cannot be established, "usual residence" shall mean the place of registered residence.

  • 3.5. Statistical unit

    • The basic statistical unit is the birth

  • 3.6. Statistical population

    • The population subject to statistical study is all mothers who have given birth in Spain

  • 3.7. Reference area

    • The statistic covers the whole of the national territory. Disaggregated data at the level of the Autonomous Community, provinces, capitals and municipalities

  • 3.8. Time coverage

    • The statistic is carried out annually There are results available from 1900 until 2024.

  • 3.9. Base period

    • 1975

• 4. Unit of measure

  • 4.1. Unit of measure

    • The unit of measure is births occurring in the reference period

• 5. Reference period

  • 5.1. Reference period

    • The data refer to the calendar year covered by the statistic, regardless of whether the data is published by month of occurrence of births

      Data referred to the period: Anual A: 2025

• 6. Institutional mandate

  • 6.1. Legal acts and other agreements

    • The compilation and dissemination of the data are governed by the Statistical Law No. 12/1989 "Public Statistical Function" of May 9, 1989, and Law No. 4/1990 of June 29 on “National Budget of State for the year 1990" amended by Law No. 13/1996 "Fiscal, administrative and social measures" of December 30, 1996, makes compulsory all statistics included in the National Statistics Plan. The National Statistical Plan 2009-2012 was approved by the Royal Decree 1663/2008. It contains the statistics that must be developed in the four year period by the State General Administration's services or any other entity dependent on it. All statistics included in the National Statistics Plan are statistics for state purposes and are obligatory. The National Statistics Plan 2025-2028, approved by Royal Decree 1225/2024, of  3 December, is the Plan currently implemented. This statistical operation has governmental purposes, and it is included in the National Statistics Plan 2025-2028. (Statistics of the State Administration).

      Collaboration agreements with the Autonomous Communities for the preparation of Natural Population Movement statistics

       

  • 6.2. Data sharing

    • The exchanges of information needed to elaborate statistics between the INE and the rest of the State statistical offices (Ministerial Departments, independent bodies and administrative bodies depending on the State General Administration), or between these offices and the Autonomic statistical offices, are regulated in the LFEP (Law of the Public Statistic Function). This law also regulates the mechanisms of statistical coordination, and concludes cooperation agreements between the different offices when necessary.

      This is performed in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities

• 7. Confidentiality

  • 7.1. Confidentiality - policy

    • The Statistical Law No. 12/1989 specifies that the INE cannot publish, or make otherwise available, individual data or statistics that would enable the identification of data for any individual person or entity. Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society

  • 7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment

    • INE provides information on the protection of confidentiality at all stages of the statistical process: INE questionnaires for the operations in the national statistical plan include a legal clause protecting data under statistical confidentiality. Notices prior to data collection announcing a statistical operation notify respondents that data are subject to statistical confidentiality at all stages. For data processing, INE employees have available the INE data protection handbook, which specifies the steps that should be taken at each stage of processing to ensure reporting units' individual data are protected. The microdata files provided to users are anonymised.

      .

• 8. Release policy

  • 8.1. Release calendar

    • The advance release calendar that shows the precise release dates for the coming year is disseminated in the last quarter of each year.

  • 8.2. Release calendar access

    • The calendar is disseminated on the INEs Internet website (Publications Calendar)

  • 8.3. User access

    • The data are released simultaneously according to the advance release calendar to all interested parties by issuing the press release. At the same time, the data are posted on the INE's Internet website (www.ine.es/en) almost immediately after the press release is issued. Also some predefined tailor-made requests are sent to registered users. Some users could receive partial information under embargo as it is publicly described in the European Statistics Code of Practice

• 9. Frequency of dissemination

  • 9.1. Frequency of dissemination

    • The definitive results corresponding to year t are published during the last quarter of year t+1, along with the micro-data files from which they are obtained. The advanced results are disseminated on a monthly basis by means of the following statistical operations: • Monthly births estimates

       

• 10. Accessibility and clarity

  • 10.1. News release

    • The results of the statistical operations are normally disseminated by using press releases that can be accessed via both the corresponding menu and the Press Releases Section in the web

  • 10.2. Publications

    • The results of this statistic are disseminated through the INE website and some of the results are reflected in publications such as the Statistical Yearbook, Cifras INE [INE Figures], Spain in Figures, etc.

  • 10.3. On-line database

    • INEbase is the system the INE uses to store statistical information on the Internet. It contains all the information the INE produces in electronic formats. The primary organisation of the information follows the theme-based classification of the Inventory of Statistical Operations of the State General Administration . The basic unit of INEbase is the statistical operation, defined as the set of activities that lead to obtaining statistical results on a determined sector or subject based on the individually collected data. Also included in the scope of this definition are synthesis preparation.

      All information relating to this statistic (results, methodology, questionnaires, etc.) can be found at:

      https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736177007&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735573002

      The definitive data contain detailed tables for the different variables. They can be found at:

      https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736177007&menu=resultados&secc=1254736195442&idp=1254735573002

      The definitive data for birth rate and fertility indicators provide information at the national, autonomous community and province level with greater disaggregation of variables. They can be found at:

      https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736177003&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735573002

       

       

  • 10.4. Micro-data access
    • A lot of statistical operations disseminate public domain anonymized files, available free of charge for downloading in the INE website Microdata Section

      Microdata files are available for births, deliveries and Late Fetal Deaths. You can access and download the microdata files of these statistics. These files are made anonymous for statistical confidentiality.

      No information is provided on the following variables:

      - First name, surname, identity document, domicile of the parents

      - First name, surname, of the newborn

      - Data on registration of the births in the civil registry

      - Day variable on all dates

      - Codes of municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants. The size of the municipality is provided

      - Codes of countries with lower frequency than that established

      - Causes of death of stillbirths or live births and deaths before the age of 24 hours of life

      The information can be found at:

      https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736177007&menu=resultados&secc=1254736195443&idp=1254735573002#!tabs-1254736195443

       

  • 10.5. Other

    • Interested users may request specific use of information through the INE Information Area, carried out while preserving the confidentiality of data and by signing the corresponding agreement or document.

      See:

      https://www.ine.es/ss/Satellite?c=Page&p=1254735550786&pagename=ProductosYServicios%2FPYSLayout&rendermode=previewnoinsitem&cid=1254735550786&L=1

  • 10.6. Documentation on methodology

    • A detailed description can be found at:

      https://www.ine.es/en/metodologia/t20/t2030301_en.pdf

      https://www.ine.es/en/metodologia/t20/metodologia_idb_en.pdf

      AC3=100%.

  • 10.7. Quality documentation

    • Sections 10.6 to 17 of this document are considered the user-oriented quality report for this operation

• 11. Quality management

  • 11.1. Quality assurance

    • Quality assurance framework for the INE statistics is based on the ESSCoP, the European Statistics Code of Practice made by EUROSTAT. The ESSCoP is made up of 16 principles, gathered in three areas: Institutional Environment, Processes and Products. Each principle is associated with some indicators which make possible to measure it. In order to evaluate quality, EUROSTAT provides different tools: the indicators mentioned above, Self-assessment based on the DESAP model, peer review, user satisfaction surveys and other proceedings for evaluation.

      The Statistical Birth Bulletin changed its format and content on 1 January 2007. In this new Bulletin the format was modified to adapt it to the recording techniques using optical character recognition (OCR). In addition, changes were made to its content. The objectives and modifications were the following:

      1.- Adapt the collection of information to new Information and Communication technologies. To do this, optical character recognition (OCR) was implemented to record the information, and the new Bulletin was designed with the same purpose. 2.-. New questions were included concerning whether the delivery was by caesarean section, the education level of the parents, the identity card number (D.N.I., passport, N.I.E.) of the parents, place of birth of the parents and the previous child, the cohabitation situation of the mother, the nationality of the previous child and the children born in the current birth, performance of autopsy and if the baby died before or during birth for children stillborn or who live less than 24 hours, etc. 3.- The content and way of asking some questions was modified in order to make them easier to understand for respondents.

      4.- The codification of the variables was removed.

      Likewise, exhaustive checks are carried out at all stages of the statistical process from the recording of information until its publication. Special emphasis is given to check that the values of the variables are valid, that there are no inconsistencies between the information we receive for each birth and that we receive all births that occurred in Spain in the reference period for the data.

      The compulsory nature of birth registration guarantees a good coverage of birth statistics. Likewise, the reliability of the information provided by the bulletins is very high thanks to the fact that the errors and lack of response that are detected in the variables of the bulletin are contrasted with the information that the Ministry of Justice provides us in the computerized civil registries.

       

  • 11.2. Quality assessment

    • Not applicable.

       

       

       

       

• 12. Relevance

  • 12.1. User needs

    • Birth information is used by other units of the INE, such as:

      • Municipal Register (Padrón). Birth records serve as a basis for municipalities to update their Municipal Register of Inhabitants by registering newborns.
      • Health Statistics, for the compilation of the Mortality Statistics by Cause of Death, specifically regarding stillbirths and live births who pass away within the first 24 hours of life.
      • Demographic Indicators, for the calculation of birth, fertility, and other related indicators.
      • Demographic Projections, for estimating future population figures.
      • National Organizations: Based on the RESOLUTION of February 7, 2005, by the Undersecretariat, which provides for the publication of the management delegation from the State Secretariat for Justice to the National Statistics Institute regarding the transmission of computerized data on birth, marriage, and death registrations from Civil Registries, the State Secretariat for Justice and the National Statistics Institute signed an agreement on October 13, 2004. Under this agreement, the INE is temporarily entrusted with transmitting computerized data on birth, marriage, and death registrations from Civil Registries until the digitization of all Civil Registries is completed. Upon request from the Directorate-General for Registries and Notaries, the National Statistics Institute may facilitate the massive transmission of publicly useful data to public bodies with an interest in them.
      • International Organizations: EUROSTAT and the United Nations. The agreed information is provided according to the decisions made in demographic statistics working group meetings.
      • Requests from universities, research groups from hospitals, businesses, and individuals.

      Currently, there are several user needs that are not fully met. Among them, there is a demand for greater data granularity, particularly at more detailed territorial levels and with additional breakdowns by sociodemographic variables. Additionally, the need to reduce publication timelines has been identified to make information more accessible in a shorter time.

      To address these needs, the INE is making efforts to improve data quality and accessibility. Planned initiatives include optimizing data collection and processing procedures, exploring new complementary data sources, and modernizing dissemination systems to offer more interactive formats tailored to user requirements. Furthermore, work is being done to enhance interoperability with other databases and to strengthen collaboration with national and international organizations to harmonize methodologies and expand data comparability.

  • 12.2. User satisfaction

    • The INE has carried out general user satisfaction surveys in 2007, 2010, 2013,  2016 and 2019 and it plans to continue doing so every three years. The purpose of these surveys is to find out what users think about the quality of the information of the INE statistics and the extent to which their needs of information are covered. In addition, additional surveys are carried out in order to acknowledge better other fields such as dissemination of the information, quality of some publications...

      On the INE website, in its section Methods and Projects / Quality and Code of Practice / INE quality management / User surveys are available surveys conducted to date.(Click  next link)

       

      Not applicable.

  • 12.3. Completeness

    • The information they require is made available to users while respecting the confidentiality of the information. In the changes the content of the questionnaire made in 2007 took into account the additional information needs required by other agencies and institutions.

      The information collected allows us to respond to all requests that are received

      The completeness rate of the data is 100%.

      R1=100%.

• 13. Accuracy and reliability

  • 13.1. Overall accuracy

    • The procedure for the collection, coverage control, filtration and imputation of non-response, allows for a high degree of reliability of the statistics. However, as a statistical operation, it implies the following types of errors:

      1. Random errors:

         • Transcription errors: These errors can occur during the process of recording births in information systems. Although civil registry procedures usually have validation steps, mistakes can happen in data entry, such as incorrect transcription of names, dates, or places of birth.
         • Errors in variable coding: When classifying variables related to births, such as the place of birth or the nationality of the parents, random errors may arise due to incorrect interpretation of the data or inconsistencies in coding.

      2. Systematic errors:

         • Underreporting: Underreporting is one of the most common sources of error in birth statistics. Some areas or population groups may fail to register all births due to lack of access to civil registries or awareness of the importance of registration, leading to an underestimation of births.
         • Delays in reporting: Sometimes, births are not registered in real-time, which can result in a lag between the actual birth and its inclusion in the official statistics, affecting the timeliness of the records.
         • Errors in reporting births abroad: When births occur outside the country, errors in reporting them may occur due to a lack of efficient communication mechanisms between consulates or embassies and the Civil Registry, leading to an underreporting of births abroad.
         • Inconsistencies in information provided by parents: In some cases, the data provided by parents or those responsible for registration may be inaccurate, which could cause a systematic bias in the statistics if the information is not properly verified.

      3. Errors due to outdated records: If records are not properly or timely updated, discrepancies may arise between the official data and the actual births registered during a given period.

  • 13.2. Sampling error

    • Not applicable as the data is obtained in a comprehensive manner from an administrative source (entries in the Civil Register)

  • 13.3. Non-sampling error
    • 1. Measurement errors: Measurement errors occur when the data collected do not accurately reflect reality. In the case of birth statistics, these errors may be due to inaccuracies in the instruments used to register births, misinterpretation of information provided by parents, or errors in coding variables (for example, errors in classifying the place of birth or the marital status of the parents). These errors can affect the quality of the data, although they are not systematic, but random.
      2. Non-response errors: Non-response errors occur when information is not received for all individuals or events that should have been included in the statistical operation. In the case of birth statistics, this can occur if certain births are not registered for various reasons, such as lack of access to civil registries, delay in registration, or even lack of awareness of the importance of registering the birth. Non-response can cause bias in the results if not handled properly.
      3. Processing errors: Processing errors occur during the stages of data processing, from collection to the generation of final statistics. These errors may include incorrect transcription of data, failures in computer systems, or inconsistencies in the integration of data from different sources. An example of a processing error would be duplication of records or omission of important data during consolidation of information. These errors can affect the accuracy and completeness of the final data.
      4. Modelling errors: Modelling errors arise when statistical models are used to make inferences or estimates, and the assumptions or approximations underlying the model do not correspond to the reality of the data. In birth statistics, this could involve the application of demographic models that do not adequately capture certain trends or patterns in the population, leading to incorrect estimates. It may also include the choice of inappropriate variables or failure to adjust models to changing population conditions.

      Delays in sending information by some civil registries and lack of information on some variables in the bulletin. This causes this statistic to have a lack of coverage of approximately 0.1 percent

      The lack of coverage is intended to be reduced by obtaining the information from the Ministry of Justice file

      A4=0.1%

• 14. Timeliness and punctuality

  • 14.1. Timeliness

    • The statistical data are published in February of the year following the reference year of the information, that is, within a period of 2 months through the Monthly Birth Estimate.

      TP1=2 months.

      The final statistical data are published in November of the year following the reference year of the information, that is, within a period of 11 months.

      TP2=12 months.

  • 14.2. Punctuality

    • Data dissemination is carried out according to the structural statistics availability calendar that INE develops and publishes each year.

      TP3=100%.

• 15. Coherence and Comparability

  • 15.1. Comparability - geographical

    • The processing of this statistic is the same for the entire territory in all phases. In this way, the results are fully comparable for any geographical disaggregation. Furthermore, they are comparable with the rest of the countries of the European Union as the Eurostat recommendations established for all countries and agreed upon at the meetings of the working group of Demographic Statistics are followed.

  • 15.2. Comparability - over time

    • The definition of birth, for the purposes of preparing the corresponding statistic, is different before and after 1975. Until this year, the concept of newborn corresponded with what is defined in the Civil Code, that is to say, for civil purposes only the foetus that has human form and lives for twenty-four hours after being completely removed from the mother shall be deemed to have been born (Article 30 of the Civil Code). Until 1975, birth and death statistics did not conform to internationally recognised population concepts, since these did not include children born alive that died before the age of twenty-four hours of life, which the Civil Code calls Miscarried babies (article 745). From 1975 the concept of birth in the tables for presenting results of the N.P.M. is identified with the biological definition of live birth, which is used in the demographic field.

      This change caused a gap in the series of births from 1975 since before that year the birth figures did not include those born alive but who died before the first 24 hours of life and from 1975 they were included.

      The length of the comparable data series is 49 years.

      CC2=49 years

       

  • 15.3. Coherence - cross domain

    • Birth data are consistent both with the inhabitants register figures and with the future population forecasts

  • 15.4. Coherence - internal

    • The consistency between the variables is contrasted in all phases of the statistical process

• 16. Cost and burden

  • 16.1. Cost and burden

    • As statistics are based on administrative records, they do not burden informants

      The estimated budgetary credit needed to finance the Natural Movement of the Population (made up of the Death Statistics, the Birth Statistics and the Marriage Statistics) provided for in the 2025 Annual Programme is 5,031.64 thousand euros.

      The efforts and plans to increase efficiency in statistical production are:

      1. Improvement in the digitalisation and automation of processes: Work is being done on the implementation of new technological tools to improve the collection and processing of data. The digitalisation of birth records will allow for greater automation in the updating and validation of information, reducing human errors and increasing the speed of data collection. In addition, interoperability between different database systems is being optimised to facilitate the integration of records and improve processing efficiency.
      2. Expanding coverage and reducing under-registration: A key objective is to improve birth coverage, especially in rural or marginalized areas where civil registration may be incomplete or non-existent. Awareness-raising strategies are being implemented to ensure that all births are properly registered. In addition, methods are being developed to identify and correct potential cases of under-registration, using additional data sources such as hospital records and administrative records.
      3. Improving data quality: Projects are being carried out to improve data quality at the source, ensuring that birth data are complete, accurate and consistent. This includes training civil registration system operators to ensure that data are entered accurately and consistently. More rigorous data validation processes are also being implemented to detect and correct potential errors before statistics are published.
      4. Reducing response times: Investment is being made in improving response times in data collection, processing and publication. This involves optimizing internal workflows and automating key stages of the process, such as data collection and preliminary validation. By optimizing these processes, it is expected to reduce the time needed to generate birth statistics, improving the speed with which users can access data.
      5. Using advanced statistical models for data adjustment: New statistical modeling methods are being explored to allow birth data to be adjusted more efficiently, using imputation techniques to correct missing or inconsistent values. This will allow for more accurate estimates to be generated, especially in areas with data coverage or quality issues.
      6. Strengthening cooperation with other entities: We are working closely with other institutions, such as ministries of health, civil registries, and local authorities, to improve coordination and information sharing. In addition, new partnerships are being explored with international organizations to share best practices and learn from other statistical systems with greater experience.
      7. Promoting data transparency and accessibility: More interactive and accessible platforms are being developed to enable users to access data more easily and quickly. This includes the creation of open data portals and improved statistical visualization tools, in order to provide a better user experience and facilitate data analysis.

• 17. Data revision

  • 17.1. Data revision - policy

    • The INE of Spain has a policy which regulates the basic aspects of statistical data revision, seeking to ensure process transparency and product quality. This policy is laid out in the document approved by the INE board of directors on 13 March of 2015, which is available on the INE website, in the section "Methods and projects/Quality and Code of Practice/INE’s Quality management/INE’s Revision policy" (link).

      This general policy sets the criteria that the different type of revisions should follow:  routine revision- it is the case of statistics whose production process includes regular revisions-; more extensive revision- when methodological or basic reference source changes take place-; and exceptional revision- for instance, when an error appears in a published statistic-.

      The definitive data are not revised. They are only revised if there is a publication error

       

       

  • 17.2. Data revision - practice

    • Extraordinary reviews are only carried out in the event of an error.

• 18. Statistical processing

  • 18.1. Source data

    • The information from the Birth Statistics derives from the administrative act of entry into the Civil Registry. The data is collected from several sources:

      • As regards registrations that are carried out in person at the civil registry, the data is collected in a paper document called the Statistics Birth Bulletin (BEP, per its Spanish initials). This document is filled out by the parents, relatives or by those persons legally bound to declare the birth or, failing that, by the civil registrar. The BEP is available at Civil Registries as well as at the main maternity services of hospital centres.

      • As regards electronic registrations of births at the health centres, they are done by means of the ANDES service. The information is obtained from the files provided by the Secretariat of State for Justice.

      • In those cases when the birth information could not be obtained from the two aforementioned sources, the data is obtained from the information provided by the Secretariat of State for Justice thanks to the recording of the birth entry in civil registers. In such cases, information on the delivery characteristics or the newborn baby’s weight is not available.

      The electronic registration of births from health centres started in October 2015 due to the partial entry into force of Law 20/2011. This application, called ANDES, collects information relating exclusively to the registration of live births, delivery and newborn characteristics, but does not include data on the mother's previous child or cohabitation status.

      The only tool used for the collection of information on Late Foetal Deaths is the Statistical Birth Bulletin.

      As of 2011, live births that pass away within the first 24 hours have both a birth and a death record, so the main source of information used is the Medical Certificate of Death and each register is complemented by the corresponding Statistical Birth Bulletin.

  • 18.2. Frequency of data collection

    • Data collection is carried out monthly

  • 18.3. Data collection

    • The information is collected monthly either through the information in the files provided by the Secretariat of State for Justice to the INE with the information collected in those inscriptions that are made from the hospital granted to the ANDES service or through the Birth Statistics Bulletin.
      

      The Statistical Birth Bulletin is completed by persons required by law to make entries in the Civil Register or, failing that, by the civil registrar. Once completed, the parents of the newborn take the bulletin to the Civil Register office of the municipality where the birth has occurred or where the mother or father resides for the registration of the child/children born. The civil registry sends the bulletins completed in a month to the INE monthly. The INE receives the documentation from the Civil Register which is recorded using optical character recognition and the fields are validated. This information is transmitted directly to the INE database.

  • 18.4. Data validation

    • In the initial phase of the statistic, recording using optical character recognition, the application includes the detection of certain errors in the bulletin information as well as the control of coverage and the detection of duplicate information. Such errors have to be corrected in this first phase in order to include their information in the birth database. The aim is to obtain high quality levels that make the process of filtering and imputation of the treatment phases subsequently carried out faster and less expensive.

  • 18.5. Data compilation

    • The recorded data is filtered at the national level in order to detect inconsistencies, duplicates, lack of information, etc. Following this process an automatic imputation phase is applied for variables with missing or inconsistent information. Once this phase has been completed, the statistic's microdata files used to make the tables of publication of births and corresponding indicators of birth, fertility, etc. are obtained. In addition, the anonymised microdata files made available to users on the web are obtained.

  • 18.6. Adjustment

    • As the data for this statistic comes from an administrative register, no adjustments are made

• 19. Comment

  • 19.1. Comment