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The Continuous Population Statistics contain:
-The population residing in Spain and in family dwellings, in each autonomous community, in each province and on each island, disaggregated according to basic demographic characteristics.
- The number of households where the population resides in family homes, according to size (number of members) in each province.
These data are used as reference population figures in all statistical operations carried out by the INE (surveys, National Accounts, indicators, etc.) and are transmitted internationally as official data on the population of Spain for all purposes.
These data are used as reference population figures in all statistical operations carried out by the INE (surveys, National Accounts, indicators, etc.) and are transmitted internationally as official data on the population of Spain for all purposes. All of this makes up the historical series of population figures in Spain.
The population series in family dwellings and households will start with data from 2021.
Additionally, these statistics provide information to partly explain the population change in each quarter. These are external migratory movements (with foreign nationals) for the main nationalities or countries of birth.
These will be initial movements, as they consist only of a count of some types of changes of registration or deregistration in the continuous Register. These results, as they are produced almost immediately, should be considered partial results, which will allow us to see the evolution of the flows of each quarter, rather than the absolute values. They will be provided from 2023, with the commencement of the statistics.
These migratory flows are not intended to be provisional results of the definitive migratory flows that will be provided at the end of the year in the Migration and Changes of Residence Statistics (EMCR), since at the time of obtaining the CPS we will not have the census information necessary to adjust the migratory flows of the EMCR.
Lists are used from the autonomous communities, provinces, municipalities and countries of nationality and birth, in accordance with the INE's standards.
Demography and population
People and households.
There are several types of population statistics:
- Population residing in Spain
- Population residing in family dwellings (in Spain); this is a subset of the aforementioned population.
- Households: households in which the population residing in family dwellings live.
In addition, external migrations can be considered a subset of the resident population in Spain: emigrations would have as their statistical population the group of people who habitually reside in Spain and emigrate abroad and, similarly, immigrations would have as a statistical population the group of people who, coming from abroad, go on to establish their habitual residence in Spain.
The statistics cover the whole of the national territory, and are disseminated for the national total, for each of the autonomous communities and cities, and for provinces. It will also be disaggregated by islands (in island provinces) for population series.
1- Resident population:
Since 1 January 2002 (for some series since 1971).
Up to 1 January 2021 they coincided with the former Population Figures series, which in turn coincides as and from 1 January 2021 with the 2021 census. Since then, the data are those of the new own methodology of the Continuous Population Statistics (CPS), although they cover the entire previous population records.
2- Resident population in family dwellings and the number of households.: since 2021, tying up from 1 January 2021 with the data of the 2021 census.
3- Migrations: since 2023.
1 January 2021
Number of people and number of households.
Data referring to the period: Quarterly A: 2023 TRI: I
In addition to the latest published data, referring to a new quarter, data for the entire series are offered with a dual periodicity:
- Twice a year: resident population data will refer to 1 January and 1 July of each year, from 2002 onwards (for some series since 1971), which coincide with the former Population Figures series, and which contains the decennial population censuses up to 2021, as well as the intercensal population estimates between two consecutive censuses.
- Four times a year: the resident population data and the rest of the series refer to 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October, starting in April 2021, with the commencement of the new methodology of the Continuous Population Statistics (CPS), in the strict sense.
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).
The compilation, processing and dissemination of the data of statistical operations are governed by the Law 12/1989, of May 9, 1989, on the "Public Statistical Function" (LFEP), and in the Fourth Additional Provision of the Law 4/1990 of 29 June. The LFEP establishes that the National Statistics Plan is the main organising instrument of the State Administration's statistical activity and 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 the statistics included in the National Statistical Plan are statistics for state purposes and are mandatory. The National Statistics Plan 2021-2024, approved by Royal Decree 1110/2020, of 15 December, is the plan currently in force. This operation is a statistic for state purposes and is included in the National Statistics Plan 2021-2024.
In addition, the ECP is subject to the Regulation 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Demographic Statistics., with regard to the provision of data on the resident population.
The Spanish version of this regulation is accessible at www.ine.es/normativa/leyes/UE/minine.htm#30321
The exchange of data between the INE and the other statistical services of the State (ministerial departments, autonomous bodies and public entities of the State Administration), as well as between these and the statistical services of the Autonomous Communities for the development of the statistics that have been entrusted to them, are regulated in the LFEP. The LFEP also establishes the statistical coordination mechanisms between administrations, as well as the conclusion of collaboration agreements when deemed appropriate.
The data of the Continuous Population Statistics will also be supplied to international bodies (EUROSTAT, the United Nations, the OECD, etc.) as official population data of Spain for all purposes.
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
The INE takes the necessary logical, physical and administrative measures to ensure there is effective protection of confidential data, from data collection to publication.
The survey questionnaires include a legal clause that informs users about the protection that covers the data collected.
In the information processing phases, data that provide direct identification are only kept as long as they are strictly necessary to guarantee the quality of the processes.
In the publication of the results tables, the details of the information are analysed to prevent confidential data from being deduced from the statistical units. In cases where microdata files are provided to users, they are anonymised.
No additional confidentiality measures have been adopted to those already indicated as usual in all INE operations.
The advance release calendar that shows the precise release dates for the coming year is disseminated in the last quarter of each year.
The calendar is disseminated on the INEs Internet website (Publications Calendar)
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
Quarterly
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
All the information related to this operation can be accessed via the link to the INE website:
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.
INEbase is the system the INE uses to store and publish statistical information on the Internet. It contains all the information that the INE produces in electronic format. It is organised by basically following the theme-based classification of the Inventory of Statistical Operations of the State General Administration. The basic unit is the statistical operation, defined as the set of activities that lead to obtaining statistical results on a determined sector, topic or territory.
The results and documentation related to this operation are available for consultation at:
During the year 2023, 660263 accesses to the Continuous Population Statistocs operation were recorded on the website.
AC1=660263.
The CPS will disseminate a series of aggregated results in a set of tables. Microdata in this respect are therefore not available.
This operation makes it possible to respond to requests for customised information that are not covered in its results tables, subject in all cases to a feasibility study by the INE.
The request is made via the User Assistance Service:
The methodology of the operation can be accessed at:
Fields 10.6 to 17.2 of this document are considered the user-oriented quality report for this operation.
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 quality assurance framework for INE statistics is based on the EUROSTAT's ESSCoP, European Statistics Code of Practice. The ESSCoP consists of 16 principles, grouped in three areas: Institutional Environment, Processes and Products. Each principle has a linked series of indicators that allow it to be measured. Various tools provided by Eurostat are used to assess quality: the aforementioned indicators, the Self-Assessment inspired by the DESAP model, Peer Review, the User Satisfaction Surveys, and other assessment procedures.
The Continuous Population Statistics are prepared using all available information on recent demographic developments. It is based on:
Data from public administration agencies:
Other operations that have already been performed:
Therefore, their quality is dependent on the quality of these statistics and administrative data, which include data that has been filtered and processed statistically.
In addition, consistency is ensured between all data at the published disaggregation level: by sex, age, generation, nationality and country of birth for the different territorial levels (national total, autonomous communities, provinces and islands).
The complete consistency of the data of the Continuous Population Statistics (formerly, the Population Figures) with those of the various population censuses (every ten years up to 2021, called the Population and Housing Census, and annual since 2022, called the Population Census), is guaranteed.
The quality of this statistic is primarily derived from the quality of the sources that feed it, including, in addition to censuses, data from the municipal register, intercensal estimates (up to 2022 framed in the Population Figures operation and thereafter in the CPS), and birth and death statistics.
These data, together with the figures from the successive population censuses carried out in Spain and the intercensal population estimates that link to them, make up the series of resident population in Spain, in each autonomous community, in each province and/or on each island. Their first user is the national statistical system itself: in particular, they are used by the INE as reference figures in all its statistical products (surveys, National Accounts, indicators, etc.). They are also available to all users who need to analyse the demographic evolution of the country or be used, in turn, in the production or analysis of other types of statistical information. In addition, these figures are those used by international organisations as the official population of Spain for all purposes.
More detailed geographical information, as well as information on other variables, is available for the populations as of 1 January, coinciding with the population censuses, in the section of the INE website devoted to them.
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)
This operation provides all the information required by the Regulation 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe on European demographic statistics with regard to resident population figures.
The rate of mandatory results available is therefore 100% (R1=100%).
No measurements are available of the accuracy of the results of this operation. However, this operation is prepared on the basis of the information provided by the official administrative data of the Municipal Register and by other official administrative sources of a thematic nature (educational, labour, etc.), so the accuracy of its results depends on that of the sources of information used.
As the Continuous Population Statistics are a statistical operation based on data obtained from official administrative sources, sampling errors do not arise. Non-sampling errors may come from both the sources used and the processing of the information itself in this operation, such as a certain delay in the arrival of the data, especially for provisional estimates. Direct measurement of accuracy is not considered possible in this case. The main instrument for analysing accuracy is the analysis of the revisions. Revisions show the degree of proximity between successive estimators of the same value, and it is reasonable to assume that the estimators converge to the true value when based on better, more reliable data. (See 17.2)
Not applicable to this operation, as it is a statistic based on official administrative sources, and not a sample survey.
The Continuous Population Statistics is a statistical operation based on data obtained from administrative sources and other statistical operations (see section 18.1). Therefore, the non-sampling errors of this statistical operation will be those derived from these sources: the municipal register, censuses, intercensal population estimates, and birth and death statistics.
These results are published quarterly, referring to January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year. Each new reference date will be released in an initial provisional publication no later than 45 days after the reference date, meaning TP1 = 1.5 months.
Regarding the population and household series (the migration series is not revised), each new publication updates the provisional data series from the last census. The resident population is updated as definitive with the annual population censuses, but the resident population in private households and the households themselves are finalized with the housing censuses, which have a longer periodicity than one year. This means that, in a normal year (starting in 2024, as in 2023, the definitive resident population data for two years is updated instead of one), the number of provisional publications for a given date will range between 4 and 7. The publication delay will be a maximum of 1.5 months for the first provisional release, adding three more months for each additional provisional data publication.
Regarding definitive data, since publication is quarterly, but four reference dates are finalized at once (in the case of the resident population), the timeliness will differ for each. That is, in a generic year t, when the new population census is available (in December of year t with a reference date of January 1 of year t), the four dates—April 1 (t-1), July 1 (t-1), October 1 (t-1), and January 1 (t)—will be updated in the first half of February of t+1.
Thus, the indicator measuring the time until definitive resident population data is produced will be:
TP2 (April 1 (t-1)) = 22.5 months (= 9 + 12 + 1.5)
TP2 (July 1 (t-1)) = 19.5 months
TP2 (October 1 (t-1)) = 16.5 months
TP2 (January 1 (t)) = 13.5 months
The population in private households and households will be finalized later than the resident population when a new housing census becomes available, meaning the time between provisional and definitive data will differ.
The migration series is not revised, so it only has TP2 = 1.5 months.
This operation is disseminated within the period established in the INE's structural statistics calendar (TP3=0; it is published without delay).
The results are completely consistent across the territory, at all levels of disaggregation, as they are calculated at the most disaggregated level possible, and the totals are obtained by aggregating results.
In addition, they are calculated based on the definitions established in the European Regulation 1260/2013 on European demographic statistics, and sponsored, in turn, by the United Nations, which is conducive to their international comparability.
The resident population series will cover two periods:
Thus, the Continuous Population Statistics constitutes the resident population series in Spain since 2021.
The temporal comparability of other series will be as follows:
As a result, each type of series will have a different length, considering the first publication of the year:
The Continuous Population Statistics (CPS) is constructed following the concepts and definitions established by Eurostat in Regulation 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on European demographic statistics, which enhances its international comparability.
The CPS is fully consistent with all population censuses (aligned to January 1), as when a new census becomes available, the CPS adopts that value for that date and estimates data for various dates within the year in a manner consistent with the period between two consecutive censuses.
The Continuous Population Statistics—or an early estimate of it if required by the established schedule—is used by the National Statistics Institute (INE) for the generalization of statistical production from household sample surveys (calculation of weighting factors and calibration), as well as for computing a wide range of statistical indicators that require population data and for National Accounts. It is, therefore, consistent with the data provided by these sources.
The data are fully consistent both inter-territorially and demographically.
These statistics are prepared on the basis of official administrative sources. It does not require for this purpose the collaboration of reporting units and does not incur data collection costs.
The estimated budgetary credit required to finance this operation, as planned in the 2026 Annual Program of the 2025-2028 National Statistical Plan, is 125.36 thousand euros.
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 INE has a policy that regulates the fundamental aspects of statistical data revision, ensuring process transparency and product quality. This policy is outlined in a document approved by the Board of Directors in its meeting on March 13, 2015. The document is available in the "Methods and Projects / Quality and Code of Good Practices / INE Quality Management / Revision Policy of the National Statistics Institute" section (link).
This general policy establishes the criteria to be followed for different types of revisions:
Routine revisions, for statistics that are regularly updated by nature.
Major revisions, due to methodological changes or modifications in basic reference sources.
Extraordinary revisions, such as those required to correct errors in already published statistics.
Revisions occur based on the availability of new data for the reference date. Each publication includes a new quarter along with updates to all previous provisional data since the last published census. This results in multiple provisional data points for each reference date (with the number varying depending on the time of year). When a new census becomes available, all data from the previous year are finalized.
Only external migrations for each quarter are not revised, as they serve as an indicative measure of population growth and remain comparable with data from previous quarters.
The MAR, RMAR and MR indicators, which measure the magnitude of the revisions, are not yet available, as the CPS began to be published in 2023 and there are no data for their calculation.
The Continuous Population Statistics are prepared using all available information on recent demographic developments
- Continuous Municipal Register: he changes contained in the Municipal Register are already filtered and validated for the register base maintenance and management, as well as for the construction of population censuses. However, when they are used for the construction of provisional CPS data, especially the most recent ones, they may be recorded later than their reference date. That is why a system of revisions of the provisional data of the CPS is established.
- Population Censuses: the final result is used, so these data are fully consolidated, and they help us to construct the final data of the CPS for a new year.
- Births and deaths: they are already filtered and validated internally for the preparation of the birth statistics of the NPM, MNE and EDeS and/or their previous internal estimates. Moreover, in this case, some imputation of the variable for births is necessary, due to the fact that they have a high degree No Record found; To this end, the main sources are the laws and agreements with the various countries regarding the parents' nationality and country of birth.
Monthly
All the information used in the CPS is obtained from data held by the INE, either official administrative data such as the Municipal Register or from statistical operations carried out. For this reason, one can refer to each of these sources for the explanation of their original collection method.
Multiple analyses are carried out of the coherence of the evolution of the series of the Continuous Population Statistics and of these with the data of the different demographic statistical sources.
To sum up, the methodology for calculating the resident population series will be different for definitive data and for provisional ones:
a) Definitive data: the populations on 1 January will coincide with those of the annual censuses; in this way, when a new census is obtained, the definitive quarterly populations of the previous year are calculated (on 1 April and July, October) working backwards between the latest two censuses, which will correct provisional populations that were published previously during prior periods. This calculation is based on the operations relating to the censuses for every 1 January, and on the municipal population register movements that take place every quarter for the intermediate dates of the year. In addition, it will be necessary to resort to births and deaths derived from the Vital Statistics for better data accuracy.
b) Provisional data: the starting point will be the population published in the most recent census, and from there, the evolution observed in the main source will be applied, which will be the changes recorded in the Continuous Register, as well as an internal estimate of births and deaths from the EMN and EDeS statistics, for a better adjustment of the data. Each time a new quarter is published, the entire provisional series published will be updated as of the last census, because the data is more and more consolidated each time. This will allow corrections of populations to be progressive, leading a smaller leap when a correction takes place as a result of a new census.
The methodology for the calculation of the population residing in family homes and households series will be obtained by applying a proportion of the groups observed in the censuses
Migrations will not be revised, as they are not intended to be a provisional estimate of those that will be obtained at the end of the year with the Statistics on Migrations and Changes of Residence, but to give a quick and qualitative estimate that allows the evolution of external migrations of the main nationalities or countries of birth to be analysed, which may differ quantitatively from the final external migrations given by the SMCR. These will contain the consistent migrations between two consecutive censuses, which cannot be known a priori. They are a simple tally of the following changes in the municipal register:
External immigration:
Foreign emigration:
No adjustment of any kind is made to the results obtained.