INEbase / Residential Variation Statistics / Comparison with official population figures arising from the annual revision of the Municipal Registers

The Residential Variation Statistics are compiled using the register entries produced in the INE database, as is described in the General methodology. However, by calculating the net migratory balance as the difference between external Registrations and Cancellations due to residential variation, the resulting balance does not coincide with the balance that would be obtained as the difference between the population figures from the register and the natural increase produced during the year. These discrepancies are caused by the following methodological features:

1. Variations included during the statement period.

During the statement period of the procedure by which the official population figures are obtained, variations (high and low) are "recovered" that had not been entered in the INE database at the time of the closing of the RVS, and that are therefore not considered in the statistics, though they are included in the population figures at 1 January.

2. Registration by Omission (RBO)

The Registration by Omission of Spaniards, as opposed to that of foreign nationals, is not included in the RVS, because it is not considered to be strictly migratory movement, given that there always remains the possibility of contrast with existing registers (previous Dwelling Register or Register of Spaniards Resident Abroad, if they did not reside in Spain), in the event that the citizen claims not to have been previously registered, and a previous registration is not located in the INE database. However, it is reflected in the population figure.

3. Cancellations for Undue Inscription (CUI)

The CUI of Spaniards, as with the RBO, are not considered to be migrations, but rather adjustments in the register, and they are not included in the RVS, but do have a repercussion on the figures at 1 January.

4. Variations from previous periods

In the monthly variation files, the INE not only receives movements corresponding to the previous month, but also to previous months and even years. These variations are included in the current year's population figure, but not in the RVS, which only includes residential variations relating to the reference year, and which are received up until March of the following year.

5. Natural increase

The natural increase (Births-Deaths) from the Civil Register does not coincide with the natural increase taken from register entries, which is obtained as the difference between registrations due to birth and cancellations due to death.

6. Differences due to entries that are neither renewed nor cancelled after the expiration date of the NCFNWPRP (Non-Community Foreign Nationals Without a Permanent Residence Permit).

For the data from the year t, the following cases are highlighted:

b. Registers that were not accounted for in MUNICIPAL REGISTER FIGURES at 1 January t, because they had an expiration date prior to 1 January t, and that renewed their registrations in t. In the case of registers, they were accounted for in FIGURES at 1 January (t+1), but the movement is not reflected in the RVS because they did not correspond to any registration.

c. Registers that were accounted for in MUNICIPAL REGISTER FIGURES at 1 January t, because they had an expiration date after 1 January t, but were not accounted for in FIGURES at 1 January (t+1), because they had not renewed their registration, despite not having been cancelled by the Town Hall.
These registers therefore affect the difference in FIGURES between t and (t+1), but do not appear as exits in the RVS as they do not correspond to cancellations.