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Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Sector Indicators

• 1Contact
  • 1.1Contact organisation
    National Statistics Institute of Spain
    
  • 1.5Contact mail address

    Avenida de Manoteras 50-52 - 28050 Madrid

    
    
• 2Metadata update
  • 2.1Metadata last certified
    05/07/2024
  • 2.2Metadata last posted
    20/07/2023
  • 2.3Metadata last update
    05/07/2024
• 3Statistical presentation
  • 3.1Data description

    The main objective of these statistics is to show the situation of the information and communications technologies sector, from the supply perspective, rather than the use perspective.

    Given that these are synthesis statistics, they are not compiled using questionnaires designed to collected the information contained in the tables published, but rather, they arise from the collection of information from other previously-performed statistical operations. Due to the level of detail to which the ICT branches of activities and products are defined, it is not possible to obtain representative results at the desired breakdown level for all of the statistical sources consulted. As of the information collected, global value tables of the ICT Sector of the following variables are published:

    • Turnover. 
    • Production value.
    • Added value.
    • Employed persons and other specific variables for the sector (classification variables, branch of activity and type of product)
    • Exports.
    • Imports.
  • 3.2Classification system
    • Clasificaciones utilizadas
      
      
      1. Prodcom 2020 (List of products of the European Comunity 2020)
      
      
      2. CN 2020 (Combined Nomenclature 2020)
      
      
      3. "European Classification of Economic Activities" (NACE Rev.2).
      
      
  • 3.3Sector coverage

    This synthesis statistical operation gathers information on companies whose main activity is under one of the following headings (CNAE-2009):

    A. ICT manufacturing industries:

    1. CNAE 2611. Manufacture of electronic components.
    2. CNAE 2612. Manufacture of assembled printed circuits.
    3. CNAE 2620. Manufacture of computers and peripheral services.
    4. CNAE 2630. Manufacture of telecommunications equipment.
    5. CNAE 2640. Manufacture of electronic and consumption products.
    6. CNAE 2680. Manufacture of magnetic and optical media.

    B. ICT trade industries:

    1. CNAE 4651. Wholesale trade of computers, peripherals and computer programmes.
    2. CNAE 4652. Wholesale trade of electronic and telecommunications equipment and its peripheral components and computer programmes

    C. ICT services industries:

           1. CNAE 5821, 5829. Publishing of computer programs

           2. CNAE 6110, 6120, 6130, 6190. Telecommunications

           3. CNAE 6201,6202, 6203, 6209. Consultancy programming and other IT-related activities

           4. CNAE 6311, 6312. Websites, data processing, hosting and related activities

           5. CNAE 9511, 9512. Repair of computers and communications equipment

  • 3.4Statistical concepts and definitions
    • Marketing and brand equity activities as an innovation activity
      Marketing activities for existing products are only innovation activities if the marketing practice is itself an innovation. For many companies only a small fraction of marketing expenditures is likely to be linked to product innovations introduced within the observation period. Relevant innovation activities include preliminary market research, market tests, launch advertising, and the development of pricing mechanisms and product placement methods for product innovations. In some cases, the advantages of a business process innovation could also be marketed, for instance if the business process innovation has environmental benefits or improves product quality.
    • Innovation activities
      They include all developmental, financial and commercial activities undertaken by a firm that are intended to result in an innovation for the firm.
    • Intellectual property- related activities as an innovation activity
      IP activities for ideas, inventions and new or improved products or business processes developed during the observation period are innovation activities. Examples include activities to apply for IP rights for an innovation or for an invention, licensing-in the right to use an invention or an innovation, or licensing-out IP for inventions and innovations. All IP activities for inventions made before the observation period and for products and business processes that existed before the observation period should be excluded.
    • Acquisition or lease of tangible assets for innovation
      The acquisition or lease of tangible assets can be innovation activities in their own right, such as when a firm purchases or leases equipment with significantly different characteristics than the existing equipment that it uses for its business processes. The acquisition of tangible capital goods is generally not an innovation activity if it is for replacement or capital-widening investments that are unchanged, or if it consists of only minor changes compared to the firm¿s existing stock of tangible capital.
    • Turnover
      This includes the total amounts invoiced by the observation unit, during the reference period, for the sales of goods and services supplied to third parties, considering both those carried out directly by the observation unit itself, and those from temporary outsourcing.
      
      These sales of goods or services are accounted for in net terms, that is, including the charges to the client (transport, packages, etc.), though invoiced separately, but deducting the discount on sales for early payment, returns of sales or the value of returned packages, as well as taxes on sales. This includes taxes and fees on goods or services invoiced by the unit, but excludes the VAT paid by the client.
      
      From an administrative point of view, the General Accounting Plan (PGC) (RD 1514/2007, of 16 November) defines the Total net value of turnover, using the following accounting items: C700+C701+C702+C703+C704+C705-C706-C708-C709 with:
      
      C700. Sales of merchandise
      C701. Sales of finished products
      C702. Sales of semi-finished products
      C703. Sales of sub-products and waste
      C704. Sales of packages and packaging
      C705. Provision of services
      C706. Discount on sales for early payment
      C708. Returns of sales and similar transactions
      C709. "Taxes" on sales
      
      Therefore, turnover includes neither subsidies nor other operating income. It also excludes financial and extraordinary income, and other income that affects the results of the fiscal year.
    • Foreign trade
      Exchange of goods and/or services between two or more countries or economic regions.
    • Purchase of R&D (external R&D)
      It includes funds paid to research services firms or other units performing R&D under contract. It excludes the internal funds to support a unit's active participation in collaborative R&D projects, these projects should be recorded as part of a unit's intramural performance.
    • Software development and database activities as innovation activity
      Software development is an innovation activity when used to develop new or improved business processes or products, such as computer games, logistical systems, or software to integrate business processes. Database activities are an innovation activity when used for innovation,such as analyses of data on the properties of materials or customer preferences.
    • Company
      The company is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organizational unit producing goods or
      services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the
      allocation of its current resources. A company carries out one or more activities at one or more
      locations. A company may be a sole legal unit.
    • Innovating company
      A company is considered to be innovating when it carries out, during the analized period, technological and non-technological innovations, that is, product, process, marketing or organisational innovations.
    • Expenditure on innovative activities
      Total costs of all innovative activities including internal and external R&D costs and costs relative to remaining innovative activities such as: acquisition of machinery and equipment related to technologically new or improved products and processes, the acquisition of immaterial technology, industrial design and engineering, tools and launch of manufacture, training related to technlogically new or improved products and processes and the commercialisation of technologically improved or new products.
    • Expenditures in activities of internal R&D
      Defined as internal expenditure on R&D are all the amounts earmarked for R&D activities, carried out within the research department or unit, irrespective of the source of the funds. Expenditure incurred outside the department, but related to internal support tasks of R&D (acquisition of supplies for R&D, for example) is also included as internal R&D expenditure.
    • Engineering, design and other creative work as an innovation activity:
      Most design and other creative work are innovation activities, with the exception of minor design changes that do not meet the requirements for an innovation, such as producing an existing product in a new colour. Identifying the use of design thinking methodologies by firms can help to differentiate minor design changes from innovation activities. Many engineering activities are not innovation activities, such as day-to-day production and quality control procedures for existing processes. Engineering activities for reverse engineering, or to alter or introduce new production processes, services or delivery methods, may or may not be an innovation activity, depending on whether these activities are conducted for innovation or for other reasons.
    • An innovation
      It is a new or improved product or process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the unit¿s previous products or processes and that has been made available to potential users (product) or brought into use by the unit (process).
      An innovation can be a product innovation or a business process innovation.
    • A product innovation
      It is a new or improved good or service that differs significantly
      from the firm¿s previous goods or services and that has been introduced on the market.
    • A business process innovation
      It is a new or improved business process for one or more business functions that differs significantly from the firm¿s revious business processes and that has been brought into use by the firm.
    • Innovation intensity
      The quotient between expenditure on activities for technological innovation and turnover.
    • Employee training as an innovation activity
      Employee training activities for the use of existing products or business processes, the upgrading of general skills, or language training are not innovation activities. Examples of training as an innovation activity include training personnel to use innovations, such as new software logistical systems or new equipment; and training relevant to the implementation of an innovation, such as instructing personnel or customers on the features of a product innovation. Employee training that is required to develop an innovation, such as training for R&D or for design, are respectively part of R&D activities or part of engineering, design and other creative work.
    • Staff on a full-time equivalent (FTE) dedicated to R&D
      This is all staff (working full-time, plus the sum of the fractions of time of the staff working part-time) employed in R&D activities, without distinguishing their level of responsibility, as well as those who supply services directly linked to R&D work, such as managers, administrators and office staff.
      Since the measurement criterion is in FTE, staff on a full-time equivalent (full-time) plus the sum of plus the sum of the fractions of time of the staff working part-time are taken into account.
    • Personal ocupado
      Se corresponde con el número total de personas que trabajan en la unidad de observación (incluidos los propietarios que trabajan, los socios que trabajan con regularidad en la unidad y los familiares no retribuidos que trabajan con regularidad en la unidad) y el de personas que, aunque trabajan fuera de la unidad, pertenecen a ella y son retribuidas por ella (por ejemplo, los representantes de comercio, el personal de mensajería y los equipos de reparación y mantenimiento que trabajan por cuenta de la unidad de observación). Incluye tanto al personal remunerado como al no remunerado.
    • ICT Sector
      The ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) Sector refers to the set of manufacturing, commercial and services industries whose main activity is linked to the development, production, commercialisation and intensive use of information and communications technologies.
    • 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.
    • Value added at factor cost
      The value added at factor cost is the gross income from operating activities after adjusting for operating subsidies and indirect taxes.
      
      It can be calculated from turnover, plus capitalised production, plus other operating income (including operating subsidies), plus or minus the changes in stocks, minus the purchases of goods and services, minus other taxes on products which are linked to turnover but not deductible, minus the duties and taxes linked to production. The duties and taxes linked to production are compulsory, unrequited payments, in cash or in kind which are levied by general government, or by the Institutions of the European Union, in respect of the production and importation of goods and services, the employment of labour, the ownership or use of land, buildings or other assets used in production irrespective of the quantity or the value of goods and services produced or sold. Alternatively it can be calculated from gross operating surplus by adding personnel costs.
      
      Income and expenditure classified as financial in company accounts according to the 4th Accounting Directive (78/660/EEC) is excluded from value added. Income and expenditure classified as interest income, dividend income, foreign exchange gain from foreign currency borrowings related to interest costs, gains on redemption and extinguishment of debt or finance costs according to Commission Regulation (EC) 1725/2003 are excluded from value added.
      
      Value added at factor costs is calculated "gross" as value adjustments (such as depreciation and impairment losses) are not subtracted.
      
      For the statistics on activities of NACE rev.2 groups 65.1 and 65.2, the value added at factor costs is defined as production value minus gross value of reinsurance services received minus commissions minus other external expenditure on goods and services.
      
      For the statistics on activities defined in Section 3 of Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 295/2008, the value added at factor costs is defined as production value less total purchases of goods and services.
      
      For the statistics on activities defined in Section 3 of Annex VII of Regulation (EC) No 295/2008, the value added at factor costs is defined as production value less total purchases of goods and services.
      
      For the enterprises of the NACE Rev.2 class 64.11, the value added at factor costs is defined as production value less total purchases of goods and services.
    • Production value
      The production value measures the amount actually produced by the unit, based on sales, including changes in stocks and the resale of goods and services.
      
      The production value is defined as turnover or revenue from sales of goods and rendering of services, plus or minus the changes in stocks of finished products, work in progress and goods and services purchased for resale, minus the purchases of goods and services for resale (only for the goods and services sold during the reporting period and excluding the costs of storage and transport of the goods purchased for resale), plus capitalised production, plus other (operating and extra-ordinary) income (excluding subsidies). Income and expenditure classified as financial or as revenue in the form of interests and dividends in company accounts is excluded from production value. Included in purchases of goods and services for resale are the purchases of services purchased in order to be rendered to third parties in the same condition.
      
      Note : Capitalised production includes the own-account production of all goods that are retained by their producers as investment. The latter includes the production of fixed tangible assets (buildings, etc.) as well as intangible assets (development of software, etc.). Capitalised production is unsold production and is valued at production cost. Note that these capital goods are also to be included in investment.
      
      Note : Other (operating and extra-ordinary) income is a company accounting heading. The contents of this heading may vary between sectors and over time and as such can not be defined precisely for statistical purposes.
      
      For the statistics on activities of NACE Rev.2 groups 65.1 and 65.2, the production value is defined gross premiums earned plus total portfolio investment income plus other services produced minus gross claims incurred, excluding claims management expenses plus capital gains and provisions.
      
      For the statistics on activities defined in Section 3 of Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 295/2008, the production value is defined as interest receivable and similar income less interest payable and similar charges plus commissions receivable plus income from shares and other variable-yield securities plus net profit or net loss on financial operations plus other operating income.
      
      For the statistics on activities defined in Section 3 of Annex VII of Regulation (EC) No 295/2008, the production value is defined as turnover less insurance premiums payable plus investment income plus other income plus insurance claims receivable less total expenditure on pensions less net change in technical provisions.
      
      For the enterprises of the NACE Rev.2 class 64.11 (central banks) the production value is defined as interest receivable and similar income less interest payable
  • 3.5Statistical unit

    he basic statistical unit for these operations is the enterprise, which is understood as “the smallest combination of legal units that is an organizational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. An enterprise may be a sole legal unit “’ (definition of the Regulation of the European Union 696/93).

    As previously explained in section 3.1, a new operational concept for 'Enterprise' is applied for the R&D Statistics in BES 2021, which we will hereinafter call the Statistical Enterprise and which differs from previous years in that, beginning this year, the Enterprise = Legal Unit analogy will no longer always be true. In other words, some Statistical Enterprises may be made up of two or more Legal Units.

     

    The reporting unit , or rather, the unit from which the basic information is obtained is the Legal Unit. Given that it is perfectly defined and located and has accounting and employment data, the answer is facilitated and homogeneous information is obtained. The Legal Units can be legal persons (mercantile enterprises) or physical persons (individual entrepreneurs).

    And so:

    • Under the Legal Unit approach as a statistical unit, the information is obtained from the Legal Units, and the statistics are prepared under said Legal Units.
    • Under the Statistical enterprise approach as a statistical unit, the information is obtained from each of the Legal Units that make up the enterprise, and the statistics are prepared by grouping (and where necessary, consolidating) the variables of all the Legal Units that make up the the enterprise.
  • 3.6Statistical population

    All national companies with a main activity included in one of those reflected in section 3.3.

  • 3.7Reference area

    The entire national territory (country). There is no breakdown by region or Autonomous Community.

  • 3.8Time coverage

    The information that these synthesis statistics offers is available from 2005 onwards. The operation is performed annually.

  • 3.9Base period

    2009.

• 4Unit of measure
  • 4.1Unit of measure

    There are several units of measure:

    - The economic Indicators are in thousands of euros except the wage Cost that is in euros and the value of the production, the imports, the exports and the commercial balance that are in millions of euros.

    - Number of enterprises

    - % of enterprises 

    - Number of persons employed

• 5Reference period
  • 5.1Reference period

    The reference period is that which corresponds to the two periods prior to the publication period of the results.

    Data referred to the period: Anual A: 2022

• 6Institutional mandate
  • 6.1Legal 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 2021-2024, approved by Royal Decree 1110/2020, of 15  December, is the Plan currently implemented. This statistical operation has governmental purposes, and it is included in the National Statistics Plan 2021-2024. (Statistics of the State Administration).

    
    

  • 6.2Data 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.
    

• 7Confidentiality
  • 7.1Confidentiality - 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

    
    
  • 7.2Confidentiality - 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.
    
• 8Release policy
  • 8.1Release calendar

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

    
    
  • 8.2Release calendar access

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

    
    
  • 8.3User 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

    
    
• 9Frequency of dissemination
  • 9.1Frequency of dissemination

    The information from that Statistical Operation is disseminated annually.

• 10Accessibility and clarity
  • 10.1News 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

    
    
  • 10.2Publications

    The results of the statistical operation are disseminated via press release, published on the INE website, together with the detailed results, in https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176742&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735576692

    Some results are also included in general INE publications, such as the Statistical Yearbook (https://www.ine.es/en/prodyser/pubweb/anuarios_mnu_en.htm), INE Figures (https://www.ine.es/ss/Satellite?L=1&c=Page&cid=1254735116567&p=1254735116567&pagename=ProductosYServicios%2FPYSLayout), etc. 

  • 10.3On-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.

    
    

    The data from this statistical operation may be viewed in INEbase, within the "INEbase /Science and Technology / New information and communication technologies" section in www.ine.es. More specifically, it may be viewed at the following link: (https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176742&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735576692) the website with the database may be accessed. The structure of said database is as follows:

    1.1 Production in the ICT sector, by ICT sector and main indicator.
    1.2 Average earnings, by ICT sector.
    1.3 Personnel in R&D (FTE) in the ICT sector, by ICT sector, type of personnel and gender.
    1.4 Internal R&D expenditure in the ICT sector, by ICT sector and nature of the expenditure.
    1.5 Innovative Enterprises and enterprises with innovative activities in the ICT sector, by ICT sector and type of company.
    1.6 Enterprises with expenditure in innovative activities in the ICT sector, by ICT sector.
    1.7 Innovation intensity in the ICT sector, by ICT sector.
    1.8 Main indicators of ICT use and Electronic Commerce, by ICT sector and type of indicator.
    1.9 Value of the production of ICT goods, by product group.
    1.10 Foreign trade of ICT goods, by product group. 

    No. of data table queries: AC1=49,551 queries in 2023.

    No. of  metadata queries: AC2=736.

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

    This is a synthesis statistical operation, given that information is used that is provided by other INE statistical operations, which may be viewed in section 18.1. As this is a synthesis statistical operation, it does not have specific microdata. Therefore, there is no possibility of accessing the microdata file. 

  • 10.5Other

    Access to the information from this statistical information is available on the INE website, as follows: https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176742&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735576692)

    In addition to the information available there, users may make tailor-made requests to the customer care department of the INE (https://www.ine.es/ss/Satellite?L=1&c=Page&cid=1254735550786&p=1254735550786&pagename=ProductosYServicios%2FPYSLayout&rendermode=previewnoinsitem). Said requests consists of performing specific tabulations using the microdata file. In order to carry out the request submitted, the responsible department studies its viability and prepares a quote that must be accepted prior to performing the requested tabulation.

  • 10.6Documentation on methodology

    The Methodological Handbook that describes the features of this statistical operation may be viewed at the INE website: https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176742&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735576692

  • 10.7Quality documentation

    Sections 10.6 to 17.2 of this document are the quality report oriented to the users of this statistical operation.

• 11Quality management
  • 11.1Quality 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 process for compiling the statistics has established controls for detecting and correcting errors, for the purpose of guaranteeing their quality, and compilation procedures contrasted on an international level are used.

  • 11.2Quality assessment

    As this is a synthesis statistical operation, it prepares the indicators contained through the aggregation of information provided by other statistical operations. In this sense, the quality of the information published is guaranteed by the corresponding filters that must be met by the sources from which it is performed.

    For the sake of offering a greater breakdown, the pertinent actions are being taken so that the sources provide information with a greater breakdown level. 

• 12Relevance
  • 12.1User needs

    This statistical operation provides relevant information within the framework of the Information Society, for the following groups of users:

    1. Public entities and institutions in charge of analysing the development of the ICT sector.
    2. Public and private universities and research centres, for the purpose of performing research studies on the ICT sector.
    3. Private entities that use or produce ICT-related devices.
    4. Individuals, via tailor-made requests of information available.

    Given the synthesis nature of this statistical operation, it is confined to a breakdown level determined by the information provided by the sources of it. Nevertheless, we are studying the possibility of increasing the breakdown level, through the coordination of all of the statistical operations involved.

  • 12.2User 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)

     

    
    

    In the user satisfaction surveys conducted to date, the Information and Communications Technologies sector is valued in that this is where the statistical operation is based, which may serve as guidance with regard to the opinion that users have of it.

  • 12.3Completeness

    Though there is no European Union regulation establishing the information to be provided, the survey meets most user needs. As per the needs that are not met, they are resolved via tailor-made requests, so long as this is possible and confidentiality is safeguarded. Whenever possible, these unmet needs are included in the survey, when the methodology is updated.

     

    The National Statistical Plan information is provided at R1=100% 

• 13Accuracy and reliability
  • 13.1Overall accuracy

    These are synthesis statistics, and as such, they are obtained from multiple statistical sources, which may be viewed in section 18.1 of this document. Said sources may be affected by different errors. Nonetheless, the main strength is the existence of a team of experts with in-depth knowledge thereof, both in their deficiencies and in their interrelations, which adjusting to the regulations and the methodology, works conscientiously toward obtaining a credible item of data.

  • 13.2Sampling error

    This is a synthetic operation, and not a survey, and therefore, the concepts of sampling errors are not applicable . 

    Being a synthetic operation the sampling errors that affect it come from the sources from which the information is collected, which are analyzed to see if they are kept within reasonable limits. 

  • 13.3Non-sampling error

    Errors other than sampling can come from both the sources and the information processing in this operation (lack of coverage, measurement errors). In this case the direct measurement of accuracy is not considered possible

• 14Timeliness and punctuality
  • 14.1Timeliness

    According to the "opportunity" quantitative indicator, which indicates the time bracket between the end of the reference period and the publication date of the final results, is TP2=16 months. The reference period ends on 31 March of T-1 year being T the year of publication. There are no preview results in this statistical operation. The publication of said results is always final.  

  • 14.2Punctuality

    The publication of the results of this statistical operation is always carried out on the date established in the INE dissemination calendar.

• 15Coherence and Comparability
  • 15.1Comparability - geographical

    The data published all refers to the national aggregate, and therefore, it is not possible to provide geographical comparability on a more reduced level. Comparability is also not possible at an international level, given that this statistical operation is not subject to any European regulation, and therefore, the production processes that enable coherent comparisons are not homogenised.

  • 15.2Comparability - over time

    The first results of this statistical operation refer to the 2003 period. Nevertheless, given the change in CNAE-2009, the homogeneity of the series with the new classification began in 2008. In this sense, there are CC2=15 coherently comparable annual periods.  

  • 15.3Coherence - cross domain

    As this is a synthesis statistical operation, no discrepancies occur between related statistical results and those comprising it. Said results are those derived from the following statistical operations: (1) Structural Business Statistics: Industrial Sector, (2) Structural Business Statistics: Services Sector, (3) Quarterly Labour Cost Survey (QLCS), (4) Statistics on Scientific Research and Technological Development (R&D) Activities, (5) Innovation in Enterprises Survey, (6) Survey on ICT usage and Electronic Commerce in Enterprises, (7) Industrial Products Survey and (8) Foreign Trade Statistics.

  • 15.4Coherence - internal

    The data disseminated by this synthesis statistical operation is coherent amongst itself. Said coherence is supported by the corresponding internal coherence of the statistical sources it comprises, which are described in section 18.1.

• 16Cost and burden
  • 16.1Cost and burden

    The response burden for performing this statistical operation is zero, as it is compiled with the information provided by other statistical operations described in section 18.1.

    The estimation of the budgetary credit necessary to finance these statistics, as foreseen in the 2024 Annual Programme, comes to a total of 7.42 thousand euros.

• 17Data revision
  • 17.1Data 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 results published by this statistical operation are final, and not subject to any revision.

  • 17.2Data revision - practice

    The results published by this statistical operation are final, and not subject to any subsequent revision.

• 18Statistical processing
  • 18.1Source data

    This is a synthesis statistical operation, that is, it is not compiled using a questionnaire specifically designed to collect the information contained in the tables published therein. Said information is an aggregation of data provided by other statistical operations, which are the following:

    1. Structural Business Statistics: Industrial Sector 
    2. Structural Business Statistics: Services Sector
    3. Quarterly Labour Cost Survey (QLCS) 
    4. Statistics on Scientific Research and Technological Development (R&D) Activities
    5. Innovation in Enterprises Survey
    6. Survey on ICT usage and Electronic Commerce in Enterprises
    7. Industrial Products Survey
    8. Foreign Trade Statistics. 

    The information provided by the above statistics ans surveys is not all that referring to the units (enterprises) comprising their respective samples. They send that which is necessary for building the aggregates that appear in section 3.4. Specifically, the year prior to the publication of the results, the information mailing is requested. The information send is the aggregate corresponding to the variable requested for all of the enterprises in their sample, with the main activity appearing in one of those indicated in section 3.3. Once received, this unit aggregates the information and compiles the tables that appear in the publication.

  • 18.2Frequency of data collection

    Annual.

  • 18.3Data collection

    Every year, the information is requested of the units responsible for the statistical operations described in section 18.1. The mailing is carried out once said units have validated it.

  • 18.4Data validation

    As this is a synthesis statistical operation, the information validation is performed in each of the original sources.

  • 18.5Data compilation

    The unit responsible for this statistical operation aggregates the information received from the sources providing it.

    Once said information is aggregated, the interannual variation rates of the variables appearing in the tables in the publication are calculated.

  • 18.6Adjustment

    As this is a synthesis statistical operation, no adjustments are performed.

• 19Comment
  • 19.1Comment