- Methods and Projects
- Standards and Classifications
Standardised Methodological Report
Passenger Transport Statistics
- 1Contact
- 1.1Contact organisation
National Statistics Institute of Spain
- 1.5Contact mail address
Avenida de Manoteras 50-52 - 28050 Madrid
- 1.1Contact organisation
- 2Metadata update
- 2.1Metadata last certified
03/06/2024
- 2.2Metadata last posted
11/03/2024
- 2.3Metadata last update
03/06/2024
- 2.1Metadata last certified
- 3Statistical presentation
- 3.1Data description
The objective of Passenger Transport Statistics (PT) is to provide monthly information on the number of passengers who travel on city transport (bus and metro), inter-city transport (bus, rail, air and sea) and special and discretionary bus transport.
Transport by bus is researched by means of a sampling survey. For transport by rail, the number of passengers is calculated from the information provided by the rail operators.
Information regarding air transport refers to domestic air traffic (between Spanish airports) and is supplied by Civil Aviation. Information regarding maritime transport refers to disembarked cabotage passengers (between Spanish ports) and is supplied by the State Port Authority.
- 3.2Classification 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 - Municipios con metro
08019 Barcelona
48020 Bilbao
28079 Madrid
29067 Málaga
41091 Sevilla
46250 Valencia/València
07040 Palma de Mallorca - Tipo transporte
1 Transporte terrestre
1.1 Transporte terrestre excepto transporte por ferrocarril
1.1.1 Autobús, tranvía y funicular
1.1.1.1 Urbano
1.1.1.1.1 Transporte terrestre urbano regular
1.1.1.1.1.1 Transporte terrestre urbano regular general
1.1.1.1.1.2 Transporte terrestre urbano regular especial escolar
1.1.1.1.1.3 Transporte terrestre urbano regular especial laboral
1.1.1.1.2 Transporte terrestre urbano discrecional
1.1.1.2 Interurbano
1.1.1.2.1 Transporte terrestre interurbano regular
1.1.1.2.1.1 Transporte terrestre interurbano regular general
1.1.1.2.1.1.1 Autobús: Cercanías
1.1.1.2.1.1.2 Autobús: Media distancia
1.1.1.2.1.1.3 Autobús: Larga distancia
1.1.1.2.1.2 Transporte terrestre interurbano regular especial escolar
1.1.1.2.1.3 Transporte terrestre interurbano regular especial laboral
1.1.1.2.2 Transporte terrestre interurbano discrecional
1.1.2 Metro
1.1.3 Taxi
1.1.3.1 Con taxímetro
1.1.3.1.1 Habilitados para personas con mobilidad reducida
1.1.3.2 Sin taxímetro
1.1.9.9 Otro transporte terrestre sin incluir ferrocarril
1.2 Interurbano por ferrocarril
1.2.1 Ferrocarril: Cercanías
1.2.2 Ferrocarril: Media distancia
1.2.3 Ferrocarril: Larga distancia
1.2.3.1 Alta velocidad
1.2.3.2 Resto ferrocarril larga distancia
1.99 Otro transporte terrestre de viajeros
2 Marítimo (cabotaje)
3 Aéreo (interior)
3.1 Aéreo peninsular
3.2 Aéreo península-resto del territorio
3.3 Aéreo interinsular
99 Otro transporte de viajeros
- Comunidades y Ciudades Autónomas
- 3.3Sector coverage
The population scope is composed of:
On the one hand, by all companies that are dedicated to passenger transport by bus and metropolitan and in particular, those whose main economic activity is within section H "Transport and storage" and belongs to classes 49.31 and 49.39 of CNAE-09.
On the other hand, by the companies that carry out passenger transport by rail (group 49.1 of CNAE-09), passenger transport by sea (cabotage; within group 50.1 of CNAE-09) and domestic air transport of passengers (within group 51.1 of CNAE-09).
- 3.4Statistical concepts and definitions
- 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. - Transporte aéreo interinsular
Transporte de viajeros realizado entre aeropuertos españoles situados en las islas.
- Air transport (interior)
Passenger transport carried out between Spanish airports.
- Transporte aéreo peninsular
Transporte de viajeros realizado entre aeropuertos españoles dentro de la península.
- Transporte aéreo Península-Resto Territorio
Transporte de viajeros realizado entre aeropuertos españoles de la península y los situados en las islas y en Melilla.
- Discretional transport by bus
This is one that performs unscheduled passenger transport services not subject to a route or timetable. In this concept it encompasses both city and inter-city transport. One such example are coaches hired for tourist visits.
- School transport by bus
This is a geared towards transporting solely schoolchildren or students by bus or coach within the same municipality (city) or between different municipalities (inter-city).
- Special transport by bus
This covers special passenger transport, both city and inter-city, which may moreover be classified as school or work transport.
- Inter-city transport
Transport between urban nucleii in different municipal areas. Inter-city transport is classified into inter-city road transport, inter-city rail transport, air transport (interior) and sea transport (cabotage).
- Local inter-city rail transport
Within the concept of local transport, they broadly form a part of the group of services that deal with connecting the centre with the outskirts of large metropolitan nucleii, with a high frequency of trains and stops, as well as other that corridors close to medium-type cities with similar features.
- Long-distance inter-city rail transport
It includes the set of trains with routes exceeding 300 km. Long distance is broken down into High Speed (including AVE, AVLO, OUIGO and IRYO) and Rest of long distance.
- Regional inter-city rail transport
All services responding to a demand for generally daily transport by means of single-class trains and notwithstanding exceptions with routes comprising between 75 km. and 300 km. that allow return journeys to a city the same day, and the trains intended to intercommunicate different towns, ensuring a link with long-distance trains are defined as regional.
- Inter-city rail transport
It is designed to carry passengers by train between cities. It can be classified in neighborhoods, middle distance and long distance.
- Work bus transport
This is aimed at transporting exclusively homogeneous work groups (workers from the same company, military staff, lines that go to and from airports and train stations to transport the crew, etc.) in buses or coaches within the same municipality (city) or between different municipalities (inter-city).
- Sea transport (cabotage)
Passenger transport that make journeys between Spanish ports.
- Long-distance inter-city bus transport
Transport serving distances greater than 300 km.
- Local inter-city bus transport
Transport serving an urban area and metropolitan catchment area over distances of less than 50 km.
- Regional inter-city bus transport
Transport serving distances equal to or less than 300 km not included in local rail.
- Inter-city road transport
This is aimed at transport of all types of passengers on buses or coaches with a pre-established route, subjected to preset calendars and timetables, picking up passengers at fixed stops between different municipal areas. The breakdown by distance travelled (local rail, regional rail and long-distance rail) is collected.
- City bus transport
This is aimed at transporting all types of passengers on buses or coaches with a pre-established route, subjected to preset calendars and timetables, picking up passengers at fixed stops in one same municipal area.
- Metro
Passenger transport by metropolitan companies Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Sevilla, Málaga, Valencia and Palma.
- City transport (by bus and metro)
Transport that travels only along urban or building land or communicates different urban nucleii that are located in the same municipality. City transport may be classified into bus and metro transport.
- Company
- 3.5Statistical unit
The statistical unit of the survey is the company, identified generally by the legal unit, that carries out as economic activity the provision of some of the services included in the population scope. The company is also de responding unit, as it is defined, located and has the accounting and employment data.
- 3.6Statistical population
The statistical population is made up of the companies engaged in passengers transport by bus and metro at national level, and in particular, those whose main activity belogs to the H section "Transportation and Storage" and classes 49.31 and 49.39 in CNAE-09.
- 3.7Reference area
All statistical units located in the national territory that are encompassed in the population scope are object of research.
Dissemination of data is carried out on a National level, besides urban transport by bus data are disemminated by Autonomous Communities. For the seven Spanish cities with metro, the urban transport data is brokendown into metro and bus..
- 3.8Time coverage
The longest historical series started in January 1996 for domestic air transport, cabotage maritime, Metro of Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid and for city transport by bus by Autonomous Community.
In January 2000, for the Metro transport of Valencia and for the total transport by rail and within it according to distance (suburban, regional and long distance trains).
In January 2005, for the total inter-city transport by bus and for special and discretionary transport by bus.
In January 2009, for inter-city transport by bus according to distance (suburban, regional and long distance).
In April 2009, for metro transport of Sevilla.
In January 2010, for metro transport of Palma.
In January 2012, for city transport by bus in cities with metro transport.
In January 2015 the Long distance rail was brokendown into AVE and Rest of Long distance.
In January 2017 the air transport passengers were brokendown into mainland Spain, mainland-rest of the territory and inter-island.
In January 2022 Long distance rail AVE was renamed Long distance rail High Speed, including AVE, AVLO, OUIGO and IRYO.
- 3.9Base period
Not applicable
- 3.1Data description
- 4Unit of measure
- 4.1Unit of measure
Passengers.
- 4.1Unit of measure
- 5Reference period
- 5.1Reference period
The reference period is the calendar month.
Data referred to the period: Mensual A: 2023 MES: 11
- 5.1Reference period
- 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).
There is no community Regulation for this statistical operation.
This statistical operation is included in the national statistical plan.
- 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.
Through the collaboration agreements signed by the Statistics Institutes of the Autonomous Communities, there is monthly exchange of information following the requirements established to maintain statistical secrecy.
- 6.1Legal acts and other agreements
- 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.
All statistical personnel have the responsibility of maintaining statistical secrecy (art. 17.1 of the LFEP.) In the specific case of this survey, only aggregate information is disseminated, except for metropolitan transport companies, for which information is published individually.
- 7.1Confidentiality - policy
- 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
- 8.1Release calendar
- 9Frequency of dissemination
- 9.1Frequency of dissemination
The data is disseminated monthly.
- 9.1Frequency of dissemination
- 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
Survey results are disseminated monthly via a press release, and are also included in publications such as the Statistical Yearbook, Monthly Statistical Bulletin, INE Figures, etc.
The last press release disseminated and the annex tables: https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176906&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735576820
The methodology with the methodological characteritics of the staistical operation, the standardized methodological report and the PT file: https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176906&menu=metodologia&idp=1254735576820
- 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.
Access to tables and time series within the section "Services\Transport" on INEbase.
In 2023 the total number of accesses to the website was 107,401.
- 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 survey does not disseminate microdata.
- 10.5Other
Via the Dissemination Area of the INE, the interested users may request specific use of customised information, which shall be made maintaining the confidentiality of the data at all times.
- 10.6Documentation on methodology
A detailed description may be viewed here.
The metadata completeness rate is AC3 = 100% and in 2023 the number of queries to the standardized methodological report was AC2 = 992 - 10.7Quality documentation
This standardized methodological report contains, in fields 10.6 to 10.7, the elements of what constitutes the "User-oriented quality report" for this operation.
- 10.1News release
- 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.
Passenger Transport Statistics are carried out according to European Community guidelines, complying with the Code of Practice implemented by Eurostat and taking the necessary measures so that the published indicators meet all the quality requirements.
Quality controls and data editing take place throughout the whole process. Data collection can be carried out with an
e-questionnaire that detects invalid values, restrains the values of the variables and includes edits and workflows while the
respondent fills in the questionnaire.To reduce the non-response rate the sampled units are contacted by mail and/or telephone
during the data collection period. Sampled units can be fined if they don't fulfil their statistical obligations.
- 11.2Quality assessment
The Passenger Transport Statistics constitute a high-level product. The sample size provides information up to Autonomous Community level for urban transport and the methodology used allows giving an extremely valuable measure on passenger transport, which no other statistical source provides with the same level of detail.
Regarding the limitations of the survey, it is important to point out those that are inherent to statistical sampling, such as non-response and the sampling errors or variation coefficients of the estimates. In both cases, they remain within reasonable limits.
Similarly, the quality criteria collected in article 12, section 1, of (EU) European Parliament and Council Regulation number 223/2009, establishes: pertinence, precision, current nature, timeliness, accessibility, clarity, comparability and coherence.
- 11.1Quality assurance
- 12Relevance
- 12.1User needs
In January 2009, at the request of an association of the guild, information is provided regarding inter-city transport by bus and distance, distinguishing between long, regional and suburban distances. The results of these statistics are also useful for negotiations between the authorities that grant the concessions and the bus companies that take part in them.
Since January 2015 at the request of RENFE, the data for the Long- distance inter-city rail transport is broken-down in AVE and Rest of Long distance.
Since January 2017, at the request of a user, the air passengers are broken-down into mainland Spain, between mainland and the rest of the territory and inter-island.
Since January 2022 Long- distance rail transport AVE was renamed Long- distance rail transport High Speed, including AVE, AVLO, OUIGO and IRYO.
At an overall level, these statistics cover the needs of information of the different groups of users:
- Ministries and other public bodies.
- Territorial administrations (Autonomous Communities, municipal councils, etc.).
- Companies and non-profit institutions.
- Guild Associations.
- Researchers and universities.
- Individuals.
Each one of these users have different needs, according to the purpose and use they will make of the information they require.
- 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)
The degree of user satisfaction is known based on the satisfaction surveys carried out by the INE and via meetings with associations of specific sectors, in which their needs and suggestions have also been dealt with. For example, the users' need for additional information were taken into account in the contents modification of the questionnaire carried out in 2009. From that date, information is provided regarding the passengers of bus inter-city transport by distance, distinguishing among long, regional and suburban distances.
- 12.3Completeness
This statistical operation provides all the information required in the National Statistical Plan, therefore Completense Rate in 2023 is R1=100%. The collected information enables answering most of the requests received. Those that are not fulfilled provide information for possible future modifications.
- 12.1User needs
- 13Accuracy and reliability
- 13.1Overall accuracy
The sample design tries to minimise the sampling errors, and the different survey processes are aimed at eliminating or reducing, as much as possible, the errors thereof, both in the collection phase (response rate and filtering control) and in the subsequent editing and imputation phases.
- 13.2Sampling error
To measure the accuracy of this statistical operation coefficients of variation for the variable number of passenger by bus broken-down into: total, regular urban, regular interurban and special and unscheduled are disseminated. The values of the monthly coefficients of variation are available in this link.
The average annual coefficient of variation in 2023 for the national passengers by bus is A1=0.638%.
- 13.3Non-sampling error
In a continuous way in this survey, a quantitative assessment is carried out on non-sampling errors and the bias risks associated with:
- Under-coverage, over-coverage and duplicates in the framework. The annual over-coverage rate in 2023 is A2=13.7%.
- Collection tools
- Total non-response, including the causes of the non-response and the measures to reduce it.
- Partial non-response in the main variables of the statistical operation.
- Editing, encoding and imputation of data. In 2023 the annual average imputation rate is A7=18.5%
- Model used in the estimate
and the results of this measurement are analysed so as to carry out the pertinent actions to reduce the different types of errors.
An objective measurement is carried out, based on the non-response rate, which is calculated as the percentage that implies the number of units without information regarding the total of initially selected sample units (that is, minus the framework errors).
The average annual unit non-response rate in 2023 in the Passenger Trsnport Survey has been A4=18.5%.
The average annual item non-response rate in 2023 in the Passenger Trsnport Survey has been A5=18.5%.
No administrative sources are used, so A3=non aplicable.
- 13.1Overall accuracy
- 14Timeliness and punctuality
- 14.1Timeliness
On average, 40 days go by from the end of the reference month to the publishing date of provisional data.
There is no flash dissemination, so TP1=non aplicable.
- 14.2Punctuality
The data is delivered on the date announced on the publications calendar, so TP3=0.
- 14.1Timeliness
- 15Coherence and Comparability
- 15.1Comparability - geographical
The availability of a methodology, a design and a common collection process, filtering, edition and elevation in all of its geographical scope, guarantees comparability of results between the different Autonomous Communities in the case of city transport by bus, for which there is a representative sample at regional level.
- 15.2Comparability - over time
All historical series published in Passenger Transport Statistics are homogeneous, therefore comparable in time.
In January 2024 the longer comparable data series have CC2=337 elements.
- 15.3Coherence - cross domain
In the data validation, the information of other statistics is taken into account, such as, turnover corresponding to the economic activity indicators of the services sector, in order to guarantee the coherence between different related statistics.
- 15.4Coherence - internal
The coherence between the variables is contrasted in all phases of the statistical process.
- 15.1Comparability - geographical
- 16Cost and burden
- 16.1Cost and burden
The estimation of the budgetary credit necessary to finance these statistics, as foreseen in the 2024 Annual Programme, comes to a total of 240.59 thousand euros.
- 16.1Cost and burden
- 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 data is revised after a year since it is published, as the total of the information received is considered to be complete. Exceptionally, the data may be revised when detecting erroneous information corresponding to passed months and therefore of a provisional nature.
- 17.2Data revision - practice
In general, the data is revised after a year since it is published, as the total of the information received is considered to be complete.
The absolute average size of the revisions in the last 36 months, from January 2021to December 2023, is MAR=30,124 passengers, whereas the percentage which that average size of revisions entails regarding the values of the revised estimates in the same period of time is RMAR=0.232%.
- 17.1Data revision - policy
- 18Statistical processing
- 18.1Source data
To obtain the data of these statistics, the INE resorts to a survey and/or administrative sources depending on the type of transport.
- Transport by bus: the information is obtained from a survey performed on city, inter-city, special and discretional transport companies. The information is exhaustive for city transport and by sampling for inter-city, special and discretional transport. Stratified random sampling is carried out for these three types of transport. The stratification variables used for the survey are: Autonomous Community and number of wage earners. Companies with at least 200 wage earners constitute the census part and companies with less wage earners but important in terms of passenger volume for the different types of transport also belong to this stratum. The sample size is of approximately 1400 companies. The population framework is the Central Business Register. To avoid burden on companies, there is an annual rotation of the sampling part of 25% of the sample.
- Passenger transport by rail: The data is supplied by the rail operators.
- Air Transport: the information is exhaustive. The number of passengers is supplied by Civil Aviation.
- Maritime Transport: the information is exhaustive. The number of disembarked passengers is compiled based on the information provided by the State Port Authority.
- 18.2Frequency of data collection
Data collection is carried out monthly.
- 18.3Data collection
The respondent companies mainly send their data via the website, by fax or e-mail, even though it may also be provided by phone or post. On-line data collection is in average in 2023 over 88.2%.
- 18.4Data validation
Depending on the means of transmission chosen by the respondent, a first control of the incoming data is carried out so as to detect inconsistencies, duplicates, lack of information, etc. If the information is provided via the website, it is the application itself which is in charge of carrying out the first initial validation.
Validation rules are mainly established between related variables and in the same variables by comparison in time. These rules are established in different stages of the statistical process from the aforementioned online questionnaire to the last macro tabulation stage.
- 18.5Data compilation
Once the data has passed the validations, it is filtered in a centralised way, and the subsequent imputation and elevation are carried out. Once the data is elevated, it is aggregated so as to obtain the publication tables.
- 18.6Adjustment
Currently, neither calendar effect is corrected nor seasonal adjustments are carried out.
- 18.1Source data
- 19Comment
- 19.1Comment
.
- 19.1Comment