INE / The National Statistics Institute

The National Statistics Institute is a legally independent administrative Autonomous institution assigned to the Ministry of Economy and Finances via the Secretary of State for the Economy. It is basically governed by Law 12/1989 of 9 May, on Public Statistics Function, that regulates Statistics activity for state purposes which is the exclusive competence of the State and by the Statute approved by Royal Decree 508/2001 of 11 May and modified by Royal Decree 947/2003 of 18 July, Royal Decree 759/2005, of 24 June and Royal Decree 950/2009, of 5 June.

The Law assigns the National Statistics Institute an important role in public statistic activity, expressly placing it in charge of large scale statistical operations (demographic and economic censuses, national accounts, demographic and social statistics, economic and social indicators, coordination and maintenance of company directories Electoral Census training...)

Moreover, the law attributes the INE with the following functions: formulation of the National Statistics Plan with the collaboration of Ministerial Departments and the Bank of Spain; the proposal of common regulations on concepts, statistical units, classifications and codes; and relations on statistics with specialised International Institutions and in particular, with the European Union Statistics Office (EUROSTAT).

Moreover, there are other collegiate bodies with significant competences in statistical matter as: the Higher Statistics Council, the Interministerial Statistics Commission, the Electoral Register Council and the Interterritorial Statistics Committee. In all of them the INE plays an important role.