Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
The Services Sector Production Index (SSPI) is a volume index whose purpose is to measure the short-term evolution of the added value. The periodicity of this indicator is monthly..
The results are presented in the form of indices to measure variations with respect to the 2021 base year.
3.2. Classification system
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Communities (NACE Rev.2).
3.3. Coverage - sector
Sections of the CNAE-2009:
H: Transport and storage
I: Hospitality
J: Information and communications
L: Real estate activities
M: Professional, scientific and technical activities (except M70.1: Activities of head offices, M72: R&D activities, and M75: Veterinary activities)
N: Administrative and support services activities
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2020/1197
Variable 140101: Production (volume)
Production in short term business statistics is required as an index. The production volume index is the reference indicator for economic development and it is used in particular to identify turning points in economic development, at an early stage. It should be presented in the form of a Laspeyres type index, comparing the current volume of production to the corresponding volume of production in the base period.
Theoretical target of the production volume index:
In the view of business cycle statistics, own output should be measured. The terms ‘production’ or ‘output’ in the sense of business cycle statistics do not include inputs from other units.
The objective of the production volume index is therefore to measure changes in the volume of value added at close and regular intervals.
The changes in volume of value added measured should in general approximate the added value measured by the National Accounts concepts of value added.
Principles for the calculation of the production volume index:
Data necessary for compilation of index as defined by theoretical target are usually not available on a monthly basis.
Therefore, value added at basic prices is calculated only for the base period especially for updating the weights. If value added at basic prices is not available, gross value added at factor cost may be used as a proxy.
The monthly continuation of value added in base period is done by suitable proxy values.
Calculation of the proxy values for continuation. Suitable proxy values for the continuation of the indices are:
continuation with gross production values (deflated),
continuation with volumes,
continuation with turnover (deflated),
continuation with work input,
continuation with raw material input,
continuation with energy input.
The correlation of these proxy measures with the development of added value may differ depending on the market activity. For each market activity a proxy with a high correlation should be chosen.
The proxy value used in the Services Sector Production Index calculation is the Services Sector Price Index: Continuation with turnover (deflated).
3.5. Statistical unit
The Regulation EBS 2152_2019 establishes the Kind of Activity Unit as the statistical unit in short-term statistics.
3.6. Statistical population
The Service Sector Production Index studies the population comprising the companies whose main activity is described in sections H (Transport and Storage), I (Hospitality), J (Information and Communications), L (Real Estate Activities), M (Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities), except M70.1: Activities of head offices, M72: R&D activities, and M75: Veterinary activities) and N (Administrative and Support Service Activities) of the National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE-09).
3.7. Reference area
The geographical scope includes all the statistical units located within the territory of the Spanish State except Ceuta and Melilla.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Records begin in January 2021, which is the first mandatory period, according to the EU regulation.
3.9. Base period
The base period is the year 2021.
Indices: unadjusted, calendar adjusted, and seasonally adjusted and rates of change (monthly, yearly, and year-to-date average)
The reference period is the month.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal 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).
THE REGULATION (EU) 2019/2152 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 November 2019 with regard to the European corporate statistics, repealing ten legal acts in the field of business statistics, known as the EBS Regulation (European Business Statistics Regulation, EBS-R)
ENFORCING REGULATION (EU) 2020/1197 OF THE COMMISION of 30 July 2020, whereby technical specifications are established. Annex I of this regulation includes the technical specifications for this indicator in box 6: Short-term business statistics on production (volume) and in box 7: Short-term Business Statistics on volume of sales. Box 6 shows the requirements of the Services Sector Production Index, together with those of the Industrial Production Index (IPI) and the Construction Production Index, excluding the trade sector, which is included in box 7.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data 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.
7.1. Confidentiality - 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.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
The INE provides information on the protection of confidentiality at all stages of the statistical process: INE questionnaires for the operations under 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.
8.1. Release calendar
The advance release calendar that shows the precise release dates for the coming year is disseminated in the last quarter of each year.
The data are released simultaneously according to the advance release calendar to all interested parties by issuing the press release. The data are simultaneously posted on the INE's Internet website 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
The frequency of data dissemination is monthly.
10.1. Dissemination format - News 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 on the web.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
All the information related to this indicator is published on the INE website. The following publications can be found on the website:
Press release, which highlights the components that most influence the indicator's evolution in the reference month.
Tables Annex, containing the tables attached to the press release.
Methodology, where you can consult the standardised methodological report, the statistical operations inventory sheet and the methodology.
10.3. Dissemination format - online 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 organization 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 certain sector or subject based on the individually collected data. Also included in the scope of this definition are synthesis preparation.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Many statistical operations disseminate public domain anonymised files, available free of charge for downloading on the INE website, in the microdata section.
As this is a derived statistic, no microdata are available.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Information can be requested from the INE’s customer service area. Confidentiality and accuracy are taken into account when processing these requests.
Our data are sent to Eurostat, either to be used in European aggregates or to be released also as national data.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The general methodology of the Services Sector Production Index can be accessed at this link.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
This standardised methodological report contains (in fields 10.6 to 17) the elements of what constitutes a "User-oriented quality report", for this operation.
11.1. Quality 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 15 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 Services Sector Production Index is prepared and disseminated in accordance with the European Statistics Code of Practice.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Eurostat subjects the data provided by Spain to exhaustive quality analyses. In the case of the Services Sector Production Index (as with all other operations governed by the EBS Regulation), Eurostat will carry out an annual quality assessment taking into account the criteria set out in the EBS Regulation and agreed by the Business Statistics Directors' Groups (BSDGs).
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The statistical operation of the Services Sector Production Indices meets the statistical information needs of different groups of users:
The INE itself, to compile the national accounts. Ministries and other public bodies, which use the results of this statistical operation to carry out economic analyses, predictions, develop synthetic indicators of activity, etc. Researchers and academia, companies and non-profit institutions (business study services, foundations, associations, etc.), trade unions and employers' organisations, the press and specialised media. In addition to foreign users, both institutional and private individuals. Among the former, Eurostat, the Central European Bank and the OECD stand out.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The INE has carried out general user satisfaction surveys in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 and 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)
12.3. Completeness
This statistic complies with the reporting requirements of Regulation (EC) No 2152/2019 of the European Parliament and of the Council on business statistics and its implementing act 1197/2020. It appears in the 2023 Annual Programme.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
This operation is a summary statistic, meaning that its accuracy largely depends on the sources of information used in its production, especially of the Services Sector Activity Indicators
In this regard, the sampling design seeks to minimise the sampling errors, and the various processes of the operation are directed to eliminating or reducing such errors as much as possible, both in the collection phase (response rate and filtering control) and in the subsequent editing and attribution phases.
The collection procedure, coverage control, error filtering and attribution of the lack of response enable highly reliable statistics to be obtained.
13.2. Sampling error
This operation is a summary statistic, so the concept of sampling error does not apply to it. However, it is affected indirectly by such errors, due to the fact that the Service Sector Activity Indicators are one of its inputs.
Sampling errors A1=not applicable to this statistical operation.
The standardised methodological report of the Service Sector Activity Indicators is available with the sampling errors of this survey. It can be found at the following link:
This operation is a summary statistic, meaning that its accuracy largely depends on the sources of information used in its production, especially of the Services Sector Activity Indicators.
Overcoverage rate A2=not applicable to this statistical operation
Proportion of common units when using sampling and administrative sources A3=not applicable to this statistical operation
Non-response rate per A4 unit=not applicable to this statistical operation.
Non-response rate per item A5=not applicable to this statistical operation.
Item imputation rate A7=not applicable to this statistical operation.
The SSAI standardised methodological report is available with non-sampling errors. It can be found in the following link:
The results are published approximately 50 days after the end of the reference month.
Opportunity TP1=50 days
14.2. Punctuality
Data dissemination is carried out in accordance with the structural statistics availability calendar that the INE prepares and publishes for each year.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
This is a nationally designed operation and is therefore not designed to provide regional information.
The methodological adaptation to EU regulations has made them comparable to other European Union countries, which publish this same information regarding their respective economies.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The dissemination of the SSPI begins in January 2024 and the series began in January 2021.
The number of comparable elements (CC2), as of December 2024 is:
CC2=48 (with regard to the series from January 2021 to December 2024).
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The SSPI can be considered a derivative operation that, for each sector, allows for establishing relationships between turnover, prices and production.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The IPSS is obtained as a Laspeyres index, thus ensuring internal consistency between the different levels of aggregation of the indices, from groups and divisions to sections and general index.
The budgetary appropriations necessary for its financing in 2024 amount to 38.33 thousand euros.
17.1. Data 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" (website). This review policy applies both to national and Eurostat level.
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-.
On each publication date, the data for the last fourteen months are provisional, while those for the preceding months are definitive.
The series adjusted for calendar effects and for seasonal effects are entirely revised every month.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The first time the index for a given month is published, it is provisional, it does not become definitive until fourteen months later. The SSPI is a derived statistic and the practical review of the data depends on the practical review of the statistics that serve as input: the Service Sector Activity Indicators (5 months) and the price indices used as deflators: Services Price Indices (4 quarters), Industrial Price Indices (3 months), Hotel Price Indices (12 months) and Consumer Price Indices (there are no revisions).
18.1. Source data
This operation is considered to be a derived statistic as its input are the Services Sector Activity Indicators (SSAIs) and the price indices used as deflators: Services Price Indices (SPIs), Industrial Price Indices (IPRIs), Hotel Price Indices (HPIs) and Consumer Price Indices (CPIs).
18.2. Frequency of data collection
The data collection frequency depends on the frequency of the statistics that are used as input: Services Sector Activity Indicators (monthly and the price indices used as deflators: Services Price Indices (quarterly), Industrial Price Indices (monthly), Hotel Price Indices (monthly) and Consumer Price Indices (monthly).
18.3. Data collection
All the operations that serve as input are carried out by the INE through direct collection, in the case of price indices that are used as deflators, and through direct collection via questionnaire and official administrative records in the case of Service Sector Activity Indicators.
18.4. Data validation
Since it is a derived statistic, data validation is linked to data validation of the base statistics it uses.
18.5. Data compilation
The Services Sector Production Index is a fixed-base Laspeyres index where the elementary indices and aggregate indices are defined as follows:
Elementary indices:
An elementary aggregate is the component with the lowest level of aggregation for which indices are obtained and whose calculation does not involve weights. The indices of these aggregates are called elementary or simple indices.
In the case of the Service Sector Production Index, the divisions of the sections are considered elementary aggregates: H, I, J, L, M and N of the CNAE 2009, which form part of the scope of application of the SSPI.
The elementary indices of the Production Index are obtained as the quotient between the Turnover Index of that activity and the Price Index that has been considered most appropriate to deflate each series.
Aggregate indices:
The aggregate indices are obtained as a weighted sum of the elementary indices (or intermediate aggregates) that belong to that level of aggregation, using as weights the Value Added generated in that activity or sector in the base year (2021) with respect to the Value Added generated by all the activities or sectors included in that level.
18.6. Adjustment
In addition to the original series, the SSPI disseminates the corrected indices for seasonal and calendar effects using a model-based method using the most up-to-date version of the J Demetra+ program.
Calendar effect: this is the impact that occurs in the time series of a variable due to the different structure of the months in the different years (both in length and composition), if the rest of the factors that influence that variable are held constant. To obtain a series that compares production over time homogeneously, the series is corrected taking into account the following calendar factors: working days, Easter and leap year.
Once the calendar effects are removed, the seasonal effects are removed. Seasonal fluctuations are movements that occur with similar intensity in each month and are expected to continue to occur.
Seasonally adjusted series, i.e. adjusted for seasonal and calendar effects, provide an estimate of what is "new" in a series (changes in trend, cycle, and irregular component).
The method is based on regression models with intervention variables of the three aforementioned effects.
The Services Sector Production Index (SSPI) is a volume index whose purpose is to measure the short-term evolution of the added value. The periodicity of this indicator is monthly..
The results are presented in the form of indices to measure variations with respect to the 2021 base year.
29 May 2025
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2020/1197
Variable 140101: Production (volume)
Production in short term business statistics is required as an index. The production volume index is the reference indicator for economic development and it is used in particular to identify turning points in economic development, at an early stage. It should be presented in the form of a Laspeyres type index, comparing the current volume of production to the corresponding volume of production in the base period.
Theoretical target of the production volume index:
In the view of business cycle statistics, own output should be measured. The terms ‘production’ or ‘output’ in the sense of business cycle statistics do not include inputs from other units.
The objective of the production volume index is therefore to measure changes in the volume of value added at close and regular intervals.
The changes in volume of value added measured should in general approximate the added value measured by the National Accounts concepts of value added.
Principles for the calculation of the production volume index:
Data necessary for compilation of index as defined by theoretical target are usually not available on a monthly basis.
Therefore, value added at basic prices is calculated only for the base period especially for updating the weights. If value added at basic prices is not available, gross value added at factor cost may be used as a proxy.
The monthly continuation of value added in base period is done by suitable proxy values.
Calculation of the proxy values for continuation. Suitable proxy values for the continuation of the indices are:
continuation with gross production values (deflated),
continuation with volumes,
continuation with turnover (deflated),
continuation with work input,
continuation with raw material input,
continuation with energy input.
The correlation of these proxy measures with the development of added value may differ depending on the market activity. For each market activity a proxy with a high correlation should be chosen.
The proxy value used in the Services Sector Production Index calculation is the Services Sector Price Index: Continuation with turnover (deflated).
The Regulation EBS 2152_2019 establishes the Kind of Activity Unit as the statistical unit in short-term statistics.
The Service Sector Production Index studies the population comprising the companies whose main activity is described in sections H (Transport and Storage), I (Hospitality), J (Information and Communications), L (Real Estate Activities), M (Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities), except M70.1: Activities of head offices, M72: R&D activities, and M75: Veterinary activities) and N (Administrative and Support Service Activities) of the National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE-09).
The geographical scope includes all the statistical units located within the territory of the Spanish State except Ceuta and Melilla.
The reference period is the month.
This operation is a summary statistic, meaning that its accuracy largely depends on the sources of information used in its production, especially of the Services Sector Activity Indicators
In this regard, the sampling design seeks to minimise the sampling errors, and the various processes of the operation are directed to eliminating or reducing such errors as much as possible, both in the collection phase (response rate and filtering control) and in the subsequent editing and attribution phases.
The collection procedure, coverage control, error filtering and attribution of the lack of response enable highly reliable statistics to be obtained.
Indices: unadjusted, calendar adjusted, and seasonally adjusted and rates of change (monthly, yearly, and year-to-date average)
The Services Sector Production Index is a fixed-base Laspeyres index where the elementary indices and aggregate indices are defined as follows:
Elementary indices:
An elementary aggregate is the component with the lowest level of aggregation for which indices are obtained and whose calculation does not involve weights. The indices of these aggregates are called elementary or simple indices.
In the case of the Service Sector Production Index, the divisions of the sections are considered elementary aggregates: H, I, J, L, M and N of the CNAE 2009, which form part of the scope of application of the SSPI.
The elementary indices of the Production Index are obtained as the quotient between the Turnover Index of that activity and the Price Index that has been considered most appropriate to deflate each series.
Aggregate indices:
The aggregate indices are obtained as a weighted sum of the elementary indices (or intermediate aggregates) that belong to that level of aggregation, using as weights the Value Added generated in that activity or sector in the base year (2021) with respect to the Value Added generated by all the activities or sectors included in that level.
This operation is considered to be a derived statistic as its input are the Services Sector Activity Indicators (SSAIs) and the price indices used as deflators: Services Price Indices (SPIs), Industrial Price Indices (IPRIs), Hotel Price Indices (HPIs) and Consumer Price Indices (CPIs).
The frequency of data dissemination is monthly.
The results are published approximately 50 days after the end of the reference month.
Opportunity TP1=50 days
This is a nationally designed operation and is therefore not designed to provide regional information.
The methodological adaptation to EU regulations has made them comparable to other European Union countries, which publish this same information regarding their respective economies.
The dissemination of the SSPI begins in January 2024 and the series began in January 2021.
The number of comparable elements (CC2), as of December 2024 is:
CC2=48 (with regard to the series from January 2021 to December 2024).
