National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE)

General Sub-directorate for Labour Market Statistics

The Adult Education Survey (AES) covers adults’ participation in education and training (formal - FED, non-formal - NFE and informal learning - INF). The 2022 AES focuses on people aged 18-69. The reference period for the participation in education and training is the twelve months prior to the interview.

Information available from the AES is grouped around the following topics:

• Participation in formal education, non-formal education and training and informal learning
• Volume of instruction hours
• Characteristics of the learning activities
• Reasons for participating
• Obstacles to participation
• Access to information on learning possibilities and guidance
• Employer financing and costs of learning
• Self-reported language skills

For further information see the 2022 AES legislation (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/legislation) and the 2022 AES implementation manual (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/methodology).

- Classification of Learning Activities (CLA, 2016 edition)
- International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011)
- Classification of Occupations 2008 (ISCO 08)
- Classification of economic activities Rev. 2 (NACE Rev. 2)

AES covers all economic sectors.

Definitions as well as the list of variables covered are available in the 2022 AES implementation manual (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/methodology).

Individuals, non-formal learning activities.

Individuals aged 18-69 living in private households.

The geographical scope is the whole Spanish territory.

In accordance with EU regulations, the survey is carried out every six years.

The previous survey results are from 2007, 2011 and 2016.

Not applicable.

Number, EUR.

The reference period or time scope for studying involvement in learning activities that has been considered most convenient is one year, considering the twelve months prior to the interview.

Data collection period: 28/04/2023 - 21/07/2023

At European level:

Basic legal act: Regulation (EU) 2019/1700

Implementing act: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/861

At national level:

No specific national legislation.

Not applicable.

Law 12/1989, of 9 May, on the Public Statistical Function, obliges the INE not to disseminate personal data under any circumstances, regardless of their origin. Personal data are understood to be those referring to natural or legal persons that either allow the immediate identification of the data subjects, or lead, due to their structure, content or degree of disaggregation, to their indirect identification. Furthermore, Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics provides for the need to establish common principles and guidelines to ensure the confidentiality of the data used to produce European statistics and access to such confidential data, taking into account technical progress and user needs in a democratic society.

The INE adopts the necessary logical, physical and administrative measures so that the protection of confidential data is effective, from data collection to publication.

A legal clause is included in the survey questionnaires that informs of the protection that protects the data collected.

In the information processing phases, data allowing direct identification are only kept for as long as they are strictly necessary to guarantee the quality of the processes.

In the publication of results tables, the detail of the information is analysed in order to avoid that confidential data can be deduced from the statistical units. In the cases in which microdata files are disseminated, these are always anonymised.

This survey has been published on the INE website on 20 November 2023.

This survey has been published on the INE website on 20 November 2023.

The data is disseminated simultaneously according to the publication calendar to all interested parties, in most cases accompanied by a press release. At the same time the data is published on the INE website (www.ine.es). Tailor-made requests are also sent to registered users. Some users may receive information under embargo as specified in the European Statistics Code of Practice.

Every 6 years.

https://www.ine.es/en/prensa/eada_2022_en.pdf

No special publication.

No online database for AES.

Not applicable.

None.

https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176759&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735573113 

Not applicable.

This quality report.

Not applicable.

See https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176759&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735573113.

For AES 2022, a series of measures have been implemented to help ensure the process and quality of the results. These include the following:

• Data collection through the CAPI, CATI or CAWI application with the implementation of errors and warnings for inconsistency between survey responses, in order to carry out the first filtering in the same dwelling where the information is obtained.
• Specific training for interviewers.
• Revision of question codes (studies, activity and occupation).
• Centralised checking of errors and warnings in the collection to confirm the correct functioning of the applications and avoid systemic errors in the collection.
• Use of the STRUVAL/CONVAL check tool provided by Eurostat to check for inconsistencies, i.e. the survey is subject to a double check, that of the INE itself and that provided by Eurostat.

An important point to note is that, by regulation, the survey does not admit proxy response, which is only available in the event of the inability to answer.

On the other hand, the harmonised methodology in EU countries allows us to offer quality comparisons at an international level. The results by Autonomous Community are also comparable due to the size of the sample.

The AES 2022 is considered to be of high quality. Its sample size allows it to provide indicators with reasonable sampling errors. The harmonised methodology used allows for reliable comparisons at an international level and provides an extremely valuable, linked and integrated measure of adult learning activities, including socio-demographic information (educational level, type of household, etc.) that no other statistical source provides with these conceptual details.

Statistical information on adult learning activities in the AES 2022 can be compared with other important sources on educational statistics from administrative records such as student registration.

With regard to the survey limitations, it is important to note those that are inherent to statistical sampling operations, such as non-response and sampling errors or variation coefficients of the estimates mentioned above. In both cases, they remain within reasonable limits.

On the other hand, partial non-response in some economic variables, as occurs with the variable that collects household income, remains within the limits of other social surveys.

At an international level, the main user of the survey is the European Commission (DG EAC), as well as other international organisations (CEDEFOP, OECD, etc). Due to the number of requests, the universities and foreign organisations that request the European microdata from Eurostat are also of special relevance.

The users of the survey at national level are the ministries, public bodies and autonomous communities, meeting their information needs as far as possible.

Other national users to be taken into account are universities, researchers, private companies and foundations.

At the national level there is no specific user satisfaction survey for the AES; however, the INE user satisfaction surveys indicate the level of satisfaction of the group of users of social statistics.

At the international level, and within the Task Force in charge of preparing the 2011 survey, a satisfaction survey was carried out among the main users at the European level (DG for Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, DG Education and Culture, CEDEFOP, ...). The conclusions were taken into account in the preparation of the AES 2011. The AES 2022 is a continuation of the previous ones.

The survey provides complete information on the variables that the EU regulation considers to be mandatory.

The rate of available mandatory statistical results is equal to 100%.

Not applicable.

The sample design is aimed at minimising sampling errors and the different processes that make up the survey are aimed at reducing non-sampling errors, both in the collection phase and in the subsequent filtering and imputing phases.

Calibration techniques have also been applied to reduce bias due to non-response.

The framework for sample selection was the most updated georeferenced address framework (GAD) at the date of sample selection.

See also item 18.1 below.

See table 13.2.1 “Sampling errors - indicators for 2022 AES key statistics” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

See items 13.3.1 - 13.3.5 below.

For the AES, the coverage error responds to an over-coverage error, which covers cases in which the person selected from the household is in a different age range to the one under study. In this case there are no other cases of coverage error. For details see 13.3.1.1.

See table 13.3.1.1 “Over-coverage - rate” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

The measurement error does not apply in this survey, as proxies are not accepted.

The non-response rate responds to the failure in contacting the individuals. The results for the different types of non-response rates can be found in 13.3.3.1 and 13.3.3.2.

See table 13.3.3.1 “Unit non-response - rate” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

See table 13.3.3.2 “Item non-response rate” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

No particular errors to report. See also item 18.4 below.

Not applicable.

The time interval between the end of the data collection period (21/07/2023) and the publication date of the final results was about 4 months.

T + 4 months

T + 4 months

See table 14.2 “Project phases - dates” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

See table 15.1 “Deviations from 2022 AES concepts and definitions” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Some additional variables/information related to COVID-19 were collected, see table 15.1 “Deviations from 2022 AES concepts and definitions” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Data from this survey has been published in 2007, 2011, 2016 and 2022, so the number of comparable years in the time series is 4. From 2011, the survey is obligatory according to EU regulations and data will be published every 6 years.

Temporal comparability is partially limited by the change in the classifications used (CLA 2016, ISCED 2011) and by the new educational laws (LOE - Organic Law on Education, LOMCE - Organic Law on Improving the Quality of Education, LOMLOE (Organic Law Amending the LOE). It is also influenced by the economic situation of the survey reference period.

See also table 15.2 “Comparability - over time” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

The AES follows the concepts and definitions established by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat). There are other sources of information on educational level or involvement in education and training in Spain, such as the Labour Force Survey or statistics on students enrolled in the formal education system by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. The results from these sources are different to the results obtained from the AES, as a result of their different nature and the methodology applied in each case.

The comparison between these figures provides a similar pattern in their evolution over time, but also shows some discrepancies in the estimates.

However, the use of the various results provided by the different statistical sources does not indicate a coherence problem, but rather presents measurements of reality from different points of view.

See table 15.3 “Coherence - cross-domain” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

AES results for a given data collection round are based on the same microdata and results are calculated using the same estimation methods, therefore the data are internally coherent.

The estimated budget appropriation necessary to finance this statistic, foreseen in the 2023 annual program, is 1,012.67 thousand euros.

The average interview time is estimated at 19.78 minutes. In order to reduce the burden on respondents, the following measures were taken:

• implementation of CAPI, CATI and CAWI questionnaires
• elimination of existing variables in the 2016 AES that were considered non-essential by the main users

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

The framework for sample selection was the most updated geo-referenced address framework (GAD) at the date of sample selection.

For the AES 2022, an independent sample has been designed for each autonomous community, since the objective of the survey is to provide reliable estimates at this level of disaggregation.

The type of sampling used in the selection of the sample has been a two-stage stratified sample.

The stratification criterion used was the size of the municipality to which the section belongs, as well as the main socio-demographic characteristics of the section.

The persons in each section were selected by systematic sampling with random start.

The decision on the sample size was established to comply, on the one hand, with the precision requirements contained in Regulation (EU) no. 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and the Council that regulates this survey at Community level, and on the other hand, with the objectives of providing reliable data for each autonomous community.

According to the above, the effective sample size (= net sample) should be around 20,000 people, so that according to the incidences in other similar surveys, as well as the different behaviour of the autonomous communities, the theoretical sample size (= gross sample) was set at around 34,000 people.

The distribution of the sample among the autonomous communities has been made taking into account the different size of the communities and the commitment of each one of them.

See also table 18.1 “Source data” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Every 6 years.

The data collection was carried out by a company external to the INE by means of a multichannel procedure. Collaboration was requested through a web questionnaire (CAWI), for which the selected person had one week to complete the questionnaire in full, followed by a telephone appeal phase with the possibility of a telephone interview (CATI) and finally a personal interview with an electronic questionnaire on a laptop computer (CAPI) for those persons who had not collaborated at the time of implementing this collection method. During the visit to the dwelling, the interviewer requests the necessary information to complete the electronic questionnaire. The interview could be supplemented, if necessary, with telephone calls to complete omitted data or correct erroneous data.

The interview ‘proxy’ was not accepted (for another person to provide data on the selected person) but it was allowed, in the event of the selected person's inability to respond, for another person to help them provide the information.

See also table 18.1 “Source data” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

The computer application for data collection was prepared by the external company, both for CAWI and for CATI and CAPI, and included all the rules for monitoring the questionnaire completion flow as well as all the controls and rules for detecting inconsistencies that the promoting service considered appropriate, so that, at the time of completing the questionnaire, it was considered filtered and only lacking in a coding for the INE to consider it valid.

The necessary coding, both for the CAWI part and the CATI or CAPI part, was carried out by the same company in charge of the data collection.

In the promoting unit, the filtering was revised by means of the ATINE programme, processed by the Sub-directorate General for ICT (SGTIC) of the INE, which allows the control of the survey flow as well as errors in range and inconsistency. The correct allocation of the educational attainment level was also reviewed and it was ensured that the coding that was accurate.

No automatic imputation was applied to partial non-response. All the variables had to be completed and all the established controls had to be fulfilled for the questionnaire to be considered valid. However, following the guidelines of the European questionnaire, almost all the questions allowed the option of do not know/no answer.

To estimate all the characteristics of the sample, reason estimators have been used to which calibration techniques are applied, taking the age groups and sex of the population of the Autonomous Community, total population from 18 to 69 years of the province and nationality (Spanish and foreign) as auxiliary variables.

See table 18.5.1 “Imputation - rate” in annex “ES - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

None.