Statistical Offices and research

Any study or research on economic, social and territorial subjects requires, of course, to arrange and to use data and statistical information. The article examines the present state of the production of official regional statistics in Spain and the UE. As a previous step, the author offers some interesting remarks on the advances experienced by Spain in this field, mainly from the constitution of the so-called «The State of the Autonomies» to now. The paper shows also some unsolved weaknesses and problems that would be important to solve as soon as possible. The second part of the article, surely the most substantial one, offers information on the statistical sources offered by EUROSTAT, the National Institute of Statistic of Spain, and the institutes or statistical services created by the Autonomies (Spanish regions). The subject of this contribution is, without a doubt, of high interest for all researchers who work on regional and urban matters. This is the reason why Investigaciones Regionales includes this contribution in this section. It is an updated revision of the statistical availabilities and of some problems to use them. The reader will also find references to the most interesting web sites of the different statistical institutions and some indications on its contents and possible use.