Banco de España bulk CSV files

Adapted from the Banco de España bulk CSV file manual.

Introduction

This document describes the files containing time series from statistical tables and charts published on the Banco de España website. It also explains how to use these files.

Data for the entire available sample period are provided for each series, along with metadata describing its economic concept, units, source and notes.

These files serve a broad audience, but users generally fall into two categories:

1. Users who download one or more tables to their computer to process them using a spreadsheet.
2. Users or institutions that download all or most of the information, load it into a database and combine it with other statistical data or their own information.

The files are designed for both workflows.

Banco de España organizes statistical charts and tables on its website by statistical publication or by subject. This document covers the publication classification. The Statistics section primarily uses the subject classification. Both classifications contain the same tables and download URLs.

This document focuses on publications. The next section describes the available files, their format and their content. The section on loading CSV files summarizes the required delimiters and regional settings. The annexes list the statistical publications and date formats.

The guidance in this manual applies to both classifications because they contain the same tables, organized differently.

Time series files

Files containing the time series for each publication table use the CSV (comma-separated values) format. Commas separate the fields or values in each line or record.

The decimal separator is a period (.) and the thousands separator is a space.

Two file types are available based on their content.

Catalog file

The catalog file lists all series and describes the characteristics of each series included in statistical publications.

For example, the file for all the Statistical Bulletin series is called catalogo_be.csv.

The catalog file is updated daily or quarterly, depending on the publication type.

Example: Records of the catalogo_be.csv file

"Alias de la serie","Número secuencial","Nombre de la serie/Código de la
serie","Nombre del archivo con los valores de la serie","Descripción de la
serie","Tipo de variable","Código de unidades","Exponente","Número de
decimales","Descripción de unidades y exponente","Frecuencia de la serie","Fecha
de la primera observación","Fecha de la última observación","Número de
observaciones","Título de la serie","Fuente","Notas"
"SI_1_1.1",3778094,DSPC102016VP30000_ES14A_TSC.T,"SI_1_1.csv",...
"SI_1_1.2",805995,D_1KH90101,"SI_1_1.csv",...
"SI_1_1.3",1832510,D_1KH99500_D09,"SI_1_1.csv",...

Table time series files

These files cover the entire sample period for every series in a table. There is one file for each table.

These files are updated daily whenever data for the corresponding table change.

Example: Records of a table file

"ALIAS DE LA SERIE","BE_23_A.1","BE_23_A.2","BE_23_A.3",...
"NÚMERO SECUENCIAL",3777714,3777708,3777711,...
"NOMBRE DE LA SERIE/CÓDIGO DE LA SERIE",...
"DESCRIPCIÓN DE LA SERIE",...
"DESCRIPCIÓN DE LAS UNIDADES",...
"FRECUENCIA","TRIMESTRAL","TRIMESTRAL","TRIMESTRAL",...
"MAR 1995",88400,68435,1203,...
"JUN 1995",89949,67556,1122,...
"SEP 1995",87765,68032,1046,...

File naming convention

The names of time series files follow the pattern ppccaaa.csv, where:

• pp is the publication code.
• cc is the chapter number.
• aaa is the table code.
• csv is the file extension.

For example, be0101.csv contains the series of Table 1 in Chapter 1 of the Statistical Bulletin.

Users can download all time series files for a publication in a compressed pp.zip file¹. Compressed files following the pattern ppcc.zip contain all files for a chapter.

For example, be01.zip contains all the time series files of Chapter 1 of the Statistical Bulletin.

Content of the catalog file

The catalog file has one record for each time series in the publication tables. When the same series appears in several tables, the catalog has one record for each table in which it appears. Each field describes a characteristic of the time series.

Alias de la serie (series alias)

The alias shows where a series can be found in the publication. It follows the pattern pp_c_a.o[.f].

In this pattern:

• pp: publication code.
• c: chapter number.
• a: table number or code.
• o: column number in vertical or double-entry tables, or row number in horizontal tables.
• f: row number in double-entry tables.

Each alias is unique but should not be used as a stable series identifier because it may change whenever a table is reorganized.

Número secuencial (sequential number)

Series aliases are positional and may change when tables are reorganized. To ensure that a series can always be identified, it is assigned a sequential number that remains unchanged throughout its lifetime.

Nombre de la serie/Código de la serie (API series code)

This field contains the API series code used in Banco de España databases. In tidyBdE, it is returned as Nombre_de_la_serie. Pass this column to the series_code argument of bde_series_api_latest() or bde_series_api_load(). It corresponds to the API series_list parameter.

Nombre del archivo con los valores de la serie (name of the file containing the series values)

This field gives the name of the table file that contains the series observations.

Descripción de la serie (series description)

This field summarizes the economic concept represented by the series. The title field provides additional detail.

Tipo de variable (variable type)

This field indicates whether the economic concept represented by the series is a flow, stock, average or annualized rate.

Código de unidades (unit code)

This field contains a code for the unit in which the series is expressed. The “description of units and exponent” field explains the code.

Exponente (exponent)

This field shows the power of ten by which the series values must be multiplied to obtain the units. The meaning of this number is detailed in the “description of units and exponent” field.

Número de decimales (number of decimals)

This field shows the precision with which the series is measured.

Descripción de unidades y exponente (description of units and exponent)

This field describes the unit and exponent codes.

Frecuencia (frequency)

This field reports the highest frequency at which the series appears in the table. For example, if a series appears at monthly and annual frequencies, the file reports its frequency as monthly. The available frequencies are:

• DIARIA (daily).
• LABORABLE (business days).
• MENSUAL (monthly).
• TRIMESTRAL (quarterly).
• SEMESTRAL (half-yearly).
• ANUAL (yearly).

The LABORABLE frequency covers Monday through Friday. The DIARIA frequency also includes Saturdays and Sundays.

Fecha de la primera observación (date of first observation)

This field gives the date of the first observation in the sample period covered by the series file. The date format depends on the series frequency. See Annex II: Date formats for details.

Fecha de la última observación (date of last observation)

This field gives the date of the last observation in the sample period covered by the series file. The date format depends on the series frequency. See Annex II: Date formats for details.

Número de observaciones (number of observations)

This field gives the number of observations in the sample period covered by the series file.

Título (title)

This field describes the economic concept measured or represented by the series. It complements the description field and consists of character strings separated by /.

Fuente (source)

This field describes the original source of the series and consists of character strings separated by /.

Notas (notes)

This field contains general comments on how the series was compiled or on particular observations. It consists of character strings separated by /.

Content of files with series values

Files with series values contain six header lines identifying the series, one line of values for each date in the sample period and two final lines containing the source and notes.

Header lines

The six header lines contain:

1. Series aliases.
2. Sequential numbers.
3. API series code.
4. Series description.
5. Description of units.
6. Frequency.

Value lines

Each line contains values for one date of the sample period. Values are expressed using the number of decimals specified in the catalog file.

When data are not available, symbols are used instead of values:

• _: The phenomenon in question does not exist.
• ...: Data are not available.

Last lines

The final lines contain:

• Source.
• Notes.

Loading CSV files

CSV files are generated using:

• Decimal separator: period (.).
• Thousands separator: blank space.
• List separator: comma (,).

If regional settings differ from these conventions, values may not be loaded correctly.

Catalog metadata can be used to locate series by searching for specific characteristics.

For example, searching for text in the title field helps identify the file that contains the corresponding series values.

Annex I: Statistical publications

Annex II: Date formats