INE and CaixaBank: what the 2026 banking data agreement means for businesses and households

Key data

For the first time in Spain, the INE will use real banking transaction data to build official statistics. The agreement signed with CaixaBank on 21 September 2026 is not a personal data exchange: it operates exclusively with anonymized and irreversibly aggregated information. But its scope goes beyond a bilateral agreement: it is the first practical application in Spain of Regulation (EU) 2024/3018, which requires private data holders to provide information for the production of European statistics.

The agreement is framed within the National Statistical Plan 2025-2028 and has an exploratory nature: if the methodological results are satisfactory, it could lead to a second phase of broader collaboration, potentially extensible to other banking entities.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement defines with precision what data CaixaBank cedes to the INE and what it will be used for. Below is the complete detail of the data covered by the agreement:

A key technical element of the agreement is the analysis of correspondence between MCC codes (Merchant Category Codes, the codes that classify the type of commerce in each card transaction) and the COICOP classification (Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose, the international standard for categorizing household spending). This methodological work will allow the INE to categorize household spending with greater detail and precision than with traditional surveys.

The methodological results of the project will be shared between the INE and CaixaBank. In no case is the identification of natural persons permitted based on the data provided.

Economic and operational impact

The agreement has no direct economic cost for either party. CaixaBank receives no economic consideration and the INE pays no fee for access to the data.

However, the operational and strategic impact is relevant in several areas:

• For the banking sector as a whole: This agreement is the first case of practical application in Spain of Regulation (EU) 2024/3018. This regulation establishes the obligation of private data holders to provide information for European statistics. What is voluntary for CaixaBank today could become mandatory for the rest of the financial sector in later phases.
• For statistical quality: Statistics such as Quarterly National Accounts and the Household Budget Survey will gain in frequency and granularity, which affects economic policy decisions, market analysis and sectoral benchmarking used by businesses and consultancies.
• For corporate privacy: The agreement establishes a model of irreversible anonymization and aggregation that could become standard for future agreements with other financial entities or sectors.

Who does it affect?

• CaixaBank, SA: Signatory party to the agreement. Cedes anonymized data and receives in return the methodological results of the project.
• INE (National Institute of Statistics): Organization receiving the data and responsible for statistical production.
• Rest of the Spanish banking sector: Although not parties to the agreement, Regulation (EU) 2024/3018 may require them to cede similar data in the future. This agreement sets the operational model.
• Spanish households: They are indirect statistical subjects. Their transactions, once anonymized and aggregated, will feed national statistics. There is no risk of individual identification according to the terms of the agreement.
• Businesses using official statistics: Consultancies, economic analysis departments, CFOs and executives who base decisions on National Accounts or the Household Budget Survey will see the quality of that data improve.

Practical example

Imagine a strategy department of a retail distribution chain that uses the INE's Household Budget Survey to estimate the evolution of food spending by income segments.

Until now, that survey is based on household declarations, with the memory and declaration biases that implies. With the new model, the INE will be able to cross that data with real card transactions classified by MCC code (for example, the MCC corresponding to supermarkets and food) and translate them into COICOP categories (for example, "Food and non-alcoholic beverages").

The result: more frequent, more accurate statistics with greater geographic or demographic disaggregation. For that strategy department, this means more reliable benchmarks and expansion or assortment decisions better founded, with no additional cost or adaptation obligation on their part.

What should businesses do now?

1. If you are a banking or financial entity: Analyze Regulation (EU) 2024/3018 with your legal team. This agreement is the pilot; the obligation to cede data for European statistics may extend to the rest of the sector. Evaluate what data you could be required to provide and under what anonymization conditions.
2. If you are a DPO or privacy officer at a bank: Review the anonymization protocols and irreversibility of aggregation required by the agreement. They could become the reference regulatory standard for future INE or Eurostat requirements.
3. If you use INE statistics for business decisions: Anticipate that Quarterly National Accounts and the Household Budget Survey will improve in quality and detail. Update your analysis models when the INE publishes the first results derived from this methodology.
4. If you are an economic advisor or consultant: Monitor whether the INE announces a second phase of the agreement or similar agreements with other entities. This will indicate the pace of implementation of Regulation (EU) 2024/3018 in Spain.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-20252