In Spain there are a series of statistical gaps that, after many years, are still not resolved. Although statistics are a detestable subject for many students, their importance at the national level is crucial, even if public managers do not take them as seriously as one would like.
A few years ago, Minister Solbes asked me a question when designing the basic income for emancipation in the Ministry of Housing, and it was whether we knew the exact number of people who lived in rental accommodation, given that this was crucial data for budgeting the necessary quantity. It was with great shame that I answered no, that we only dealt with surveys, such as the Living Conditions Survey, as imprecise as they were sterile for knowing the reality of the rental market in Spain. Today, we are still practically in the dark in this area, both in terms of people who live in rental accommodation and in terms of real prices. The State, which has abandoned statistical functions in this area, and pays large sums of money for biased data to companies such as Idealista, a entrance hall recognized in this field.
