In terms of numbers and proportions of Basque speakers, the last two decades have seen gains in numbers and proportions in nearly all of the periphery of the Spanish Basque Country. In the central areas of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa and in Lapurdi, there are more Basque speakers but they have declined in proportional terms, while in Basse Navarre and Zuberoa there have been losses at both levels.
In the Basque Country, the educational level of the population from 25 to 64 years old rose considerably from 2002 to 2023, with less people with no education or with education below secondary level, and more people completing secondary and tertiary education. The Basque Country exceeds the average educational level of the European Union, with 52.7% of tertiary education, second only to Ireland.
In 2023 the Basque Country recorded an activity rate of 75.7%, above the European average (75.0%). The Swiss and Dutch regions have activity rates above 80%, while some regions of Turkey and French Guadeloupe are lower (51%-52%). The Basque Country is in between.
The women’s activity rate is 72.3%, above the European average (70.2%). Like in the Basque Country, the women’s employment rate throughout Europe is below the overall rate, with the exception of Kymenlaakso in Finland.
The activity rate in the Basque Country has risen over the last two decades, from 52.7% in 1999 to 75.7% in 2023. The women’s rate rose from 36.8% to 72.3%, and the men’s rate from 77.1% to 79.2%, so reducing gender inequalities. The youth activity rate, on the other hand, fell from 36.8% to 32.9%, while that for people from 55 to 64 years old rose from 34.9% to 69.4%, with participation by older workers rising.
In 2023 the Basque Country had an employment rate from 15 to 64 years old of 75.7%, higher than the European average (75.0%). It has always stood at a higher level. The women’s employment rate stands at 72.3%, above the average for women across the EU27. However, it is lower than employment rates in northern European countries, especially Iceland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. While the gap between women and men has shrunk, it is still 6.9 points. The youth employment rate has varied, and the employment rate for people from 55 to 64 years old has displayed a positive trend.
In terms of unemployment, while the Basque Country is better-off than Spain and Greece, it is above the European average and there are many regions and states in more favourable situations.
From 1999 to 2023, the overall unemployment rate in the Basque Country fell from 12.6% to 8.1%, peaking at 16.2% in 2013. Looking at unemployment rates in the Basque Country and Europe, the figure of 8.1% in the former in 2023 is above the EU27 average (6.1%) and is among the regions with higher rates; after Ceuta and Melilla, the regions with the highest unemployment rates in Europe are Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Île de France, Andalusia in Spain and the Campania region in Italy. By states, Bosnia (13.2%), Spain (12.2%) and Greece (11.1%) are the countries with the highest unemployment, while countries like Poland (2.8%), the Czech Republic (2.6%), Germany (3.1%) and Iceland (3.5%) have very low unemployment rates.
The youth unemployment rate (age 15-24) in the Basque Country is 23.6%, similar to the regions with the highest figures in Spain, Greece and Italy; in comparison, the Czech Republic and Germany have an unemployment rate of less than 6%. The youth unemployment rate peaked at 26.6% in 1999 and had fallen to 23.6% by 2023, which is still high in comparison to European figures. The women’s unemployment rate fell from 19.4% to 8.9% and that for men from 8.1% to 7.5%, reducing the gender gap.
In general terms, the CPI has risen in the Basque Country and in the main European states. However, the price index in the Basque Country remains lower than the European average, and prices in several European countries, especially in the Balkans and the Baltic states, are higher. However, the trend remains positive, as it has increased in recent years.
The Basque Country had a risk-of-poverty rate of 16.2% in 2023. In 2015 it fell from 17.2% to 12.8%, increasing slightly from 2019 onwards. Among European regions, the three with the highest risk of poverty are Guyana (60.3%), Calabria (48.6%) and Southeast Romania (45.3%), while those with the lowest risk of poverty are South Tyrol (5.8%), Emilia Romana (7.4%) and the capital of Poland, Warsaw (8.9%). The Basque Country is far from having the highest risk, but in comparison with the regions with the lowest risk of poverty, it has room for improvement. the average across the European Union is 21.3%, while in Spain the figure is 26.5%, while Finland and Norway stand at 15.8%.
Between 2010 and 2019, the Basque Country devoted a similar percentage of GDP to spending on social protection, going from 23.8% to 24.3%. However, the European Union average (28%) and those in countries such as Denmark (31.7%) and Germany (30%) are higher than the figures in the Basque Country. In 2019 the Basque Country still had a rate of 24.3%, a similar level to Spain (24.1%) and Greece (25.4%), but far from the average for the European Union and countries like France (33.4%) and Finland (30.1%).