This section presents some figures which help us to measure the socio-economic situation in Basque Country.
112
In 2008 workplace accidents
caused one death every
three days; a total of 112 workers
were killed. Although
this was a lower number than
in 2007 (117), the figures are
similar to previous years. The
number of work-related deaths
in the Basque Country,
according to territory, was 18
in Araba, 44 in Bizkaia, 27 in Gipuzkoa, 5 in The North Basque
Country and 18 in Nafarroa Garaia.
Source: LAB trade union.
40,000
In The South Basque Country the unemployment rate was 8.3%. As of the
fourth quarter of 2007 there were 40,000 more unemployed workers in The
South Basque Country - in other
words a total of 113,700 people out
of work. Growth, on the other hand,
was 2.9%. Despite the fact that on
the whole, the proportion of men to
women is equal, the unemployment
rate for men is 62.5% whilst it is
37.5% for women.
Source: ELA trade union. Informe del Análisis
de la Situación, Nº 112.
9%
The Basque Country's
energy self-sufficiency
is only 9%, and
so the remaining 91%
is imported. Araba,
Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa
produce around 5%,
Nafarroa Garaia produces 15% and Lapurdi, Zuberoa and Nafarroa
Beherea produce approximately 7%. On the other hand the rate of
the self-supply rate is around 7% in the Basque Country and 50% in
the European Union.
Source: Bueno Gorka (2008), Energia urriko mundu baterako gida,
Manu Robles-Arangiz Institutua.
133.3%
Exporting goods and services continues to play a
major role in the economy of the Basque Country. Over
the 2006-2007 period, the external balance more than
doubled to 133.3%. This is a considerable increase given
that growth in the EU remained steady over the
same period and in the US descended a 8%. Japan, like
the Basque Country but to a lesser degree, showed a
rising trend of 31.3%.
Source: EUROSTAT, EUSTAT, Institute of Statistics of Nafarroa Garaia, INSEE.
26,282
Between 1999
and 2006, the population
of The
North Basque
Country rose by
26,282. This
growth was particularly
noticeable
on the coast. Given this, in recent years the economic development
of The North Basque Country has been significantly linked
to the coast and to tourism. This is the case of the area of Baiona-
Angelu-Biarritz. Over this period, there was growth of 106.3%.
In June we will publish figures for all the municipalities.
Source: INSEE
655,746
In the Basque Country
there are 655,746pensioners
making up 21.65% of
the population: 61,324 in
Araba, 257,044in Bizkaia,
162,846 in Gipuzkoa,
58,947 in The North Basque
Country and 115,585
in Nafarroa Garaia. The
average pension is €876.24 . The highest is €912.74 and corresponds
to Bizkaia, and the lowest is €800, in The North Basque
Country.
Source: Barrenetxea Sandra, Elorriaga Iñaki, Ruiz de Pinedo Iñaki (2008),
Estudio sobre las condiciones de vida de las personas mayores y pensionistas,
Ipar-Hegoa Fundazioa, Bilbo.
10.43%
The GDP of the Basque Country in terms of spending
power increased by 10.43% over the period 2004-2005,
considerably more than in surrounding countries and other
parts of the world. The wealth of the Basque Country
differs by 7 points from that of the EU (3.7%), the USA
(4.6%) and Japan (3.6%).These figures will have to be monitored
in the years to come to measure the effect of the
crisis.
Source: EUROSTAT, EUSTAT
75.88%
75.88% of people over the age of 60 who live alone in the Basque Country
are women. The largest proportion of women living alone occurs in Bizkaia,
with 77.88%. The lowest proportion is in Nafarroa Beherea, with 62.26%. This
means that Nafarroa Beherea has the highest proportion of men over 60 living
alone.
Source: Barrenetxea Sandra, Elorriaga Iñaki, Ruiz de Pinedo Iñaki (2008), Estudio sobre las condiciones de vida
de las personas mayores y pensionistas, Ipar-Hegoa Fundazioa, Bilbo. Urtea 2001/1999 (Iparraldea)
3.67%
In 2007, the unemployment rate
in the Basque Country stood at
3.67%, a drop of 52.9% since 2005.
This differs markedly from other
countries. While in the EU, the US
and Japan growth remained steady
at 80-88% over these years, in the
Basque Country it rose by 47%.
Source: EUROSTAT, EUSTAT.
251,970
In 2006 there were
251,970 establishments
in the Basque Country.
Three quarters of these
were in Araba, Bizkaia
and Gipuzkoa, twenty
per cent in Nafarroa Garaia,
and the remaining
seven per cent in The
North Basque Country. If
we examine the figures in
terms of numbers of workers, most of these establishments in all territories
employ only 1 or 2 people - 59.4% in The North Basque Country,
77% in Nafarroa Garaia and 74.4% in Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa.
Source: EUSTAT, INE, INSEE.
1,749.5
Over a ten-year
period (1995-2006),
Araba, Bizkaia and
Gipuzkoa were the
main supplier's for
Nafarroa Garaia's
economy, accounting
for 25.8% and
an average of
€1,749.5 million.
These three territories remain Nafarroa Garaia’s principal suppliers
with 34.6%. Furthermore, over the 2005-2006 period the
figure increased by nearly 3%. The flow of tradebetween the
Basque Country's different territories is significant for the upkeep
of the local economy and for the cohesion of our country.
Source: www.c-interg.es
From 74% till
132%
Over the period 1999-2006, house prices rose by 58%. The largest
increments took place in The South Basque Country: Araba, Bizkaia and
Gipuzkoa evidenced the greatest increases (the price per square metre
rose from €1,569 to €3,646), followed by Nafarroa Garaia (from €1,654
to €2,871), though in the latter case the percentage rise was lower than
in The South Basque Country.
Source: MEEDAT/SESP, EPLS (various years). The figures are provided by the department of Aquitaine;
Department of Environment, Town and Country Planning and Housing of Nafarroa Garaia, the Spanish
Ministry of Housing; the Department of Housing and Social Affairs of the Basque Government. Survey
of the property market (various years).
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