According to this data, nominal growth for 2003 came to 4.7%.

The retail trade sector of the A.C. of the Basque Country increased its sales in the fourth quarter of 2003 by 4.6% in nominal terms compared to the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. This nominal growth, put into real terms, shows similarly positive inter-annual evolution of 2.6%.

The accumulated increase for 2003 came to 4.7% in nominal terms and 2.6%, once taken into account the effect of price rises.

Traditional (specialised) retail trade increased its nominal sales by 4.2% in the fourth quarter of 2003, compared to the same period of 2002. This nominal increase, once discounted the effect of price rises, came to 3% in real terms.

Retail trade in medium-sized and large stores (non-specialised) grew in the fourth quarter of the year by 5.6% in nominal terms. Once discounted the effect of price rises, there was a 1.9% variation in the inter-annual rate in relation to the previous year.

Over 2003 as a whole, traditional (specialised) retail trade increased its nominal sales by 4.1% compared to 2002. This nominal increase, put into real terms, came to 2.9% once the inflationary effect of prices had been taken into account.

Retail trade in medium-sized and large stores (non-specialised) in 2003 achieved positive evolution of 5.8% in its nominal sales. Once the effect of price rises was discounted, this annual rate variation was 2.2%, measured in constant terms.

By Province, the greatest increase in nominal sales by the retail sector for the fourth quarter of the year was in Bizkaia, where the inter-annual rise was 5.0%, due to important growth in non-specialised retail trade (6.8%); Gipuzkoa was next with a positive variation of 4.3% on the general index, while growth was somewhat more modest in Alava (3,9%). In real terms, increases were 3.1% in Bizkaia, 2.1% in Gipuzkoa and 2.0% in Alava.

As regards personnel employed in the retail sector in the fourth quarter of 2003, there was an inter-annual increase of 2.6% (with respect to the same quarter of the previous year) for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country. Growth in employment since the previous December was 2.1%, reflected provincially as follows: Gipuzkoa (2.4%), Bizkaia (2.1%) and Alava (1.2%).