Industrial activity in the A.C. of the Basque Country in 2004 registered 2.5% real growth with respect to the results for 2003. For the second year running there was an improvement on the previous year; in 2002 industry underwent 0.9% growth, in 2003 this rate came to 1.2% and in 2004 it doubled, rising to 2.5%. In comparison with the State as a whole, and taking industry without energy in order to make the comparison, growth in the A.C. of the Basque Country (1.9%) was more than one and a half points higher than that of the State (0..3%).

The performance of the annual evolution of industry differed for each of the three provinces of the A.C. of the Basque Country. The highest growth was in Álava, whose rate was 5.5%; Gipuzkoa occupied the middle position with a 1.9% increase and Bizkaia came third with a rate of 1.5%.

2004 saw the creation of almost 800 industrial jobs, 0.3% more than the previous year, but variation rates fall year after year. The growth of industrial output compared to employment improved productivity levels, which had been diminishing since 2000.

From a more detailed sectorial viewpoint, the most outstanding value added growth rates among the major industrial sectors were Transport Material (7.6%), Machinery (8.6%), Rubber and plastic (10,0%), Electric Material (9,4%) and Paper, printing and graphic arts (6.7%).

Among negative rates for the sectors with the most weight, on the other hand, were the branches of Metallurgy and metal articles (-6.4%) and Food industry (-1,7%). These two sectors accounted for 37% of industry in 2004.