With these data, accumulated nominal growth for 2005 came to 2.8%.

The retail trade sector of the A.C. of the Basque Country increased nominal sales by 2.2% in the fourth quarter of 2005 with regard to the same period the year before, according to Eustat data. This nominal growth, discounting the effect of price rises, becomes a positive interannual evolution rate of 1.2% in real terms.

Traditional retail trade (specialized) increased nominal sales by 1.5% in the fourth quarter of 2005, wth regard to the same period in 2004. This nominal increase, as a result of the evolution of the prices of different subsectors, becomes an inter-annual growth rate of 1.7% in real terms.

Retail trade in medium and large stores (non-specialized) grew in the fourth quarter by 3.4% in nominal terms. Taking into consideration the evolution of prices, the estimated variation in the real inter-annual rate was 0.2% with regard to the same quarter of 2004.

In specialized retail trade the highest inter-annual growth corresponded to the Food sector, which registered 5.6% nominal growth and in real terms came down to 1.7%. Personal equipment, however, registered a more discrete evolution of 2.2% in current euros and the evolution was estimated to be 1.6% in constant euros. Sales of Other Consumer Goods products increased by 2.1% in nominal terms, and comes to 4.4% in real terms. Sales of Household Equipment products registered a -1.9% decrease in nominal terms and this decrease is a higher -2.3% in real terms. In the section of medium and large stores the subsectors where food premdominates increased inter-annual sales by 3.5%, while the pedominance of Other products obtained a 3.0% increase.

By Provinces, the highest growth in the fourth quarter of 2005, in retail sector nominal sales corresponded to Alava, with a 3.3% inter-annual increase, specialized retail trade sales having grown 2.0% and non-specialised another 6.0%.

Gipuzkoa had a more reduced provincial evolution, and rose 0.2%, having obtained 0.8% growth in specialized trade sales and a -0.8% decrease in the non-specialized sector.

Bizkaia underwent an intermediate provincial evolution with regards to retail trade sales with 3.0%, this growth being 1.9% for specialized retail trade sales and 5.3% for sales at medium and large stores, in terms of nominal inter-annual variation.

The accumulated growth in employment in the retail trade sector on the average for the previous year was 2.2% and by provinces the results were as follows: Bizkaia (3.1%), Gipuzkoa (2.0%) and Alava (-0.8%). In addition, personnel employed in the retail trade sector in the fourth cuarto quarter of 2005 grew by 2.7% on the third quarter in 2005 for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country.