The Public Administrations of the A.C. of the Basque Country (Basque Administrations and State Administration and regionalized Social Security) obtained a 2.9% budgetary surplus in terms of GDP in 2003, according to Eustat data. Nevertheless, over the period analysed from 2000 to 2003 this ratio fell from 5.7% in 2000 to 2.9% in 2003.

The comparison with the whole of the State and the European Union shows different trends. The Public Administration of the A.C. of the Basque Country, as a whole, presented a surplus trend, though falling, over the whole of this period. The Public Administration of the whole of the State gradually closed in on the goal of zero deficit, which was achieved in 2003. The Euro-25, however, showed a diametrically opposed trend, as it has moved further away from the zero deficit objective year after year, and in 2003 it stood at a deficit of 3.0% of the GDP.

The Central Administration and regionalized Social Security presented a surplus in 2003, whereas the Autonomous Administration registered a deficit

The finance capacity of the institutional bodies that make up the Public Administrations of the A.C. of the Basque Country vary substantially from other organizations in 2003. The regionalized Central Administration presented a surplus of non-finance resources on non-finance employment of 1,110 million euros which, mostly, corresponds to the Quota the Basque Country pays to the State. Regionalized Social Security also obtained a surplus of 455 million. That is to say that both Public Administrations under state responsibility totalled a 1,565 million surplus in terms of finance capacity in the A.C. of the Basque Country, which represented 3.2% of the GDP in 2003.

On the other hand, the Basque Administration registered a 147 million euro deficit, between non-finance resources and expenditure, which represented 0.3% del GDP of the A.C. of the Basque Country. This need for finance is divided in the following way: the Basque Government presented a 54 million deficit, 37 million for the provincial and municipal Administration of Álava and a 73 million deficit for Bizkaia, while the provincial and municipal Administration of Gipuzkoa presented a surplus of 18 million euros in 2003.

Over the period 2000-2003, the Public Administration in the A.C. of the Basque Country, as a whole, increased non-finance resources by 14.0% and employment (expenditure) grew by 24.0% and, as a consequence, its finance capacity fell from 2,404 million euros in 2000 to 1,418 million in 2003.

Non-finance resources of the Basque Administration increased by 13.1% over three years, while employment (expenditure) increased by 23.5%. The finance capacity for 2000, set at 721 million euros, became a deficit of 147 million euros in 2003.

Net Saving for the whole of the Public Administration in the A.C. of the Basque Country fell by 18.8% over this period, dropping from 3,793 million euros in 2000 to 3,078 in 2003, although the higher decrease occurred in 2001 (-21%), softened over 2002 and 2003 with 1% and 7% decreases respectively.

The differences between the Basque Administration and State Public Administration are substantial, once again. Net Saving for the Basque Administration fell by 28.3% over the period, while Net Saving by the State Public Administration in the A.C. of the Basque Country only fell by 9.6%.

The Internal Public Demand of the A.C. of the Basque Country in 2003 represented 17.9% of the total Internal Demand, point eight more than in 2000, although it has been constant since 2001.

Expenditure on Final Consumption by the Public Administration came to 20.5% of total Expenditure on Final Consumption of the A.C. of the Basque Country en 2003, one point three percent more than in 2000. The most important growth in the whole of the period occurred in 2001 (one percentage point), easing off over the following years.

Investment made by the Public Administration in the A.C. of the Basque Country lost weight over the period under consideration. The percentage of participation in Gross Formation of Capital in the economy of the A.C. of the Basque Country remained practically stable over the first three years of the period under analysis, later falling by half a point in 2003.

Note: for further information see the Methodology Note