Gipuzkoa is the province with the most balanced regional distribution according to the data estimation carried out by Eustat for Basque industry by regions in 2004. In Gipuzkoa the concentration of industry within certain regions is considerably less marked than in the other two provinces. In fact, five of the seven regions in the province each represent, either in terms of employment or in added value, more than 10% of the provincial total. The following regions, in diminishing order, stand out for their industrial share: Donostia-San Sebastián, Alto Deba, Goierri, Urola Costa and Bajo Deba.

At the opposite extreme, is Alava, where almost two thirds of the added industrial value (specifically 63.5%) is concentrated in the Llanada Alavesa, while the regions of the Montaña Alavesa or the Valles Alaveses only account for 0.5% and 3.9%, respectively. The three remaining regions - Cantábrica Alavesa, Rioja Alavesa and Estribaciones del Gorbea- do have some industrial clout, accounting for 12.9%, 11.0% and 8.1% respectively.

There is also a heavy regional concentration of industry in Bizkaia, where 82.0% of industry is found in two regions, Gran Bilbao (61.9%) and Duranguesado (20.1%), whereas none of the other regions reach 5.0% of total industrial activity for the province. The third most important region in industrial terms is Plentzia-Mungia which accounts for 4.8% of the added industrial value of this province.

Gran Bilbao, Llanada Alavesa, Donostia-San Sebastián together account for more than half of the added industrial value (50.7%) of the A.C. of the Basque Country and represent 47.3% of employed people in Basque industry. If we add the regions of Duranguesado and Alto Deba, the next ranking industrial regions, the concentration of added value and personnel employed reaches 66.6% and 64.3%, respectively, representing almost two thirds of all industry for both measurements.

Industry in the A.C. of Euskadi underwent a nominal increase of 9.1% in 2004 and this average growth has been topped by four of the six regions in Alava: Rioja Alavesa (29.1%), Estribaciones del Gorbea (21.8%), Valles Alaveses (16.2%) and Llanada Alavesa (14.0%); with the remaining regions also returning positive figures. In Bizkaia only two regions were over the average figure, Gran Bilbao with 9.8% and Encartaciones with 9.3%; industry in the region of Gernika-Bermeo fell by 1.3%. Finally, also in Guipúzcoa the number of regions registering above average figures was also two, with Goierri and Alto Deba returning increases in added value of 21.4% and 9.4% respectively. There was also a negative result in this province in the region of Bajo Deba, measured at -0.8%.

With regard to changes in employment in 2004 it can be seen that there were moderate increases with total growth of 0.9%. All the regions in Alava had positive growth figures with the exception of the Llanada Alavesa. In Gipuzkoa, only Tolosa registered a fall with respect to 2003. As regards Bizkaia, there are four regions which suffered setbacks in terms of industrial employment: Arratia-Nervión, Gran Bilbao, Markina-Ondarroa and Plentzia-Mungia.

Personnel employed and Added Value at industrial factor cost

By regions. 2003-2004. Thousands of euros.

Source: Eustat