Over the accounting year 2005 the industrial sector of the A.C. of the Basque Country registered 4.4% real growth on the previous year, according to EUSTAT data. This is the third consecutive year in which the previous years figures have been surpassed, thus showing an upward profile since 2002, which marked a point of inflection, with a rate of 1.2%. The following year, in 2003, industrial activity reached 2.9% growth and in 2005 it surpassed previous levels, reaching 4.4% growth.

In comparison with the whole of the State, the performance of Basque industry has been higher than Spanish industry over the last four years, growing by over five points more than the latter in 2005, with 4.4% growth for the industry of the A.C. of the Basque Country and 0.3% for the industry of the whole of the State.

In 2005 employment (jobs) in industry of the A.C. of the Basque Country fell by 0.9% in relation to 2004, standing at almost 249,000 persons.

Evolution Value industrial added. Index of chained volume. 1996-2005(a)

(a): Summary

Source: Eustat

The highest growth by province corresponded to Álava, whose rate in 2005 came to 5.4%, a point more than the average. Annual growth in Bizkaia (5.0%) was also half a point higher than the average for the Community and industry in Gipuzkoa was below the average by one point two (3.2%).

From the sector point of view performances differed in some industrial activity branches to others. Leaving to one side Metallic and non-metallic minerals (21.3%) due to its low relative weight in the Basque industrial structure, the branch of Electric Material obtained the highest growth rate with 13.1%. This is followed by Electric energy, gas and water which grew at an annual rate of 11.4%. Important subsectors in our industrial structure such as Transport Material, Machinery and Rubber and plastic have a growing evolution of 6.9%, 4.3% and 4.8%, respectively. Chemical industry (8.7%) and Paper, publishing and graphic arts (4.6%) obtained good results in the creation of value added in 2005. The branch Metallurgy and metal articles, which represented 31.0% of industrial value added, had a much more discrete growth, with 0.7%.

Only three subsectors presented negative results in the evolution of value added: Leather and footwear industry (-1.2%), Oil refining (-3.2%) and Textiles and clothing (-12.0%).

Evolution of gross value industrial added. Current prices and growth rates of indices of chained volume. Thousand euros

(a): Summary

Source: Eustat