Industrial Production in the A.C. of the Basque Country in April 2007 grew by 0.2% with regard to the same month of 2006, in homogenous terms of the working calendar, according to EUSTAT data. In the first four months of the year, accumulated growth was 4.0% in relation to the same period of 2006.

In April 2007, compared to March, Industrial Production for the A.C. of the Basque Country decreased by 4.4%, once seasonal effects had been corrected.

The balance of industrial activity for the first four months of the year closed with a 4.0% increase in the inter-annual rate, buoyed up by the outstanding performance of Capital Goods, bearing in mind the negative rates shown by the energy sector and by Consumer Goods (especially Consumer Non-Durable Goods).

Corrected inter-annual rate of the Industrial Production Index of the A.C. of the Basque Country

(*) Inter-annual growth corrected for April 2007

Source: Eustat

Sector evolution

By sector, using the classification of the major industrial sectors, the evolution of the April 2007 index with respect to April 2006 saw growth for Capital Goods (3.9%), Intermediate Goods (0.8%) and Energy (0.9%), while Consumer Goods fell by 7.8%, due to the sharp decrease suffered by Consumer Non-Durable Goods (-10.9%), whereas Consumer Durable Goods decreased more moderately (-0.8%).

Inter-monthly variations in April 2007, in relation to March 2007,were negative for all the major industrial sectors. Capital Goods decreased by 5.7%, Energy did so by 4.2%, Intermediate Goods diminished by 1.8% and Consumer Goods fell by 5.5% with regard to March. Of the two components of Consumer Goods, Consumer Durable Goods underwent an inter-monthly fall of 3.9%, while Consumer Non-Durable Goods decreased by 6.4% in comparison to March.

Evolution by province

By province, inter-annual evolution of the Industrial Production Index followed a different pattern for each one of them, growing by 2.1% in Bizkaia and 0.5% in Gipuzkoa and decreasing by 3.9% in Álava.

Inter-monthly rates, April 2007 in relation to March 2007, were negative in all three provinces: decreasing by 7.5% in Álava, 4.9% in Gipuzkoa and 2.4% in Bizkaia.

Table: APRIL 2007. Variation rates (%) for the Industrial Production Index of the A.C. of the Basque Country

Inter-annual variation rate for the period accumulated from April to the last month of year t in relation to the same period of year t-1

Source: Eustat