The expenditure in social services in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country reached 1,457 euros in 2006, 12% above that of the previous year, which represented 2.4% of the Basque GDP, according to data from Eustat, the Basque Statistics Office. Average expenditure per inhabitant reached 684 euros, of which 486 proceeded from public funds.

Territorially, the increase in expenditure was of 11% in Alava, 13% in Bizkaia and 12% in Gipuzkoa. In per capita terms, Alava, with an average per inhabitant of 774 euros, took first place, followed by Bizkaia with 672 euros and Gipuzkoa with 666.

Graph: Evolution of expenditure in social services per inhabitant

Source: EUSTAT

The effort by the various public administrations amounted to 1,036 million euros, 71% of the total expenditure, whereas the private sector contributed the remaining 29%. One out of every four euros spent (360 million euros) was financed by user quotas and other sales. Of this total, elderly citizens in old people’s homes contributed 160 million euros, which meant 46% of the expenditure of such centres.

The sector directly provided jobs to 2.4% of employed people.

Social services as a whole directly employed 22,985 people, 2.4% of people with jobs, of which 69% were women. This amount of jobs increases if subcontracted personnel employed in direct attention are taken into account: this is equivalent to 4,672 full-time jobs. Half of this subcontracted personnel works in home-help services. 18,655 volunteers worked for free in the social services during 2006, and their collaboration represented an effort equivalent to that of 1,724 full-time employees.

Table 1: Evolution of the main magnitudes

Source: EUSTAT

Social services destined to the whole of the population and specialised centres dedicated to elderly citizens stand out as the areas in which most resources are invested. Together, they absorb 68% of the expenditure.

Specially noteworthy among the resources dedicated to the population as a whole are, because of the amounts involved and their evolution, money transfers to families, most noteworthy amongst which are Basic Income (BI) programs, with 158 million euros (+9%) and Social Emercency Aid (SEA), with 39 million euros (+15%).

Specialised social services tended to 9% of elderly people aged 65 and above

The nucleus of social service action for the elderly focuses mainly in residential services, day-care centres and the home-help service.

With an offer of 16,809 residential beds, it was possible to attain a coverage of 4 beds for every 100 people aged 65 and above. In accordance with the tendency of the last few years, there has been an increase in residential beds amounting to 1,250 beds (+8%). 32% of residential beds were offered by public centres.

Day-care centres offered services to 3.204 people; over half of which were concerted with the statutory institutions.

18,935 people were tended to by the home-help service in their own homes (5 out of every 100 people aged 65 and above), a group that represents 90% of the users of such services. With respect to 2005, there was a 6% increase in the number of users. This service attained a total expenditure of 69.9 million euros (12% above that of the previous year), which meant an annual average cost of 3,312 euros per user, most of which was financed by the public sector (90%).

Table 2: Evolution and distribution of expenditure by type of population

Source: EUSTAT