Press release 30.04.12
The average income of families in the Basque Country exceeded 42,700 euros
Half of families in the Basque Country received an average yearly family income above 34,160 in 2009
According to the Personal and Family Income Statistics produced by Eustat in collaboration with the Provincial Councils of Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, the average family income in the Basque Country in 2009 stood at 42,729 euros. The average income for families overall in the Basque Country exactly corresponded to 2.2 times the average personal income.
The total family income is produced as an aggregation of total personal income of all adult members of one family who receive some type of income. As is similar to the case with personal income, Gipuzkoa was the province with the highest family income, 43,950 euros, followed by Bizkaia with 42,191 euros and, lastly, Álava with 42,001 euros.
The average family income in the Basque Country grew by 10% between 2006 and 2009. By province, Gipuzkoa performed better, growing by 13.6%, followed by Álava which saw an 8.8% increase in family income in its province and, close behind, Bizkaia was up 8.2%.
62.3% of families received an income below the Basque Country average or did not receive any income, two percentage points more than the figure for personal income. 3% of familias did not receive any type of income in 2009. On the other hand, almost 9% of families, specifically 74,561, had an income equal to or above twice the average, that is, just over 85,450 euros. In turn, half of families in the Basque Country had an income below 34,160 euros.
Moreover, where the main receiver of the family was a male, the families had an average income of 46,826 euros, with the majority of families being concentrated in the intermediate and high strata, whereas if the main receiver was a woman the average income stood at 35,346 euros and was concentrated in the lowest income strata.
Therefore, we may speak of a “gender gap” in family income, due to the existence of inequalities regarding family income depending on whether the main receiver was male or female.
Donostia-San Sebastián was the capital with the highest family income, followed by Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz
Donostia-San Sebastián, with 49,539 euros, was the capital with the highest family income, followed by Bilbao, with 43,119 euros and Vitoria-Gasteiz, with 42,554 euros.
The municipality in the Basque Country with the highest family income was the municipality of Laukiz, located in Bizkaia, with 74,196 euros; in Álava it was Arrazua-Ubarrundia, with 61,855 euros and in Gipuzkoa it was Orendain, with 54,841 euros. On the other hand, those with the lowest family incomes were Lantziego in Álava, with 27,531 euros, Lanestosa in Bizkaia, with 28,703 euros and Pasaia in Gipuzkoa, with 32,866 euros.
In turn, the gap between the municipalities with the highest and the lowest family incomes exceeded 46,660 euros. In the highest extreme was Laukiz, with 2581 euros more than the next municipality following it in the list, and the lowest, Lantziego, with almost 820 euros less than the municipality preceding it.
At regional level there were also differences between the 20 regions that make up the Basque Country. Of these, 8 obtained family incomes above the community average, amongst which the following stood out with incomes above 43,000 euros: Estribaciones del Gorbea in Álava (49,732 euros); Plentzia-Mungia in Bizkaia (49,221 euros) and Alto Deba in Gipuzkoa (46,834 euros). On the other hand, the 12 remaining regions had family incomes below the average, amongst which the following stood out: Encartaciones in Bizkaia, with 36,325 euros, and Montaña Alavesa and Rioja Alavesa, with 34,832 and 32,656 euros, respectively.
For further information:
Basque Statistics Office
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Tel:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.es
Contact: Pilar Martínez Rollón
Tel:+34-945-01 75 31 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01
Further press releases on Family and Personal Income of the Basque Country
Database on Family and Personal Income of the Basque Country