Press Release 04/05/2018

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INDEX. MARCH 2018

Industrial activity in the Basque Country rose by 3.6% in March 2018

The industrial production index also saw growth of 3.6% in the first quarter of 2018

Industrial production of the Basque Country in March 2018 was up by 3.6% compared to the same month of 2017, in homogeneous terms of the working calendar, according to Eustat data. The balance for the first three months of 2018 saw growth of 3.6% on the same period of 2017.

Compared to the previous month, February 2018, the industrial production of the Basque Country rose by 1.3%, once seasonal effects had been corrected.

The trends of the index in March 2018 compared to March 2017 were positive for all the major industrial sectors. Energy was up 5.0%, Intermediate Goods rose by 4.6%, Capital Goods grew by 2.6% and Consumer Goods as a whole saw a 3.2% rise. Within these, Consumer Durables, which were up 9.8%, determined the rate of growth, as Consumer Non-Durables rose more moderately (0.9%).

The month-on-month variation in March 2018, compared to February 2018, also registered distinct trends for the major industrial sectors. Energy was down 5.0%, whilst Capital Goods were up by 2.1%, Intermediate Goods rose by 2.0% and Consumer Goods as a whole grew by 1.5%, due to the 2.7% rise in Consumer Durables and the 1.0% increase in Consumer Non-Durables.

Among the largest sectors in Basque industry, those that saw the most significant growth in the month of March 2018 in terms of year-on-year variations were: Machinery and Equipment with an increase of 7.2%, Rubber & Plastics up 5.8% and Transport Material with a 5.5% rise.

In contrast, there was a decrease in the Timber paper and graphic arts sector, which posted a year-on-year regression of 1.4%.

By province, the year-on-year performance of the Industrial Production Index for the month of March was positive in Gipuzkoa, where it rose by 8.7% and in Álava, where it was up by 4.4%, but in Bizkaia there was a decrease of 1.7%.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel: 945 01 75 62