Press Release 13/12/2018

PERSONAL AND FAMILY INCOME STATISTICS 2016

The income of people of high socio-economic status was almost double the average personal income

Average personal income in the Basque Country grew 3.69% between 2011 and 2016

According to data from Personal and Family Income Statistics, prepared by Eustat in collaboration with the Provincial Councils of the three provinces, regarding socio-economic status, people with high-level professions (such as leadership, management and white-collar professions) had the highest incomes (40,517 euros), almost double the average personal income in the Basque Country, which stands at 20,443 euros. This was followed by skilled workers (27,223 euros), intermediate professions and employees (23,021 euros), unskilled workers along with inactive and unemployed individuals seeking their first job (14,934 euros and 13,594 euros, respectively).

Comparing the latest data published in 2011 with 2016, we can see that average personal income grew by 3.69%. By group, average personal income increased by 3,882 euros in the artisans and farmers group, by 2,964 euros in the high-level groups and by 2,192 euros amongst skilled workers; on the other hand, unskilled workers saw their average income fall by 240 euros.

Employed men had an income 1.4 times the income of employed women

An uneven distribution can be seen between income for men and women, given that whilst men in the Basque Country obtained an average income of 25,696 euros, women received 15,578 euros, that is, the personal income of men was 10,118 euros higher than that of women.

If we only consider employed individuals, working men had an average income of 33,140 euros and working women of 23,497 euros, making the income of men 1.4 times higher than the income of women, that is, 40% higher.

By profession, there is also a “gender gap”: managing directors have very high incomes, specifically 64,416 euros, and women in the same profession only earn 40,979 euros. Amongst professionals and specialist workers, there was a difference of 11,698 euros in favour of men. The smallest difference was in the machine operators group (4,158 euros, again, in favour of men).



62.2% of families in which the main earner was employed had an income smaller than the average family income in the Basque Country

The average income of families in which the main earner was employed was 51,994 euros, 22% above the average family income; even so, 62.2% of these families had an income below the average. If the person with the highest income in the family was a man, average income was 55,731 euros, whilst if it was a woman, it was 46,763 euros.

Regarding the activity branch of the employed person, the highest incomes were amongst those working in financial and property activities and business services, with an average family income of 71,936 euros. This was followed by industry and energy sector activity, with an average family income of 57,348 euros; the sectors of construction and agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing were well below the average, with 43,892 euros and 40,523 euros respectively.

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