Press Release 28/11/2019

INFORMATION SOCIETY SURVEY. PRIMARY SECTOR. 2019

Around 75% of the primary sector of the Basque Country had ICT equipment in 2019, still below the total for all sectors

However, in the last three years access to ICT has slightly improved in both the agricultural and fishing sectors

Around 75% of establishments in the primary sector of the Basque Country had ICT -Information and Communication Technology- equipment in 2019, according to data prepared by EUSTAT.

ICT equipment in the primary sector of the Basque Country has improved considerably in 2019 since the last available data, three years ago, from 2016. Current percentages are: 76.4% with a computer, 63.2% with email, 73.1% with internet access and 91.6% with a mobile phone. In 2016 these percentages were 53.1%, 46.0%, 51.1% and 85.2%, respectively. Furthermore, in 2019 7.8% had a web presence and 5.4% engaged in e-commerce.

Despite this improvement in ICT equipment, establishments in the primary sector, with the exception of mobile phones, are still below the other sectors of the Basque economy in 2019 where, on average, the availability of computers (92.3%), email (89.0%) and internet access (91.0%) is still more widespread. As regards companies that have a website or engage in e-commerce, the average of the total for all sectors is 53.0% and 25.6%, well above the 7.8% of those in the primary sector with a website and the 5.4% that engage in e-commerce.

These lower utilisation percentages may be due to the small size of the majority of these business establishments (83.8% have 2 employees or fewer), which makes it hard for many of them to gain access to this equipment.

This situation varies quite substantially if we take into account the size of the establishments. Establishments with 10 or more employees in the primary sector within the Basque Country, with the exception of websites, had basic ICT equipment similar to the other activity sectors. In establishments of this size in the primary sector, average equipment reached 100% for those that had a computer, internet and a mobile phone and 99.0% for those that had e-mail. However, 34.1% had a website and 21.6% engaged in e-commerce

Fishing companies have more ICT equipment than agricultural companies

It is worth noting that, in the primary sector, very different percentages were recorded for agricultural companies and fishing companies, with the latter having much higher equipment percentages. Nevertheless, fishing companies have practically no impact on the primary sector total seeing as the figure for these companies was merely 3.7%.

Whilst 91.3% of agricultural companies had access to a mobile telephone, 75.6% to computers, 62.4% to e-mail and 72.4% to Internet, 100% of companies in the fishing sector had access to a mobile telephone, 98.0% to computers, 83.5% to e-mail and 93.4% to Internet. 7.7% of agricultural establishment had a website, the figure being 12.0% for fishing establishments, whereas, in the same order, 5.2% and 11.1% engaged in e-commerce.

These differences are not only due to different activities, but also because the size of the establishment continues to play a role. Whereas nearly all the establishments in the agricultural sector have fewer than 10 employees, the fishing sector has a greater distribution of establishments with fewer than 10 employees or 10 employees or more.

Of those establishments with Internet access, 76.1% have fixed connections and 97.1% have mobile connections. Standing out among the former are ADSL lines (45.4%) followed by Cable (fibre optic) (27.2%) and Other fixed connections (8.1%). These latter connections primarily constitute broadband wireless connections, for instance Wimax, for improved Internet access in rural areas, and satellite connections in the fishing sector.

As for the mobile connections used in this sector, 97.0% of establishments use a mobile telephone and 53.5% use a broadband modem.

Lastly, 92.1% of primary sector establishments used the Internet to carry out some kind of procedure or service with the Public Administration in 2019. This percentage rises to 98.2% if we solely take into account establishments with 10 or more employees from this sector.

Methodological note: The Information Society Survey -ESI- primary sector is carried out three-yearly.

For further information:

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