Press Release 12/11/2021

INFORMATION SOCIETY SURVEY. COMPANIES. 2021

San Sebastián is the Basque Country capital with the highest use of e-commerce in companies, followed by Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz

More than half of companies have a website in the Basque language

The percentage of companies with 10 or more employees that used e-commerce stood at 38.7% in San Sebastián, 36.7% in Bilbao, and 33.1% in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2020, according to EUSTAT data.

It should be pointed out that, in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao, the 2020 data marked the high point of the available historic series, while San Sebastián, although decreasing slightly in respect of 2019, was the capital that obtained the highest percentage of the three. Compared to 2015 these percentages represented an increase of 7.6 percentage points in Vitoria- Gasteiz, 3.6 points in Bilbao, and 4.5 points in San Sebastián.

It is necessary to mention that the e-commerce data is in relation to the 2020 financial year, whereas the other indicators correspond to 2021.

Taking into account that 33.5% of companies with 10 or more employees in the Basque Country made sales or purchases via e-commerce, at a regional level this percentage varied between 15.4% in Añana, Álava, and 46.1% in Arratia-Nervión, Bizkaia. Also of note, in relation to e-commerce, are the regions of Estribaciones del Gorbea in Álava and Donostialdea in Gipuzkoa, with 44.9% and 37.0%, respectively.

Basque companies with 10 or more employees showed high levels of ICT (Information & Communication Technology) equipment. The same can be said for internet connection, with percentages close to 100% in the regions and in the three Basque capitals, giving an average for the Basque Country as a whole of 99.3% (1.5 points more than in 2015). Moreover, differences between regions were very small, as all of them were well over 97%.

Standing out in those companies with internet access was carrying out procedures with public administrations by electronic means. Thus, in 2021, 96.3% of this type of company have done so, 3.2 points above the 2015 figure. By Province, this was found to a greater extent in the regions of Cantábrica Alavesa in Álava, Markina-Ondarroa in Bizkaia and Bajo Bidasoa in Gipuzkoa, with 97.6%, 99.4% and 96.5%, respectively.

Additionally, 92.5% of companies of this size have a website, a cumulative increase of 6 percentage points in respect of 2015. Standing out at a regional level were Añana in Álava with 93.7%, Encartaciones in Bizkaia with 96.0% and Donostialdea in Gipuzkoa with 93.2%. Among the capitals, Bilbao stood out with 96.4%.

Computer networks also have a strong presence in companies with 10 or more employees across all provinces. On average, 92.2% have them. In this case, reference should be made to Rioja Alavesa in Álava, 94.9%, Gernika-Bermeo, 96.6%, in Bizkaia and Tolosaldea, in Gipuzkoa, with 92.5%, as the most relevant in each province..

55.5% of Basque companies with 10 or more employees used open-source software. Only four regions exceeded 60%. One in Bizkaia, Encartaciones, with 62.5%, and three in Gipuzkoa, Bajo Deba, standing out among them with 69.7%. In Álava, the highest percentage was found in the region of Añana, 56.5%. It should be noted that this indicator has fallen steadily since 2015, which marked the high point of the available series with 81.7% of companies, until this year when it recovered by 4.5 points.

Half of companies use the Basque language on their website

Almost half of company websites in the Basque Country are available in the Basque language (49.0%). Websites in Basque are more frequent among companies in Gipuzkoa (with an average of 58.8%), a province in which six of its seven regions surpass 50%, reaching a maximum of 72.4% in Goierri. These are followed by companies in Bizkaia (average of 44.1%), where five of its seven regions also clearly exceeded 50%, with a maximum of 79.7% in Gernika-Bermeo. It was precisely this last region that had the highest percentage of websites in the Basque Country. In the case of Álava (average of 43.0%), two regions stand out with over 50%: Montaña Alavesa (57.0%) and Cantábrica Alavesa (54.1%).

Finally, as regards the Basque capitals, although ICT equipment reaches very similar percentages in companies with 10 or more employees, standing out are: Vitoria-Gasteiz in carrying out procedures with the administration electronically, Bilbao in Internet connection indicators, having a website and in computer networks and, finally, San Sebastián in websites in the Basque language, use of open-source programs and e-commerce.

For further information:

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