Press Release 03/08/2022
INFORMATION SOCIETY SURVEY. COMPANIES. 2022
The value of electronic sales and purchases in the Basque Country rose by 9.7% and 8.7% respectively in 2021
26.5% of sales via e-commerce were destined to private consumers, compared to almost 12% in 2002
In 2021, sales made by establishments in the Basque Country were up 9.7% on the previous year, and in the case of purchases this percentage rose by 8.7%, according to Eustat data. Both purchases and sales have registered uninterrupted growth, year after year, since data became available. These new increases mean that the threshold of twenty-four billion euros in sales and eighteen billion euros in purchases was crossed in 2021.
It is estimated that, on average, electronic sales accounted for 44.0% of the total sales made by establishments that made electronic sales. In turn, electronic purchases represented 38.2% of the total purchases made by companies in 2021.
28% of establishments in the Basque Country, some forty-four thousand eight hundred establishments, engaged in e-commerce. This figure was one point up on the previous year.
The volume of business generated in 2021 over the Internet or via other electronic systems such as email and electronic data interchange (EDI and other networks) rose to 24,224.9 million euros in terms of electronic sales and 18,241.3 million euros in terms of purchases.
Purchases and sales through e-commerce in the Basque Country, by territory and employment stratum (millions of euros). 2020-2021
| | Purchases | Sales |
| | 2020 | 2021 | % | 2020 | 2021 | % |
| Basque Country | 16.784,1 | 18.241,3 | 8,7 | 22.092,4 | 24.224,9 | 9,7 |
| Araba/Álava | 2.961,0 | 3.168,0 | 7,0 | 6.475,3 | 6.977,2 | 7,8 |
| Bizkaia | 8.716,3 | 9.469,1 | 8,6 | 8.396,5 | 9.209,4 | 9,7 |
| Gipuzkoa | 5.106,8 | 5.604,2 | 9,7 | 7.220,6 | 8.038,3 | 11,3 |
| | | | | | | |
| employment strata | | | | | | |
| 0 - 9 | 4.998,5 | 5.405,0 | 8,1 | 4.196,4 | 4.250,9 | 1,3 |
| >=10 | 11.785,6 | 12.836,3 | 8,9 | 17.896,1 | 19.974,0 | 11,6 |
Date August 3, 2022
Source: Eustat. Survey on the information society. Companies
At provincial level, in terms of electronic sales, noteworthy growth of more than or very close to double digits was recorded in Gipuzkoa, 11.3%, and Bizkaia, 9.7%, whereas electronic sales increased by 7.8% in Álava. In the case of electronic purchases, for their part, figures also increased in all three provinces, with Gipuzkoa standing out once again, with 9.7% growth, followed by Bizkaia with 8.6% and Álava with 7.0%.
With regards to the weight that each of the provinces has, there was an even distribution over all three in terms of electronic sales; Bizkaia accounted for 38.0% of the Basque Country total, whereas Gipuzkoa had a percentage of 33.2% and Álava 28.8%. In purchases, on the other hand, the participation was more disparate, with Bizkaia accounting for 51.9% of the total in 2021, whereas Gipuzkoa represented 30.7%, and Álava saw the remaining 17.4% of electronic purchases in the Basque Country overall.
On the other hand, in terms of size, it was those establishments with 10 or more employees in which larger sums of money were traded in e-commerce, accounting for 82.5% of electronic sales and 70.4% of total electronic purchases.
Furthermore, the percentage of establishments that participated in e-commerce stood at 28.0% in 2021, 1.1 percentage point more than the previous year. This increase is based on those who purchase electronically, one percentage point more than the previous year, and, to a lesser degree, on those who make electronic sales, with a 0.7 percentage point increase. Currently, 25.0% of all establishments purchase electronically, while 8.3% make electronic sales.
Establishments that carry out e-commerce in the Basque Country (%). 2001-2021. 2001-2021
| | 2001 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Total establishments | | | | | | | | | | |
| e-commerce | 3,0 | 10,5 | 15,1 | 26,4 | 26,0 | 25,1 | 26,3 | 27,1 | 26,9 | 28,0 |
| Purchases | 2,7 | 9,6 | 14,2 | 23,9 | 24,0 | 23,0 | 24,1 | 24,7 | 24,0 | 25,0 |
| Sales | 0,4 | 1,9 | 3,9 | 6,5 | 6,5 | 6,8 | 6,9 | 7,0 | 7,6 | 8,3 |
| % of purchases (*) | 9,6 | 15,5 | 28,1 | 31,3 | 33,3 | 36,2 | 36,4 | 38,4 | 40,2 | 38,3 |
| % of sales (*) | 9,9 | 24,6 | 38,6 | 36,8 | 35,1 | 41,4 | 40,6 | 43,7 | 46,6 | 44,0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 or more employees | | | | | | | | | | |
| e-commerce | 6,4 | 19,5 | 23,1 | 30,0 | 29,7 | 29,0 | 31,6 | 33,2 | 33,5 | 35,3 |
| Purchases | 5,1 | 17,3 | 20,3 | 25,3 | 25,8 | 25,1 | 27,0 | 28,3 | 28,9 | 30,2 |
| Sales | 1,8 | 5,1 | 8,5 | 11,4 | 11,9 | 12,6 | 13,1 | 13,8 | 14,2 | 14,9 |
| % of purchases (*) | 4,6 | 10,3 | 24,6 | 31,0 | 30,7 | 32,4 | 33,1 | 32,9 | 34,0 | 35,5 |
| % of sales (*) | 12,7 | 19,4 | 38,4 | 42,6 | 42,1 | 43,2 | 45,9 | 44,2 | 43,3 | 43,2 |
(*)In e-commerce establishments, average % of e-purchases/sales over total purchases/sales.
Date August 3, 2022
Source: Eustat. Survey on the information society. Companies
Likewise, it can be observed that although the number of establishments that purchased electronically greatly exceeds those that sold using the same method, the figures for electronic sales (24,224.9 million euros) are higher than those for electronic purchases (18,241.3 million euros).
These figures vary if the size of the establishments is taken into account in terms of employment. Thus, amongst those with 10 or more employees, 35.3% engaged in e-commerce, 1.8 percentage points up on the previous year. Also in this segment, a higher number of companies made electronic purchases, 30.2%; and a lower number of companies made sales through the same channels, 14.9%; with a 1.3 percentage point increase in those that purchased and a 0.7 point increase in those that sold.
With regard to the means by which electronic purchases were made, 48.5% of total purchases were carried out by email, 25.9% via EDI and other networks and the remaining 25.5% using websites. In turn, 36.3% of total sales were through websites, apps or internet sales portals, 29.8% by email and the remaining 33.9% via EDI and other networks.
Source: Eustat. Survey on the information society. Companies
Period availables
Source: Eustat. Survey on the information society. Companies
Period availables
The private consumer increased participation in e-commerce: more than one in every four euros was destined for this type of client
As regards the type of customer to which e-commerce sales were destined in 2021, a large majority, 72.0% of total e-sales, were destined for other companies (so-called B2B trade), 26.5% were for private consumers (B2C) and the remaining 1.5% was spread over other kinds of customers, such as Public Administrations (B2G). Despite the clear dominance of sales to other companies, the significant development of those destined to private consumers should be noted. At the beginning of the 2000s this type of client accounted for just one in every ten euros invoiced electronically, compared to one in every four euros twenty years later.
Source: Eustat. Survey on the information society. Companies
Period availables
NOTE
Eustat would like to thank all the companies and institutions that have collaborated in preparing this survey, the information for which was gathered between January and April 2022.
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