Press Release 11/11/2022

INFORMATION SOCIETY SURVEY. COMPANIES. 2022

San Sebastián stood out among the three provincial capitals in terms of the use of e-commerce in companies in the Basque Country, followed by Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz

Montaña Alavesa (78.5%), Markina-Ondarroa (78.2%) and Gernika-Bermeo (73.3%) were the regions with the most websites in Basque

The percentage of companies with 10 or more employees that used e-commerce stood at 41.4% in San Sebastián, 40.7% in Bilbao, and 32.9% in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2021, according to Eustat data.

It should be pointed out that, in San Sebastián and Bilbao, the 2021 data marked the high point of the available historic series, while Vitoria-Gasteiz was down slightly (two tenths of a point) from its highest figure reached a year earlier in 2020. In relation to 2015, these percentages represented similar increases in the three provincial capitals: 7.4 points more in Vitoria-Gasteiz, 7.6 points in Bilbao and 7.2 points in San Sebastián.

Taking into account that 35.3% of companies with 10 or more employees in the Basque Country in 2021 made sales or purchases via e-commerce, at regional level this percentage varied between 20.4% in Añana, Álava, and 43.8% in Estribaciones del Gorbea, also in Álava. Other notable regions with regard to e-commerce were Arratia-Nervión and Markina-Ondarroa in Bizkaia, both with 42.0%, and Alto Deba in Gipuzkoa, with 41.7%.

Basque companies with 10 or more employees showed high levels of ICT (Information & Communication Technology) equipment in 2022. 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 99.6% (1.8 points more than in 2015). Moreover, differences between regions were very small, as all of them were well over 98%.

Standing out in those companies with internet access was carrying out procedures with public administrations by electronic means. Thus, in 2022, 97.6% of this type of company had done so, 4.5 points above the 2015 figure. By province, this was found to a greater extent in the regions of Cantábrica Alavesa in Álava (99.3%), Gernika-Bermeo and Markina-Ondarroa in Bizkaia (both with 99.9%) and Bajo Bidasoa in Gipuzkoa (99.4%).

Additionally, 92.0% of companies of this size had a website, a cumulative increase of 5.5 percentage points in respect of 2015. Standing out at regional level were Estribaciones del Gorbea in Álava, Gran Bilbao in Bizkaia and Bajo Deba in Gipuzkoa, with 94.9%, 94.3% and 93.4%, respectively. Among the capitals, Bilbao stood out with 96.5%, followed by San Sebastián (92.6%) and Vitoria-Gasteiz (90.0%).

Computer networks were also widespread in companies with 10 or more employees across all three provinces. On average, 90.8% had them. In this case, reference should be made to the regions of Estribaciones del Gorbea in Álava (100%), Duranguesado in Bizkaia (93.0%) and Tolosaldea in Gipuzkoa (90.2%), as the most significant in each province.

55.3% of Basque companies with 10 or more employees used open-source software. This figure only exceeded 60% in five regions. Two of these were in Álava, Añana (62.9%) and Cantábrica Alavesa (65.4%); one in Bizkaia, Gernika-Bermeo (60.4%); and two in Gipuzkoa, Bajo Bidasoa (61.4%) and Tolosaldea (67.3%). It should be noted that this indicator has been declining since 2015, which marked the high point of the available series with 81.7% of companies.

Half of companies used the Basque language on their website

Almost half of company websites in the Basque Country were available in the Basque language (49.6%). Websites in Basque were more common among companies in Gipuzkoa (with an average of 58.5%), a province in which six of its seven regions surpassed 50%, reaching a high of 67.9% in Urola Kosta. These were followed by companies in Bizkaia (average of 45.3%), where six of its seven regions also exceeded 50%, with a high of 78.2% in Markina-Ondarroa. In the case of Álava (average of 44.0%), two regions stood out with over 50%: Cantábrica Alavesa (57.5%) and Montaña Alavesa (78.5%), with the latter region having the highest percentage of Basque-language websites in the Basque Country.



Finally, as regards the Basque capitals, although ICT equipment reached very similar percentages in companies with 10 or more employees, San Sebastián was particularly noteworthy. This capital stood out in the majority of indicators: internet connection, carrying out procedures with the administration electronically, websites in the Basque language, use of open-source programs and use of e-commerce. Vitoria-Gasteiz, for its part, surpassed the other capitals in computer networks, while Bilbao came out on top in the indicators of internet connection (together with San Sebastián) and having a website.

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