Press Release 25/04/2024

MUNICIPAL GDP 2021

Ten municipalities generated more than half of the Basque Country’s GDP in 2021

The provincial capitals, which accounted for 37% of total GDP, continued to have a structure based on services; this was more evident in Bilbao and San Sebastián, while in Vitoria-Gasteiz industry had a greater presence

In 2021, 51.9% of the Basque Country’s GDP was concentrated in ten municipalities, including the three provincial capitals, according to Eustat data. Barakaldo, in the region of Gran Bilbao in Bizkaia, was the municipality, other than the provincial capitals, that generated the highest Gross Domestic Product in the Basque Country, reaching 2,413 million euros in 2021. It was followed by the municipality of Irun (region of Bidasoa, Gipuzkoa), with 1,909 million euros, and Getxo (Gran Bilbao, Bizkaia), with 1,669 million euros. Between them, these three accounted for 7.7% of total GDP in the Basque Country. The only municipalities with higher levels of production were the three provincial capitals. Bilbao stood out with 12,241 million euros in 2021, representing 15.7% of GDP in the Basque Country, followed by Vitoria-Gasteiz, with 9,003 million, and San Sebastián, with 7,646 million euros, accounting for 11.5% and 9.8% of total GDP, respectively.

Looking at the production structure of these municipalities, it is worth pointing out that Barakaldo was a prime example of the service city model, with this activity generating 86.1% of its GDP. Of particular note were non-market healthcare activities, which represented 20.7% of all services and 17.9% of total economic activity in the municipality. Another services sector with a notable presence was retail trade. The municipality of Getxo was also based on the production of services, which accounted for 91.7% of its productive activity, with engineering services and trade being the largest contributors to economic activity in the municipality.

Meanwhile, Irun had a more balanced structure between the two main sectors. Although the presence of services activities was significant (76.5% of its GDP), especially with regard to trade, ancillary transport activities and goods transport by land, industrial activity branches had a greater weight than in the case of Barakaldo or Getxo, representing 16.4% of the municipality’s GDP, with the main pillars being the manufacture of metal products, transport material and plastic products.

Vitoria-Gasteiz was the driving force of the economy in Álava

The capital of the province of Álava, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and with it the region of Llanada Alavesa (where the capital accounted for 93.4% of total economic activity), achieved a GDP of 9,003 million euros in 2021, representing 73.2% of GDP in the province of Álava. Furthermore, Vitoria-Gasteiz had a production structure very similar to that of the Basque Country as a whole, with an important Services sector (69.9% of total GDP in the capital of Álava) based on both business support activities and services for households, as well as significant weight in the branches of the Industry and Energy sector, which accounted for 24.9%. Construction, with 5%, and the primary sector, with 0.2%, completed its economic structure.

If we disaggregate the main economic sectors by branch of activity, in the Industry and Energy sector, the manufacture of motor vehicles and the manufacture of rubber products were the two leading activities in Vitoria-Gasteiz’s economy, inasmuch as between them, they accounted for 43.6% of its entire industrial sector. Meanwhile, in the Services sector, the largest branches were services provided by the Public Administrations, with 11.5%, and retail trade, with 7.2%.

After the capital, Laudio/Llodio was the municipality that made the greatest contribution to economic activity in the province, with a GDP of 611 million euros in 2021, representing 5% of all activity generated in Álava. It was followed by Amurrio, with 321 million euros, and Legutio, with 219 million euros, which accounted for 2.6% and 2.5% of the total, respectively.

Source: Eustat. Municipal GDP

A common characteristic of the municipalities that generated the most economic activity in the province of Álava was the significant weight that the industrial branches had in their total GDP, which was considerably higher than the Basque Country average and never fell below 30% of the total. Within the industrial activity of these municipalities, of particular relevance were the manufacture of iron and steel products, which accounted for 23.6% of GDP in Legutio and 15.6% in Amurrio, and metal smelting, which represented 15.8% of global activity in Iruña de Oca and 12.8% in the case of Agurain/Salvatierra. Also of note were the production of railway material in Ribera Baja/Erriberabeitia, where it accounted for 46.3% of GDP, the manufacture of beverages in Oyón-Oion, with 26.3%, the manufacture of glass products, which generated 12.8% of the total in Laudio/Llodio, the manufacture of metal products, which represented 20% of GDP in Laguardia, and the production of dairy products in Asparrena, which accounted for 28% of all economic activity in 2021.

The region of Gran Bilbao generated 76% of Bizkaia’s GDP

Nine of the 10 municipalities that generated the most GDP in the province in Bizkaia over the course of 2021, including the capital, were in the region of Gran Bilbao, which accounted for 76% of all economic activity in the province. Outside this region, only Amorebieta-Etxano (Durangaldea) ranked among the 10 municipalities with the highest GDP, representing 3.3% of the economy in Bizkaia.

Among the municipalities in Bizkaia with the greatest production capacity, Bilbao, Barakaldo, Getxo, Leioa and Santurtzi were characterised as having a strong presence in branches related to the provision of services. Of particular importance, due to the volume of GDP they generated, were activities such as non-market education in the municipality of Leioa, which was closely linked to the activity of the University of the Basque Country and generated 29.3% of GDP, and non-market healthcare activities in the case of Barakaldo, which represented 17.9% of activity and were largely generated by the municipality’s hospital activity. Other important services were architectural and engineering services, which accounted for 9.1% of GDP in Getxo, and ancillary transport services linked to port activity in Santurtzi, which represented 20% of all activity generated in the coastal municipality.

In the case of Bilbao, the volume of activity in the services branches was much more evenly distributed, with Public Administration services (8.3%), financial services (5.9%), retail trade (4.8%) and hospitality (4.7%) standing out.

Meanwhile, the municipalities of Zamudio, Amorebieta-Etxano, Erandio, Galdakao and Basauri ceded some of the weight of services to industrial activity, thus boosting productive activities such as the manufacture of aircraft in the case of Zamudio, which generated 13.1% of its Gross Domestic Product, the manufacture of iron and steel products, which accounted for 7.6% of activity in Basauri and 4.2% in Amorebieta-Etxano, the production of non-ferrous metals such as tin or zinc in Erandio, which represented 9% of GDP, and the manufacture of beverages in Galdakao, with 5.6% of all activity.

Source: Eustat. Municipal GDP

Gipuzkoa was the province with the least centralised economic activity

While in the provinces of Bizkaia and Álava there was one region that accounted for most of the economic activity in the province (Gran Bilbao with 76% of activity in the case of Bizkaia, and Llanada Alavesa with 78.5% in Álava), Gipuzkoa had a more decentralised production structure, where the region with the greatest weight, Donostialdea, which includes the capital San Sebastián and other economically important municipalities such as Hernani, Errenteria and Oiartzun, represented just 47.7% of economic activity in the province, thus giving more prominence to other regions across the province, all of which include important municipalities in terms of generating economic activity.

Alto Deba, where Arrasate/Mondragón and Oñati are located, accounted for 10.4% of the province’s GDP, the region of Goierri, led by Beasain, represented 10.1%, Urola Kosta, which includes Zarautz, generated 9.6%, and Bajo Bidasoa, where it is worth highlighting the intense activity in Irun, accounted for 8.9% of total activity generated in the province.

As regards the sectoral structure of these municipalities, once again, the weight of services activities clearly predominated in the capital San Sebastián, where they accounted for 89.7% of all economic activity. Of particular note were both market and non-market healthcare activities, which represented 11.9%, Public Administration services (7.2%) and hospitality, which generated 5.6% of the municipality’s activity.

Other municipalities with a strong presence in the Services sector were Irun, Errenteria, Eibar and Zarautz, where it accounted for more than 70% of their activity. Of particular relevance were ancillary transport activities, which were capable of generating 15.6% of economic activity in Zarautz, and trade in Eibar, which represented 12.4%, taking into account both wholesale and retail trade.

On the other hand, municipalities with greater industrial weight included Oñati, where this sector accounted for 68.4% of its economic activity, Beasain, with 65%, and Hernani, with 50.2%. Other municipalities with a notable industrial presence in 2021, albeit to a lesser degree, were Arrasate/Mondragón, with 28.2% of industrial activity, and Oiartzun, with 28.1%. The most noteworthy manufacturing production activities in these municipalities were the manufacture of general use machinery, which represented 24.7% of activity in Oñati and 10.4% of activity in Hernani, the manufacture of railway material, which accounted for 49.2% of GDP in Beasain, the manufacture of motor vehicles, which represented 6.6% of all economic activity in Arrasate/Mondragón, and the manufacture of electronic components in Oiartzun, with 8.4% of its Gross Domestic Product.

Source: Eustat. Municipal GDP

Methodological note: For a better interpretation of these data, a distinction must be made between the concepts of Municipal GDP and Municipal Income. GDP is connected to production, to the generation of wealth in the province, and is concentrated in municipalities with important productive establishments. Income, on the other hand, is related to individuals and their place of residence.

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