Press Release 09/05/2025
RETAIL TRADE INDEX (ICIm). I/2025
Retail trade sales in the Basque Country rose by 2.5% in the first quarter of 2025
In relation to the previous quarter, the increase in sales stood at 0.4%
In the first quarter of 2025 sales in the retail trade sector of the Basque Country rose by 2.5% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, once corrected for calendar effects and at constant prices, according to Eustat data. Without taking service stations into consideration, the year-on-year increase in sales was 2.3%.
In respect of the previous quarter, once seasonal effects had been eliminated, the sales index increased by 0.4% during the first quarter of 2025.
Sales at constant prices in Food Products, in Other Products and in the Automotive fuel sector increased by 3.4% ,1.1% and 4.7% respectively compared to the same quarter of 2024.
In comparison to the fourth quarter of 2024, in deseasonalised terms and at constant prices, sales in Automotive fuel registered growth of 5.0%, while sales in Food Products and Other Products were down 0.3% and 1.0%, respectively.
Retail Trade Index in the Basque Country. Inter-annual and inter-mensual variation rates (p). 2025/I
| | Constant prices |
| | t / t-4 | t / t-1 | At / At-4 |
| SALES INDEX by historic territory | | | |
| Basque Country | 2,5 | 0,4 | 2,5 |
| Araba/Álava | 3,5 | 1,3 | 3,5 |
| Bizkaia | 2,1 | -0,1 | 2,1 |
| Gipuzkoa | 2,7 | 0,5 | 2,7 |
| | | | |
| SALES INDEX by sector | | | |
| Foodstuffs | 3,4 | -0,3 | 3,4 |
| Establishments specialized in food | 3,4 | 0,4 | 3,4 |
| Nonspecialist establishments mainly selling food products | 3,4 | -0,8 | 3,4 |
| Rest of products | 1,1 | -1,0 | 1,1 |
| Establishments specialising in personal equipment | 0,0 | -0,8 | 0,0 |
| Establishments specialising in household equipment | 2,9 | 0,8 | 2,9 |
| Establishments specialising in other consumer goods | 4,1 | 0,2 | 4,1 |
| Nonspecialist establishments mainly selling other products | -3,0 | -0,8 | -3,0 |
| Automotive fuel | 4,7 | 5,0 | 4,7 |
| | | | |
| GENERAL INDEX without service station | 2,3 | -0,6 | 2,3 |
| | | | |
| Personnel index | | | |
| Basque Country | 0,0 | -0,2 | 0,0 |
(p)Provisional data
t / t-4 Year-on-year variation. Data corrected for calendar effects
t / t-1 Interquarterly variation. Deseasonalised data
At / A(t-4) Year-on-year variation rate in the accumulated period from the 1st quarter to the last quarter observed (At) with regards to the same accumulated period in the previous year (A(t-4))
Date May 9, 2025
Source: Eustat. Retail Trade Index (ICIm)
Within the Food Products sector, sales have increased both in Specialised trade in food, beverages and tobacco (establishments such as greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers, etc.) and in Non-specialised trade with food products, beverages and tobacco predominating (mainly supermarkets and hypermarkets), by 3.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024.
With regard to sales in Other products, in the Specialised trade in personal goods sector (clothes, footwear, cosmetic and hygiene products), there has been no variation in sales in year-on-year terms. On the other hand, the Specialised trade in household goods sector (including domestic appliances, furniture and telecommunications equipment), increased by 2.9%, and the Specialised trade in other consumer goods sector (including, among others, sporting goods, games and toys) had a 4.1% increase. In contrast, sales in the Non-specialised trade with other products predominating sector (by mail order or online) fell by 3.0%.
The retail trade sales index for the first quarter of 2025 registered a year-on-year increase in all three provinces. In Álava the index rose by 3.5%, in Gipuzkoa by 2.7% and in Bizkaia the increase was 2.1%.
Compared to the previous quarter, the evolution in sales was also positive in Álava and Gipuzkoa, with increases of 1.3% and 0.5% respectively. However, in Bizkaia, sales were down 0.1% in quarter-on-quarter terms.
The number of people employed in the retail trade sector in the Basque Country as a whole in the first quarter of 2025 did not vary compared to the first quarter of the previous year. However, compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, employment fell by 0.2%.
NOTE
Year-on-year variations are calculated using the series corrected for calendar effects, and month-on-month variations are calculated using the deseasonalised series.
Eustat would like to thank all the establishments that have collaborated with gathering information. As a result, the index for this quarter was calculated with 97.22% coverage of the sample.
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