Press Release 28/02/2025

CONSTRUCTION SURVEY. 2023

24% of the turnover of the Construction sector in the Basque Country in 2023 derived from Renovation of residential buildings

12.1% of people employed were women in 2023

The largest contribution to the revenue of the Construction sector in 2023 came from Renovation of residential buildings, accounting for 24% of total turnover, according to Eustat data. Following this, 20.6% derived from Construction of new residential buildings. With the addition of Construction of new non-residential buildings (7.9%) and Renovation of non-residential buildings (12.5%), Construction as a whole accounted for nearly seven out of every ten euros in turnover (65%).

Property development (12.1%), Civil works (21.3%) and Other activities not related to construction (1.7%) completed the economic distribution of the business of construction companies.

Construction revenue increased by 7.7%

In 2023, the construction sector increased turnover by 7.7% compared to 2022, achieving 10,052 million euros in the Basque Country as a whole, measured in current prices.

This upward trend was shared by the three provinces, albeit to varying degrees. As such, Bizkaia, with turnover of 5,162 million euros (51.4% of the total for the Basque Country) registered the greatest increase of the three provinces, 8.1%. It was followed very closely by Gipuzkoa, which had a turnover of 3,552 million euros and accounted for 35.3% of the Basque Country total, exceeding the income obtained in 2022 by 8.0%. Álava saw a rise of 5.5%, with turnover of 1,338 million euros. This province accounted for 13.3% of the total for the Basque Country.

The 7.7% increase in sales was due to the positive performance seen to varying degrees across the different employment strata. As such, the stratum without salaried workers, the strongest performer, increased sales by 8.7%. Next was the stratum of 1 to 19 employees, which saw turnover rise by 8.6%. In last place was the stratum of 20 or more employees, with turnover up 6.4%. With these variations, the stratum of 1 to 19 employees accounted for 53.6% of total turnover, the stratum of 20 or more employees accounted for 39.3% and the stratum without salaried workers took up the remaining 7.1%.

Employment is the highest since 2013, standing at 65,000 people

In 2023, employment in the Construction sector in the Basque Country grew by 3.3% compared to 2022. In absolute figures, this is an increase of 2,065 net jobs compared to the previous year, bringing the total to 65,068 jobs.

At provincial level, employment in the Construction sector was strongest in Gipuzkoa, where it rose by 5.2%, and Bizkaia, with employment up 3.1%. By contrast, in Álava the number of people employed fell by 0.4% in 2023 in comparison with 2022. As a result, in 2023, Bizkaia accounted for 53.1% of employment in the sector, Gipuzkoa 33.5% and Álava 13.4%.

In 2023, the number of hours worked indicator showed an upward trend in two of the three provinces. As such, there was an upturn of 4.1% in the Autonomous Region as a whole with Gipuzkoa registering an increase of 6.1% and Bizkaia up 3.9%. There was no significant variation in Álava, with 0.1%.

In addition, the actual trend in employment reflects differences according to establishment size. As such, only the stratum with the most employees - more than 20 - saw the biggest upturn in 2023, standing at 6.2%; next was the stratum of 1 to 19 people, which grew by 2.5%, while the group without salaried workers, self-employed people, showed a more moderate recovery, with an increase of 1.6%.

Period availables 202120222023

More than half of employment (57%) was concentrated in Finishing Works and Installations in Construction Work

In terms of size, the three main Construction subsectors were: Electrical installations, plumbing and other installations, with 19,670 jobs; Finishing works, with 17,456 jobs; and Building construction, with 11,891 people in work. Between them, they accounted for just over 75% of the total number of people employed in construction. In 2023, all three subsectors posted a positive trend: employment was up 4.7% in the Finishing works subsector, rose by 2.9% in Building construction and there was an increase of 2.5% in Installations.

It is worth noting that, in 2023, 12.1% of people employed in the Construction sector were women. This proportion is higher than that observed in 2022 (11.9%) and the highest since 2011.

Construction achieved its highest gross value added in the last ten years

Gross value added at factor costs, which represents the wealth generated by a company, grew by 9.9% in 2023, standing at 3,481 million euros, following an increase of 10.9% in Bizkaia, 9.7% in Álava and 8.4% in Gipuzkoa. Measured in current prices, this is the highest value registered in the last ten years.

Period availables 202120222023

Property development was the activity with the highest labour productivity in the construction sector

Property development, with 111,600 euros, was the activity with the highest labour productivity in the construction sector in the Basque Country in 2023, according to Eustat data.

It was followed by Construction of water projects, 93,400 euros, Construction of railways and underground railways¸ 84,600 euros, and Site preparation, 81,400 euros. Construction of bridges and tunnels and Construction of roads and motorways also registered values over 80,000 euros.

Conversely, Painting and glazing, 34,500 euros, and Other building completion and finishing, 35,000 euros, Joinery installation, 36,400 euros, and Floor and wall covering, 39,200 euros, were the construction activities with the lowest productivity.

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