Press release, 18 December 2025

MUNICIPAL GDP 2023

In 2023, Zierbena became the municipality with the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the Basque Country

In overall terms (and not including the provincial capitals), Barakaldo generated the region’s highest GDP

In 2023, the municipality of Zierbena in Bizkaia Province recorded the highest GDP per capita (539,311 euros) in the Basque Country, according to data prepared by Eustat. In second and third place are Zamudio (also in Bizkaia Province) and Olaberria (Gipuzkoa Province). There are two main changes in the list compared to the previous year: Zierbena rises to the top chiefly due to activities linked to electricity production and distribution, pushing Zamudio into second place. Moreover, Berantevilla, in the county of Añana, enters the top 10 thanks to its manufacturing activity, particularly the manufacture of transport material for the aviation industry.

In terms of overall GDP, i.e. without taking the population of the municipality into account, and not including the provincial capitals, Barakaldo (in the county of Gran Bilbao in Bizkaia Province) is the municipality that boasts the highest GDP in the Basque Country. Standing at 2,884,490,000 euros, it accounts for 3.1% of the Basque Country’s entire GDP. Barakaldo is followed by Irún (in the county of Bajo Bidasoa, Gipuzkoa Province), with 2,143,434,000 euros and 2.3% of total GDP; and Getxo (also in Gran Bilbao), with 1,987,353,000 euros, accounting for 2.1% of total GDP. Together, these top three municipalities, along with the provincial capitals, account for 44% of the Basque Country’s GDP. Bilbao boasts the highest GDP (14,252,770,000 euros) of all the provincial capitals in 2023, representing 15.3% of all economic activity in the Basque Country. It is followed by Vitoria-Gasteiz, (10,717,525,000 euros) and San Sebastián (9,019,605,000 euros), representing 11.5% and 9.7% of total GDP, respectively.

Industry is the predominant sector in the counties with the highest GDP per capita in Álava

The county of Rioja Alavesa accounts for 5.2% of the total GDP for the province of Álava, and also boasts the highest GDP per capita not only in Álava, but in the Basque Country as a whole. The distribution by sector for the municipalities in this county is somewhat different to that of the others, owing to the significant impact of winemaking activity: agricultural production in Rioja Alavesa is proportionately higher than in the other counties, and its industrial activity is closely linked to winemaking processes. These differences can clearly be observed in the municipality of Laguardia, where agriculture accounts for 5.7% of GDP and there is a more equal distribution between the industrial sector (46.3%) and services sector (46.6%), both of which are closely linked to the winemaking industry: the former through the manufacture of beverages and related packaging, and the latter through the municipality’s extensive hotel management and catering activities.

For its part, the county of Añana is home to two of the municipalities that have recorded the highest GDPs per capita in the whole of Álava Province: Berantevilla and Ribera Baja. In the former, the industrial sector has become even more important in recent years, accounting for 80.2% of all economic activity, with transport material for the aviation industry standing out among the rest of the manufacturing activities. The manufacture of transport material (railway material, in this case) also predominates in Ribera Baja, accounting for nearly 60% of all production activity.

In the county of Estribaciónes del Gorbea, the municipality of Legutio ranks among the top five municipalities in Álava by GDP per capita. Like most of the municipalities with higher levels of GDP per capita, Legutio’s production activity is centred on industry. It has a particular focus on sectors involving metalwork, such as mechanical engineering and iron and steel products.

Bernedo, in the county of Montaña Alavesa, ranks fourth among the five municipalities with the highest GDP per capita in Álava Province: its production activities are dominated by the services sector (77.9%), although agriculture, livestock and fishing also stands out with a share of 6.8%.

Three of the municipalities with the highest GDP per capita in Bizkaia are in the county of Gran Bilbao

Within the county of Gran Bilbao, Zamudio and Loiu stand alongside Zierbena for their high levels of GDP per capita. Production activity in Zamudio is linked to the municipality’s technology park, and is concentrated between the manufacturing industry – where the transport material sector is of particular importance – and the services sector, particularly professional and technical activities related to industry. Loiu, for its part, has a strong focus on the services sector, which account for 64.7% of the municipality’s GDP, followed by airport activities (air transport and related services), which account for 29.4%.

Economic activity in the municipalities of Ajangiz in the county of Gernika-Bermeo, and Mallabia in Duranguesado, follow a very similar pattern. In both cases, industrial activity accounts for around 75% of GDP, while services represent 23%. However, the types of economic activity underpinning these sectors are very different. In Ajangiz, industrial activity is based on the manufacture of plastic products, while its services sector is dominated by professional activities such as engineering, architecture and financial services. In contrast, Mallabia’s manufacturing activity is concentrated in the areas of transport material for the automotive industry, and mechanical engineering.

The counties of Goierri and Tolosaldea are home to the municipalities with the highest GDP per capita in Gipuzkoa

The five municipalities with the highest GDPs per capita in Gipuzkoa Province are located in the counties of Goierri and Tolosaldea. At county level, the three regions with the highest GDPs per capita are Donostialdea, Goierri and Alto Deba, which together account for 68% of Gipuzkoa’s total GDP. In the case of Donostialdea, its activity is clearly focused on services, which represent 78.6% of its economic activity. In the counties of Goierri and Alto Deba, meanwhile, there is a more equal distribution between industry and services.

Olaberria, in the county of Goierri, tops the list in Gipuzkoa with a GDP per capita of 384,286 euros. Economic activity in this municipality is dominated by industry, especially activities related to iron and steel products, electricity and general machinery, which represent 77.4% of GDP.

The same county is home to Arama and Ormaiztegi, which have a GDP per capita of 197,777 euros and 139,727 euros, respectively. Arama has an industry weight of 71.4% based mainly in the production of machinery and capital goods. However, with 87.7%, Ormaiztegi is the province with the highest industrial concentration in all of the Basque Country, this is due to Ormaiztegi’s extensive motor vehicle manufacturing activity.

Among the municipalities with the highest levels of GDP per capita in Gipuzkoa, Aduna (in the county of Tolosaldea) has the most even spread between industry and services, combining industrial activities related to motor vehicle manufacture and non-metal industry activities with those related to wholesale trade.

Lastly, Altzo (also located in the county of Tolosaldea) occupies fourth place in the ranking for Gipuzkoa. Once again, its economic activity is dominated by industry (74.9%), with the production of cement, lime and gypsum playing a particularly significant role.

Note:

GDP per capita, which is calculated by dividing the total GDP for each municipality by their population size, allows for a more standardised comparison of GDP between municipalities that have very different population sizes.

For a better interpretation of these data, a distinction must be made between the concepts of municipal GDP and municipal income. GDP is linked to production and the generation of wealth in the province, and is concentrated in municipalities that are home to sizeable production facilities. Income, on the other hand, is related to individuals and their place of residence.

The data for 2023 include the municipality of Usansolo, which is located in the county of Gran Bilbao in Bizkaia Province. The number of municipalities in each province is therefore: 113 in Bizkaia (45%), 88 in Gipuzkoa (35%) and 51 in Álava (20%).

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