Eustat

Press release 03/06/2011

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INDEX OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY (IPI) APRIL 2011

Industrial activity in the Basque Country grew by 3.0% in April 2011

Compared to the previous month, March 2011, the industrial production of the Basque Country fell by 0.5%

Industrial Production of the Basque Country grew by 3.0% in April 2011 compared to the same month of 2010, in homogenous terms of the working calendar, according to Eustat data. Compared to the previous month, March 2011, the industrial production in the Basque Country fell by 0.5%, once corrected for seasonal effects.

By sector, and using the classification of the major industrial sectors, the evolution of the index for April 2011 compared to April 2010 shows notable differences: Capital Goods and Intermediate Goods rose by 4.8%, in both cases, but Energy fell by 1.7% and Consumer Goods overall fell by 4.5% due, above all, to the downturn registered by Consumer Durables, which were down by 12.9%, as Consumer Non-Durables also dropped, but did so to a smaller extent (-1.9%).

The month-on-month variation in April 2011, compared to March 2011, also performed with a different sign for the main industrial groups. Capital Goods were up by 0.7% and Energy by 0.5%. Intermediate Goods posted a downturn of 1.9% and Consumer Goods overall were down by 4.8%, as Consumer Non-Durables fell by 6.0% and Consumer Durables increased by 0.1%.

The key sectors that posted greatest growth in April 2011 compared to the same month of the previous year were Machinery & Equipment and Electrical Equipment & Material, with rates of 15.6% and 14.5%, respectively.

On the other hand, Electricity, Gas & Steam and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Industries that recorded a year-on-year downturn of 7.3% and 7.2%, respectively.

By province, the April year-on-year performance for the Industrial Production Index was positive in the three provinces: It rose by 3.8% in Álava, 1.4% in Bizkaia and 4.2% in Gipuzkoa. The month-on-month growth rate was positive in Gipuzkoa, where it grew by 0.1% and in Álava, with a decrease of 2.2%, while there was a downturn in Bizkaia of 0.3% in March 2011.

For further information:

Basque Statistics Office
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Tel: +34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.es
Contact: Gerardo Pérez Aja
Tel: +34-945-01 75 06 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01
Further press releases on Industrial Production Index of the Basque Country (IPI).
Databank on Industrial Production Index of the Basque Country (IPI)