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Side by side

País Vasco or Spain?

Each place uses its own local data. National rules (economy, geopolitical stability, governance, tax & finance) are the same for both, so they cannot separate them. Neither wins everywhere; the tradeoffs below are what matter.

All about País VascoAll about SpainChange a place

Data as of

Region

País Vasco

An industrious, food-obsessed region with its own language, its own tax system and some of Spain's best public services.

Quality of life70above average
Momentum70above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Atlantic coastOwn language: BasqueFood capitalIndustrial economyOwn tax systemPricey rent

5th of 34 European metro regions

Country

Spain

Sun, food and a life lived outdoors, from big-city careers to quiet coastal towns.

Quality of life56average
Momentum52average
Outlook25weak
Mediterranean countryPublic healthcare systemRegional languagesLate meals and street lifeTourism economy

16th of 30 EU + EFTA countries

País Vasco is a region and Spain a country. Each figure is that place’s own; scores compare each with its own peers (Spain with EU countries, regions with regions, cities with cities), so read them side by side rather than as a contest.

Why País Vasco

  • Homicides: 0.31 per 100k people vs 0.72 per 100k people
  • At risk of poverty: 9.3% vs 19.5%
  • Road deaths: 2.1 per 100k people vs 3.7 per 100k people
  • Burglaries: 174 per 100k people vs 293 per 100k people
  • High wages & low unemployment & strong public services
  • Food culture that is serious and local and everywhere

Watch out: Rents and house prices among the highest in Spain especially in San Sebastián; Grey wet weather and a culture where Basque is part of schools and public life.

Why Spain

  • Employment gap, born abroad vs born in Spain: -3.7 points vs -11.3 points
  • Residents who speak English: 24.6% of residents vs 21.1% of residents
  • A mild climate along the coast and islands and long days outdoors
  • Regional variety in food and landscape and language

Watch out: Job openings and pay that differ widely by region and sector; Procedures that vary by region and often run only in Spanish.

Of 34 figures both publish in the same unit, País Vasco is better on 15 and Spain on 3; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

84 · strongWellbeing25 · weak
83 · strongHealthcare59 · average
63 · above averageHousing49 · average
60 · above averageSafety46 · average
57 · averageJobs42 · average
57 · averageProsperity43 · average
–Geopolitical Stability100 · strong
–Demographics87 · strong
–Tax & Finance76 · strong
–Education62 · above average
–Economy59 · average
–Cost of Living56 · average
–Environment50 · average
–Governance32 · below average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigurePaís VascoSpainDifference
Housing
House prices, change in a year10.0%Q2 202612.1%Q2 2026País Vasco 2.1 pts lower
Households spending >40% of income on housing4.9%20257.2%2025País Vasco 2.3 pts lower
Cost of living
Household spending€38,835 a year2025€35,101 a year2025País Vasco 11% higher
Inflation5.0%Sep 20265.0%Sep 2026about the same
Money & work
Household income per person26,800 PPS a year202327,885 PPS a year2025about the same
Net income per person (survey)€19,923 a year2025€15,620 a year2025País Vasco 28% higher
Average gross salary€35,170 a year2024€29,540 a year2024País Vasco 19% higher
Median gross salary€31,912 a year2024€24,497 a year2024País Vasco 30% higher
Unemployment7.3%202510.0%Aug 2026País Vasco 2.7 pts lower
Youth unemployment (15–24)18.6%202524.9%2025País Vasco 6.3 pts lower
Employment rate (20–64)74.7%202573.0%Q2 2026País Vasco 1.7 pts higher
Safety
Homicides0.31 per 100k people20240.72 per 100k people2024Spain 2.3×
Robberies97 per 100k people2024130 per 100k people2024País Vasco 25% lower
Burglaries174 per 100k people2024293 per 100k people2024País Vasco 41% lower
Thefts456 per 100k people2024451 per 100k people2024about the same
Road deaths2.1 per 100k people20243.7 per 100k people2024País Vasco 43% lower
Health
Life expectancy84.7 years202484.0 years2024about the same
Doctors603 per 100k people2024464 per 100k people2024País Vasco 30% higher
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202552%2025País Vasco 5.7 pts higher
People
Population2,242,343202549,128,2972025Spain 21.9×
Residents who speak English21.1% of residents202124.6% of residents2021País Vasco 3.4 pts lower
Residents who speak English well12.3% of residents202114.7% of residents2021País Vasco 2.4 pts lower
At risk of poverty9.3%202519.5%2025País Vasco 10.2 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad14.3%202519.3%2025País Vasco 5.0 pts lower
Born in another EU country1.5% of residents20253.3% of residents2025País Vasco 1.7 pts lower
Born elsewhere in Europe0.7% of residents20251.7% of residents2025País Vasco 1.0 pts lower
Born in Latin America7.9% of residents20259.4% of residents2025País Vasco 1.4 pts lower
Born in Africa3.0% of residents20253.4% of residents2025about the same
Born in Asia0.9% of residents20251.3% of residents2025about the same
Born in North America or Oceania0.3% of residents20250.4% of residents2025about the same
Born abroad, change in 5 years3.8 points20254.4 points2025País Vasco 0.6 pts lower
Employment rate, born abroad65.5%202569.6%2025País Vasco 4.1 pts lower
Employment rate, born in Spain76.8%202573.3%2025País Vasco 3.5 pts higher
Employment gap, born abroad vs born in Spain-11.3 points2025-3.7 points2025País Vasco 7.6 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

68Retirees53
68High earners and investors57
56Families with children53
53Founders and self-employed54
50Young professionals39
47Students55
46Culture, food and nightlife–
45Budget-conscious movers43
–Remote workers57
–Beach, mountains and the outdoors46

Our read of each

País Vasco

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Basque is co-official here
  • Line up work before you come

Spain

    Data through Jun 2026 (País Vasco) and Sep 2026 (Spain). Figures are compared only when both places publish them in the same unit; a dot marks the better value where better is clear.

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