Region · Spain · All places
An industrious, food-obsessed region with its own language, its own tax system and some of Spain's best public services.
The Basque Country is a small, densely populated region on Spain's northern coast, next to the French border. It has three provinces: Bizkaia, with Bilbao; Gipuzkoa, with San Sebastián (Donostia); and Álava, with Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital. Mountains fall steeply into the sea, and the three cities are close enough that a day trip links them.
It is one of the richest and best-run regions in Spain, with high wages, low unemployment and good public services. It also has one of the oldest languages in Europe, Basque (Euskara), which is unrelated to Spanish or any other known language, and a culture that is distinctly its own.
For movers it offers quality of life and food at a price. The price is housing, which is expensive, especially in San Sebastián. The region has 2,242,343 residents (2025).
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
País Vasco stands out for wellbeing, healthcare and housing. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €706 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from País Vasco’s figures. They are inferences, not official statistics: each says what it rests on.
Few residents come from English-speaking or northern European countries, so daily life runs in Spanish. Contracts, the town hall and most doctors work in Spanish or Basque.
Basque is an official language alongside Spanish. Expect it on signs, at the town hall and in state schools.
People born abroad are in work less often than people born in Spain. Remote income or a job offer makes the move far easier.
Pintxo crawls at the bar counter, grill houses for hake and txuleta steak, and cider houses in winter.
Punctual, organised and hard-working, with long lunches and early evenings out.
Bar-hopping with small plates and small glasses in every old town, with live music at festivals.
Bilbao's riverside and old town, San Sebastián's bay and Gros, calm Vitoria-Gasteiz inland.
Basque and Spanish are both official, with bilingual signs and a strong Basque-language school network.
Semana Grande in San Sebastián, Aste Nagusia in Bilbao and the film festival in September.
Surf at Zarautz and Mundaka, coastal hikes, cycling and mountain days in an hour.
The Basque Country takes its food more seriously than any other part of Spain. In bars, pintxos, small plates on bread or on a stick, line the counter, and you eat a few at each of several places, with a small glass of wine or a txikito. Gastronomic societies, called txokos, cook and eat together in private. The region has many Michelin-starred restaurants for its size, and the simple grill houses are just as celebrated for steak, hake and txuleta.
San Sebastián is the elegant one: a curved bay with a beach in the city, a belle-époque promenade, a film festival and a food scene that draws visitors from around the world. Bilbao is the working city that has changed, with the Guggenheim, a revived riverside and a lively old town. Vitoria-Gasteiz is calm, green and well planned, often at the top of quality-of-life lists, with a medieval centre.
People are reserved at first, hard-working, punctual and loyal, with a strong sense of community. They take part in sports such as rowing, stone lifting and pelota. Festivals are loud, with local music, dancing and long, communal meals. Basque flags and the Basque language are everywhere, and political and cultural identity is a topic.
The Basque Country industrialised early, on the back of iron ore and steel, shipbuilding and banking around Bilbao. When heavy industry declined in the 1980s, the region reinvented itself with advanced manufacturing, engineering, energy and the Mondragón cooperatives. The opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1997 became a symbol of that reinvention.
Its most unusual feature is financial autonomy. Under a historic arrangement, the Basque provinces collect most taxes themselves and send an agreed amount to the Spanish state. This gives the region the means to fund generous public services and to set its own tax rules, which is why health, education and wages look so strong. Unemployment is 7.3% (2025), and the average gross salary is €35,170 a year (2024). Output per person is 45,800 PPS (2024).
For decades, political violence by the group ETA overshadowed the region. It ended in 2011, and today serious violent crime is rare. Homicides are 0.31 per 100k people (2024). Petty theft is a different story, since busy old towns and visitors in San Sebastián and Bilbao push recorded theft to 456 per 100k people (2024), and safety comes out above average. Life expectancy is 84.7 years (2024), and healthcare comes out strong.
Housing is the weak point. The cities are hemmed in by mountains and sea, and demand from well-paid workers and visitors outruns supply. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €706 a month (2024), and buying costs €3,102 per square metre (Q2 2026).
Figures for País Vasco. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses País Vasco data only and compares it with other regions. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Wellbeing is strong: in the top 10% of European metro regions.
At risk of poverty: 9.30% — better than 84% of European metro regions
Strong: 84 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| At risk of povertyPaís Vasco · 2025 | 9.30% | better than 84% of European metro regions |
| Material deprivationPaís Vasco · 2025 | 3.00% | better than 84% of European metro regions |
Healthcare is strong: in the top 10% of European metro regions.
Life expectancy: 84.7 years — better than 93% of European metro regions
Strong: 83 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Wait for a specialist appointmentPaís Vasco · 2025-H2 | 49.0 days | better than 91% of Spanish regions |
| Wait for surgeryPaís Vasco · 2025-H2 | 64.0 days | better than 91% of Spanish regions |
| DoctorsPaís Vasco · 2024 | 603 per 100k people | better than 67% of European metro regions |
| Life expectancyPaís Vasco · 2024 | 84.7 years | better than 93% of European metro regions |
| Infant mortalityPaís Vasco · 2024 | 2.00 per 1,000 births | better than 89% of European metro regions |
Housing is above average compared with other European regions.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Households spending >40% of income on housing: 4.90% — better than 95% of European metro regions
Above average: 63 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Households spending >40% of income on housingPaís Vasco · 2025 | 4.90% | better than 95% of European metro regions |
| Rent per m²País Vasco · 2024 | 10.1 €/m² a month | better than 8% of Spanish regions |
| Buying price per m²País Vasco · 2026-Q2 | 3,102 €/m² | better than 13% of Spanish regions |
| House prices, change in a yearPaís Vasco · 2026-Q2 | 10.0% | better than 92% of Spanish regions |
Safety is above average: in the top quarter of European metro regions.
Homicides: 0.31 per 100k people — better than 92% of European metro regions
Above average: 60 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesPaís Vasco · 2024 | 0.31 per 100k people | better than 92% of European metro regions |
| Recorded crimePaís Vasco · 2025 | 48.9 per 1,000 people | better than 32% of Spanish regions |
| RobberiesPaís Vasco · 2024 | 97.2 per 100k people | better than 30% of European metro regions |
| BurglariesPaís Vasco · 2024 | 174 per 100k people | better than 45% of European metro regions |
| Road deathsPaís Vasco · 2024 | 2.10 per 100k people | better than 71% of European metro regions |
| Assault ratePaís Vasco · 2024 | 255 per 100k people | better than 61% of European metro regions |
| TheftsPaís Vasco · 2024 | 456 per 100k people | better than 86% of European metro regions |
| Vehicle theftsPaís Vasco · 2024 | 26.5 per 100k people | better than 89% of European metro regions |
Jobs is around the middle: around the middle of European metro regions.
Median gross salary: 31,912 € a year per worker — better than 97% of Spanish regions
Average: 57 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross salaryPaís Vasco · 2024 | 31,912 € a year per worker | better than 97% of Spanish regions |
| UnemploymentPaís Vasco · 2025 | 7.30% | better than 35% of European metro regions |
| Employment rate (20–64)País Vasco · 2025 | 74.7% | better than 28% of European metro regions |
| Long-term unemploymentPaís Vasco · 2025 | 2.30% of the workforce | better than 41% of European metro regions |
| Youth unemployment (15–24)País Vasco · 2025 | 18.6% | better than 44% of European metro regions |
| Labour-force participationPaís Vasco · 2025 | 74.6% | better than 28% of European metro regions |
| Youth not in employment/education/trainingPaís Vasco · 2025 | 7.20% | better than 74% of European metro regions |
| Jobs in high-tech sectorsPaís Vasco · 2025 | 4.70% of jobs | better than 22% of European metro regions |
Prosperity is around the middle: better than most European metro regions.
Household income per person: 26,800 PPS per person — better than 84% of European metro regions
Average: 57 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Household income per personPaís Vasco · 2023 | 26,800 PPS per person | better than 84% of European metro regions |
| Economic output per personPaís Vasco · 2024 | 45,800 PPS per person | better than 31% of European metro regions |
What we cannot score for País Vasco yet
The coast has a mild, damp Atlantic climate. Summers are warm but rarely hot, and winters are mild and wet. The sky is often grey, and rain can fall on any day of the year. Álava, the inland province, is colder and drier, with frost and fog in winter and warm summers.
It is a year-round region for people who accept the weather. The beaches of San Sebastián and the surf of Zarautz and Mundaka are at their best from June to September, while the food, the mountains and the cities are good in all seasons. People who need a lot of sun may find the grey months long.
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70/100 · above average · 8th of 34 European metro regions
7.3% in 2025
5.0% in Sep 2026
2.6% in 2024
45,800 PPS in 2024
10.0% in Q2 2026
€3,102 per m² in Q2 2026
84.7 years in 2024
74.7% in 2025
Facts about the people who live in País Vasco. Shown as context only: none of this changes a score.
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Cost of living and housing by region
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Regional differences in public healthcare
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Fit from the data, 0 to 100, against other Spanish regions. Open a group to see the figures behind it.
Excellent public health care, short waits and a good transport system, with a cool summer. Housing is dear and the winter is wet.
Not measured yet: Climate, Cost of Living, Days above 35 °C, Environment, Frost days, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry).
Excellent private schools and restaurants, safe neighbourhoods and a favourable regional tax system for businesses. Prime property is expensive.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Distance to the main airport, Education, Environment, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Safe streets, good schools, green space and a strong public sector. Basque-language schooling is a common choice and worth considering.
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average commute (one way), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation.
Strong industrial base, a cooperative culture, regional funding and a reliable tax regime. The market is small compared with Madrid or Barcelona.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for founders and self-employed: Barakaldo (68), Bilbao (63)
Not measured yet: Connectivity, Digital, Distance to the main airport, Regulatory quality.
A good job market in engineering, energy, finance and services, with salaries above the Spanish average. Rent is high, especially in San Sebastián.
Better in the region for young professionals: Vitoria-Gasteiz (71), San Sebastián (70), Bilbao (56)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Lifestyle, Median age, Transport.
The universities of the region are good, and Bilbao and San Sebastián are lively student cities. Rooms are expensive.
Better in the region for students: San Sebastián (57), Vitoria-Gasteiz (55)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Median age, Price level vs EU average, Transport, Walk most.
Michelin-star dining, pintxo bars, the Guggenheim, jazz and film festivals and a distinct language and tradition. One of the best regions for food culture.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for culture, food and nightlife: San Sebastián (73), Vitoria-Gasteiz (69), Bilbao (54)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Lifestyle, Median age, Transport, Walk most.
This is not one of the cheaper regions. Vitoria-Gasteiz and smaller towns are the best value.
Better in the region for budget-conscious movers: Vitoria-Gasteiz (54)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Price level vs EU average.
Fast connections, a high quality of life and a food scene that is the main reason many people come. Costs are higher than elsewhere in northern Spain, and the main flight hub is Bilbao, with a few European routes.
Not measured yet: Climate, Connectivity, Cost of Living, Digital, Distance to the main airport, Fixed broadband penetration, Homes with fibre to the door, Lifestyle, Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry).
Surf, hiking, cycling and climbing all within an hour. The weather can be wet, but the setting is excellent.
Nothing stands out.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Climate, Days above 35 °C, Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Frost days, Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry), Rainy days (≥1 mm), Strong-wind days.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in País Vasco as anywhere in Spain.
Click a column to sort. Columns with too little data are left out.
| Place | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getxo | 68 | €794 | n/a | n/a | 107 | n/a |
| Bilbao | 66 | €806 | 9.0% | 68.1 per 1,000 people | 107 | 83.9 years |
| Vitoria-Gasteiz | 66 | €645 | 7.2% | 49.5 per 1,000 people | 98 | 84.8 years |
| Barakaldo | 65 | €733 | n/a | n/a | 107 | n/a |
| San Sebastián | 62 | €979 | 5.6% | 58.5 per 1,000 people | 98 | 83.9 years |
| Irun | 57 | €692 | 7.9% | 65.1 per 1,000 people | 98 | 84.0 years |
Guide written 2026-10-22. Figures are refreshed as new official data is published; the period beside each number says what it covers. “Our read” cards are our inferences from those figures. How we score
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