Market study of the agri-food sector
The food industry sector is the main manufacturing activity in both the EU and Spain. This agri-food sector accounts for 14.6% of sales and a value of over €1,244 billion, 17.1% more than in 2014.
Specifically in Spain, it is the main industrial branch, with a turnover of more than 94,000 million euros in 2015, a figure that represents the historical maximum and more than 22.3% of the Gross Value Added of the total national manufacturing.
The food and beverage industry is more important in Spain than in the EU, both in terms of the number of companies and in terms of production, employment and foreign trade.
2016 was a positive year for the food and beverage industry, consolidating its position as the leading industrial sector of the Spanish economy.
It should be noted that the IPRI (Industrial Price Index) of the food sector has grown with respect to 2015 and 2014, maintaining a similar evolution to that of manufacturing as a whole.
Three years ago it meant a decline in household food consumption of 2.4% in volume and a fall in average prices of 1.2%, variables that reduced expenditure by 3.5%. However, in 2015 it grew by about 0.9% despite the decline in purchase volume.
One of the pillars of good evolution of the IAB is the continuous increase in exports that has been observed in recent years and which has become the major growth driver of the agri-food sector.
Spain exports 25% of what it produces.
All these data indicate in which the sector is on track to meet the overall objectives of the IAB Strategic Framework.launched in 2014, focused on achieving sustained sales growth of 41TP3YoY and increasing exports to €46 billion by 2020.
The trade surplus continues to grow, reaching a figure of 10,721 million euros in 2015, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Continuing with the market study of the agri-food sector, the value of food exports in 2015 reached 41,282 million euros, including fruit and vegetable products, which exceeded 17,000 million. The increase in turnover has doubled that experienced in 2014 and reveals an upward trend in the average prices of what Spain sells abroad.
All these data confirm the IAB's commitment to the industry abroad, which has gained positions in almost all international markets. Spain ranks fourth in exports, behind the Netherlands, Germany and France.
