Informal employment in Spain
Spain: Informal employment was 810.32 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Informal employment in Spain, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment in Spain is 810.32, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Spain peaked at 1,604 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 476.47, in 2012.
Spain ranks 41st of 81 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Informal employment in Spain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1,604 | — |
| 2008 | 739.22 | -53.9% |
| 2009 | 561.08 | -24.1% |
| 2010 | 638.1 | +13.7% |
| 2011 | 516.47 | -19.1% |
| 2012 | 476.47 | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 592.37 | +24.3% |
| 2014 | 862.37 | +45.6% |
| 2015 | 898.28 | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 675.23 | -24.8% |
| 2017 | 855.27 | +26.7% |
| 2018 | 708.94 | -17.1% |
| 2019 | 807.38 | +13.9% |
| 2020 | 687.65 | -14.8% |
| 2021 | 1,102 | +60.3% |
| 2022 | 948.1 | -14.0% |
| 2023 | 784.09 | -17.3% |
| 2024 | 802.91 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 810.32 | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 968.25 | 561.08 | 1,604 | 3 |
| 2010s | 703.09 | 476.47 | 898.28 | 10 |
| 2020s | 855.92 | 687.65 | 1,102 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More work & labour data for Spain
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.527 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5576 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4982 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.05 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1207 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,073 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,322 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 17,076 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 16,051 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 33,128 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Spain?
- Informal employment in Spain was 810.32 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 1,604 in 2007.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 476.47 in 2012.
- How does Spain rank for informal employment?
- Spain ranks 41st out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Spain data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for informal employment is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.