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Labor force participation rate in Spain

Spain: Labor force participation rate was 57.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
57.4%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
125th
of 186 countries
All-time high
59.4%
in 2012
All-time low
49.7%
in 1991
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force participation rate in Spain, 1990–2025

02040601990200720251990: 49.9 %1991: 49.7 %1992: 49.8 %1993: 49.9 %1994: 50.3 %1995: 50.1 %1996: 50.4 %1997: 50.9 %1998: 51.2 %1999: 51.8 %2000: 52.9 %2001: 52.1 %2002: 53.7 %2003: 54.8 %2004: 55.7 %2005: 56.9 %2006: 57.8 %2007: 58.3 %2008: 59.1 %2009: 59.3 %2010: 59.4 %2011: 59.4 %2012: 59.4 %2013: 59.1 %2014: 58.7 %2015: 58.6 %2016: 58.3 %2017: 58 %2018: 57.6 %2019: 57.6 %2020: 56.4 %2021: 57.3 %2022: 57.6 %2023: 57.6 %2024: 57.8 %2025: 57.4 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Spain recorded 57.4% for labor force participation rate in 2025.

The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Spain peaked at 59.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 49.7%, in 1991.

That places Spain 125th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 50.4% 49.7% 51.8% 10
2000s 56.1% 52.1% 59.3% 10
2010s 58.6% 57.6% 59.4% 10
2020s 57.3% 56.4% 57.8% 6

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 122 Costa Rica 57.7% compare
  2. 123 Slovenia 57.6% compare
  3. 124 Uzbekistan 57.5% compare
  4. 126 Kyrgyzstan 57.4% compare
  5. 127 Fiji 57.2% compare
  6. 128 Lesotho 57.1% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate in Spain?
Labor force participation rate in Spain was 57.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 59.4% in 2012.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 49.7% in 1991.
How does Spain rank for labor force participation rate?
Spain ranks 125th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Spain data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).