LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Spain
Spain: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 13.54 in 2025. ▲ Rising
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Spain, 1998–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Spain recorded 13.54 for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.1% on the previous year and down 47.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Spain peaked at 30.01 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 11.77, in 2001.
Spain ranks 22nd of 89 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Spain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 19.98 | — |
| 1999 | 17.32 | -13.3% |
| 2000 | 15.27 | -11.8% |
| 2001 | 11.77 | -22.9% |
| 2002 | 12.69 | +7.8% |
| 2003 | 12.55 | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 12.48 | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 14.02 | +12.3% |
| 2006 | 12.66 | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 11.88 | -6.2% |
| 2008 | 14.65 | +23.4% |
| 2009 | 21.41 | +46.1% |
| 2010 | 23.75 | +11.0% |
| 2011 | 24.91 | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 28.53 | +14.5% |
| 2013 | 30.01 | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 28.3 | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 25.54 | -9.8% |
| 2016 | 23.12 | -9.5% |
| 2017 | 20.56 | -11.1% |
| 2018 | 18.49 | -10.1% |
| 2019 | 17.19 | -7.1% |
| 2020 | 20.05 | +16.7% |
| 2021 | 18.93 | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 16.36 | -13.6% |
| 2023 | 15.14 | -7.5% |
| 2024 | 14.58 | -3.7% |
| 2025 | 13.54 | -7.1% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 13.54 is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.45, 1.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Spain's 13.54 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.71, 1.6× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Spain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +46.1% | 14.65 | 21.41 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.65 | 17.32 | 19.98 | 2 |
| 2000s | 13.94 | 11.77 | 21.41 | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.04 | 17.19 | 30.01 | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.43 | 13.54 | 20.05 | 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 lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Spain?
- Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Spain was 13.54 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 30.01 in 2013.
- What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.77 in 2001.
- How does Spain rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
- Spain ranks 22nd out of 89 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
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. LU3 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment or the potential labour force. Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.