Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Spain
Spain: Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 2,608 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Spain, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Spain stood at 2,608. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 48.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Spain peaked at 5,610 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 2,608, in 2025.
Spain ranks 3rd of 72 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Spain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5,610 | — |
| 2015 | 5,056 | -9.9% |
| 2016 | 4,481 | -11.4% |
| 2017 | 3,917 | -12.6% |
| 2018 | 3,479 | -11.2% |
| 2019 | 3,248 | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 3,531 | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 3,476 | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 3,079 | -11.4% |
| 2023 | 2,937 | -4.6% |
| 2024 | 2,771 | -5.7% |
| 2025 | 2,608 | -5.9% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 2,608 is above the median for high income countries, which is 169.05, 15.4× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Spain's 2,608 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 212.69, 12.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4,299 | 3,248 | 5,610 | 6 |
| 2020s | 3,067 | 2,608 | 3,531 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 1 United States 7,314 compare
- 2 Brazil 6,346 compare
- 4 France 2,451 compare
- 5 Japan 1,760 compare
- 6 United Kingdom 1,756 compare
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 unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Spain?
- Unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Spain was 2,608 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 5,610 in 2014.
- What is the lowest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,608 in 2025.
- How does Spain rank for unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- Spain ranks 3rd out of 72 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 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 includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.