Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Spain
Spain: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 10.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Spain, 1969–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Spain stood at 10.5%.
That represents a change of down 7.4% on the previous year and down 52.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Spain peaked at 26.1% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1970.
That places Spain 30th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Spain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 1.3% | — |
| 1970 | 1.1% | -15.4% |
| 1971 | 1.5% | +36.4% |
| 1972 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | +66.7% |
| 1974 | 3.1% | +24.0% |
| 1975 | 5.0% | +61.3% |
| 1976 | 4.9% | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 5.2% | +6.5% |
| 1978 | 7.0% | +34.1% |
| 1979 | 8.6% | +23.5% |
| 1980 | 11.4% | +32.4% |
| 1981 | 14.2% | +24.3% |
| 1982 | 16.0% | +13.0% |
| 1983 | 17.5% | +9.2% |
| 1984 | 20.2% | +15.8% |
| 1985 | 21.6% | +6.9% |
| 1986 | 21.3% | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 20.6% | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 19.9% | -3.7% |
| 1989 | 17.3% | -12.7% |
| 1990 | 16.3% | -6.1% |
| 1991 | 15.9% | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 17.7% | +11.1% |
| 1993 | 22.2% | +25.2% |
| 1994 | 24.2% | +9.3% |
| 1995 | 22.7% | -6.3% |
| 1996 | 22.1% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 20.7% | -6.5% |
| 1998 | 18.7% | -9.8% |
| 1999 | 15.5% | -17.1% |
| 2000 | 13.8% | -10.9% |
| 2001 | 10.3% | -24.9% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | +7.7% |
| 2003 | 11.3% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 11.1% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | -17.5% |
| 2006 | 8.5% | -7.6% |
| 2007 | 8.2% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 11.3% | +36.7% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | +58.7% |
| 2010 | 19.9% | +11.2% |
| 2011 | 21.4% | +7.7% |
| 2012 | 24.8% | +15.9% |
| 2013 | 26.1% | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 24.4% | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 22.1% | -9.8% |
| 2016 | 19.6% | -11.0% |
| 2017 | 17.2% | -12.3% |
| 2018 | 15.3% | -11.4% |
| 2019 | 14.1% | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 15.5% | +10.1% |
| 2021 | 14.9% | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 13.0% | -12.6% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | -6.6% |
| 2024 | 11.3% | -6.9% |
| 2025 | 10.5% | -7.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1970s | 4.0% | 1.1% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.0% | 11.4% | 21.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.6% | 15.5% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.3% | 8.2% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.5% | 14.1% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.9% | 10.5% | 15.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 28 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.7% compare
- 29 Nepal 10.7% compare
- 31 Mauritania 10.4% compare
- 32 Angola 10.4% compare
- 33 Bahamas 10.3% 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, total (% of total labor force) in Spain?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Spain was 10.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 26.1% in 2013.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1970.
- How does Spain rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Spain ranks 30th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.