Spain — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Spain, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Spain was 57.41% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 59.40% in 2012. The lowest was 49.74% in 1991 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.40% per year.
Spain ranks 125 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 67%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 60.12%, so Spain sits below it. It peaked in 2012 and has fallen 3% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 2%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 34 of 49 economies; Kyrgyz Republic (57.37%) is just below it.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 172 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 161st of 187 in 1990 → 147th of 187 in 2000 → 111th of 187 in 2010 → 122nd of 187 in 2020 → 124th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57.41% | -0.4 pp |
| 2024 | 57.84% | +0.3 pp |
| 2023 | 57.59% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 57.57% | +0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 57.27% | +0.9 pp |
| 2020 | 56.4% | -1.2 pp |
| 2019 | 57.63% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 57.63% | -0.4 pp |
| 2017 | 58.05% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 58.33% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 58.62% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 58.73% | -0.4 pp |
| 2013 | 59.13% | -0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 59.4% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 59.37% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 59.36% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 59.25% | +0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 59.08% | +0.7 pp |
| 2007 | 58.34% | +0.5 pp |
| 2006 | 57.84% | +1.0 pp |
| 2005 | 56.88% | +1.2 pp |
| 2004 | 55.73% | +0.9 pp |
| 2003 | 54.82% | +1.2 pp |
| 2002 | 53.66% | +1.6 pp |
| 2001 | 52.09% | -0.8 pp |
| 2000 | 52.89% | +1.1 pp |
| 1999 | 51.77% | +0.5 pp |
| 1998 | 51.24% | +0.3 pp |
| 1997 | 50.92% | +0.5 pp |
| 1996 | 50.42% | +0.3 pp |
| 1995 | 50.12% | -0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 50.31% | +0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 49.87% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 49.8% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 49.74% | -0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 49.86% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Spain’s Labor participation in 1991?
49.74% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Spain’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +15.1% in total — about 0.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 57.41%; 2024: 57.84%; 2023: 57.59%; 2022: 57.57%; 2021: 57.27%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.