Spain Sees Rise in Foreign Workforce Contributions

In October, the Social Security in Spain saw a notable increase in contributions from foreign nationals, indicating a diversifying workforce.

Yesterday, a report from the Spanish Government showed the total number of foreign contributors to national insurance in October was recorded at 2,683,504.

This figure represents an increase of 14,403 from the previous month, September, marking a significant increase since February 2020, just before the global pandemic struck. Since then, there’s been an addition of 494,083 foreign workers.

Growth In Average Contributors

In terms of average figures, without seasonal adjustments, October saw 2,683,937 foreign contributors to Social Security. This number is marginally higher by 3,053 compared to September.

Breaking it down, 879,986 workers are from EU countries, accounting for 32.8 per cent of the total, while a larger share of 67.2 per cent, equating to 1,803,951 workers, comes from non-EU countries.

The most substantial contingents are from Romania, Morocco, Italy, Colombia, and Venezuela. Interestingly, the split between genders is quite even, with men representing 55.7 per cent and women making up 44.3 per cent.

Over the past year, the average number of foreign contributors has escalated by nine per cent, which translates to 221,431 additional employed individuals.

Ukrainian Contributors’ Surge

A significant aspect of this demographic change is the contribution of Ukrainian nationals. Their numbers have reached 66,002, a 40 per cent increase since January 2022, prior to the onset of the war in their homeland.

The majority, 87 per cent, of Ukrainian workers are salaried employees within the General System, while the remaining 13 per cent are self-employed.

Sectoral Analysis

A sector-wise analysis shows that 83.8 per cent of foreign national contributors are part of the General System, totalling 2,248,483. The sectors witnessing the most significant growth are Education and Construction, alongside the Special Agricultural System.

Conversely, there’s been a decline in sectors like Public Administration and Agriculture, Livestock, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing.

The self-employed system in Spain accounts for 430,042 foreign contributors. Notably, the largest groups among these self-employed individuals come from China, Romania, and Italy, contributing 14.8 per cent, 10.9 per cent, and 9 per cent, respectively.