Spain foreign worker affiliation reaches record 3.6 million

Foreign worker affiliation with the Spanish Social Security reached a historic high of 3,635,979 in September, representing 16.2% of total contributors. This marks a 17.7% increase compared to the previous year.

In the Comunitat Valenciana region, foreign workers account for 443,158 affiliates, a year-on-year increase of 21.75%. Valencia leads the region in total volume with 217,063 foreign affiliates, growing 21.62% annually. Alicante recorded the highest regional growth rate at 23.36%, reaching 172,028 affiliates. Castellón reported 54,068 affiliates, a 17.34% annual increase.

The growth is partly attributed to an extraordinary regularization process, which accounts for over 421,000 registrations. Since the 2022 labor reform, foreign workers have accounted for 52.3% of all new employment created. By nationality, Morocco remains the largest group of contributors, followed by Colombia and Romania.