Spain records historic gross annual salary as 70% earn under €30,000

Spain's latest labour‑market data show that the average gross annual salary rose to a historic €28,400, while total labour cost per worker reached €38,749, a 3.3 % increase. Social‑security contributions accounted for about 24 % of this cost, and salaries plus contributions made up 97.4 % of total labour expense. The highest sectoral cost was in electricity, gas and steam supply (€86,048), and the lowest in hospitality (€23,690). Regional differences were pronounced, with the Community of Madrid posting the highest cost per worker (€45,983) and Extremadura, the Canary Islands and Murcia the lowest.

A separate analysis of tax declarations reveals that 70 % of Spanish earners receive less than €30,000 a year, and over half earn under €21,000. The average gross monthly wage is about €2,400, but 63 % earn below that level. Inflation remains above wage growth, with consumer‑price rises around 3 % year‑on‑year in mid‑2026, pressuring households whose incomes are already modest.