Spain sees growth in self-employed workers amid regional shifts

Spain recorded an average increase of 474 self-employed workers per day in September, adding a total of 14,229 new contributors to the RETA system. While the national trend is positive, growth is unevenly distributed across the country. The Community of Madrid led the increase with 3,642 new workers, followed by Andalusia with 3,289.

In contrast, six autonomous communities reported losses in September: Castilla y León, Galicia, Aragón, Extremadura, Cantabria, and Asturias, along with the city of Ceuta.

Longer-term data from Extremadura highlights a demographic shift in the self-employed sector. Between July 2022 and July 2026, the region gained 936 foreign self-employed workers while losing 195 Spanish nationals. This represents a 35.7% increase in foreign entrepreneurs in the region, who now account for 4.4% of the local self-employed population.