Spain's tax pressure under Sánchez tops EU, squeezing middle class

Since Pedro Sánchez became prime minister, Spain has recorded the steepest rise in tax burden across the European Union. Studies show that the effective personal income tax rate on a median salary has increased by roughly 13 percentage points, pushing the total fiscal load on a typical worker to more than half of the labor cost. The Juan de María Institute estimates that by 2025 the combined taxes, social contributions and indirect levies will amount to €21,607 per worker annually, representing about 54.7% of total labor expenses. European Commission data confirm Spain's tax pressure grew by 2.9 percentage points of GDP between 2015‑2019 and 2020‑2024, outpacing countries such as Lithuania and Luxembourg. Projections indicate the fiscal share of GDP could reach 38.4% by 2027, well above the euro‑area average.