# Spanish self-employed workforce trends

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/spanish-self-employed-workforce-trends
> Updated: 2026-10-17T21:56:41.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 2.

In September 2026, Spain experienced a national increase in self-employed workers, adding 14,229 new contributors to the RETA system, averaging approximately 474 new workers per day.

Growth was unevenly distributed across the country. The Community of Madrid saw the highest increase with 3,642 new workers, followed by Andalucía with 3,289. In Andalucía, Málaga and Sevilla were key drivers of growth, while Huelva recorded a decrease. Conversely, six autonomous communities—Castilla y León, Galicia, Aragón, Extremadura, Cantabria, and Asturias—along with Ceuta, reported losses during the same period.

Long-term data from Extremadura indicates a demographic shift within the sector. Between July 2022 and July 2026, the region saw a 35.7% increase in foreign entrepreneurs, who now comprise 4.4% of the local self-employed population, despite a loss of 195 Spanish nationals.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-17: Spain sees growth in self-employed workers amid regional shifts

Spain added over 14,000 self-employed workers in September, led by Madrid and Andalusia, despite regional declines and a growing trend of foreign entrepreneurs replacing Spanish nationals in areas like Extremad

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/spain-sees-growth-in-self-employed-workers-amid-regional-shifts

### 2026-10-03: Andalucía self-employed numbers rise by over 3,000 in September

Andalucía saw its largest September increase in self-employed workers in five years, with Málaga leading regional growth and accounting for 35% of the annual increase.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/andaluca-self-employed-numbers-rise-by-over-3000-in-september

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Cite as: Spanish self-employed workforce trends. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/spanish-self-employed-workforce-trends