Spanish supplier payment delays

In the second quarter of 2026 Spanish companies kept paying suppliers later than the legal 14‑day limit, with the national average at 14.36 days – a modest improvement over the previous quarter but still above the target. Hospitality and administration continued to show the longest delays, exceeding 23 days, while construction, communications, education, commerce, extractive industries and manufacturing were comparatively faster. Regionally, Galicia and Andalusia hovered near the benchmark, whereas the Balearic Islands, Castilla‑La Mancha and the Valencian Community remained above it.

Public authorities showed a clearer shift toward faster settlements. In May, Extremadura reduced its average supplier payment time to 23.46 days, well under the 30‑day ceiling and ahead of the national regional average of 24.17 days. The municipality of Antequera cut its average payment period dramatically to 18.3 days, down from a historic 547‑day average in 2011, processing roughly €11 million across nearly 3,000 invoices and easing cash‑flow pressures for freelancers and SMEs.

Further municipal progress was recorded in the latest data. Los Barrios reported that its average payment period fell to 7.86 days in Q2 2026 after disbursing €3.4 million, a sharp improvement from 18.75 days in Q1. Mijas also announced a reduction, reaching 43.93 days – its third‑best figure since January 2020 – after introducing a new budgeting office and tighter contract controls that boosted larger‑scale tenders and cut minor contracts by over 30 %. These actions reinforce a broader trend of Spanish public bodies moving toward faster settlements for smaller suppliers, even as private‑sector delays persist.