"Spanish wages are among the lowest in Europe"
Spain is not among the worst-paying countries per hour worked.
Labour cost per hour (2024)
Germany 43.4€
France 43.7€
EU average 33.5€
Italy 30.9€
Spain 25.5€
Source: Eurostat — lc_lci_lev
Rank 12 of 26
Spain sits in the middle of the European distribution.
So why do people earn less?
Hours worked per year
1908h
Spain
1778h
Germany
+130h more in Spain
Productivity per hour
76%
Spain vs Euro zone
63%
Spain vs Germany
Spain produces less per hour
The result
Spain works more hours than Germany. But produces less per hour.
More hours don't compensate for lower productivity. Annual wages end up lower.
The problem is not "low pay per hour". It is low output per hour worked.
About this data
- * Labour cost = gross wage + employer social contributions
- * Companies with 10 or more employees
- * 2024 data extrapolated from the Labour Cost Survey 2020
- * Productivity = GDP per hour worked (Euro Zone index = 100)
- * Spain produces 76% of what the Euro Zone produces per hour worked
Low pay per hour? Not really.
Less per year? Yes. And not by chance.