Rabat – For the second consecutive month, Moroccans emerged as the largest group of foreign contributors to Spain’s social security system, according to data released by the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
As of May 2024, a record 358,371 Moroccan workers were affiliated with the system, reflecting an increase of nearly 11,500 compared to April. This surge puts them ahead of Romanians (351,890 contributors) who previously held the top spot.
The trend extends beyond the top two nationalities. The ministry reports a significant rise in foreign social security memberships overall, reaching a new high of 2.8 million employees in May. This represents a surge of over 77,000 contributors in a single month.
This growth is particularly impressive considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry highlights that foreign contributor numbers have risen by a staggering 627,864 since December 2019, pre-dating the pandemic’s impact.
The data also reveals a breakdown by origin. Roughly two-thirds (67.9%) of foreign contributors hail from non-EU countries, with Morocco, Romania, Colombia, Italy, Venezuela, and China leading the pack.
This trend reflects Spain’s growing economic ties with North Africa and Latin America, along with a continued presence of European workers. The remaining third (32.1%) come from EU member states, highlighting the continued importance of free movement of labor within the European Union.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has also had a noticeable impact. The number of Ukrainian affiliates has jumped by nearly 50% since the beginning of 2022, with over 70,000 Ukrainians now contributing to the system.
Finally, the data indicates a gender breakdown within the foreign workforce. Nearly 1.6 million foreign contributors are men, while over 1.3 million are women.
This suggests a trend towards greater female participation in the Spanish labor market, although men still hold a slight majority.
The rise in foreign contributions to Spain’s social security system paints a complex picture. It reflects a recovering Spanish economy with a growing demand for foreign labor, while also highlighting the impact of global events like the war in Ukraine.
