For the first time in Spain's contemporary labour history, Latin American workers now outnumber all Europeans affiliated to Social Security. A milestone that reflects not only a demographic shift, but also the commitment of thousands of people to build their future in the country, driven by what they themselves describe as "drive" and "eagerness to work".

1.2 million Latin Americans, more than all Europeans combined

According to elpais.com, Social Security affiliation has reached a record 22.47 million jobs. Since June 2019, Spain has created nearly three million new jobs, an unprecedented figure in Spanish labour statistics.

Of those nearly three million, 692,000 correspond to workers of Latin American origin, representing 23.4% of total growth. But what is truly significant is that this population now totals 1.2 million affiliates, a figure that for the first time since consolidated records began (from 2012) surpasses the combined total of Romanians, Italians, French and other foreign European workers.

Colombia leads new worker arrivals

The momentum accelerated sharply in the past year. Since June 2025, Spain has gained 605,000 new contributors, of which no fewer than 199,000 are Latin Americans: one third of the total. This figure contrasts dramatically with the 134,000 Latin American affiliates who arrived in 2023, showing a marked acceleration of the trend.

Colombia leads in contributing to this increase, with 72,700 new affiliates in the past year. Other countries in the region follow, though the material does not specify a complete ranking.

Stories of effort: from informality to formal work

Behind these figures are personal stories of perseverance. Luis Loreto, a 46-year-old Venezuelan living in Madrid, arrived in Spain just before the pandemic and works as a self-employed specialist in audiovisual equipment for events. "We come with eagerness, we have the drive and determination to work in this country," he explains, stressing that he has been able to "develop my trade here, with great effort".

Not everyone had such a straightforward start. Sofía Moscoso, a 53-year-old Bolivian who has lived in Mallorca for over two decades, arrived on a tourist visa and tried to work as a waitress, but without papers all doors were closed. "I spent a long time as a live-in worker. The journey has been extremely hard, but gradually things have been sorted out," she recalls. Today she works in a church where she sees more and more Latin Americans among mass attendees.

Extraordinary regularisation accelerates formalisation

A key element in the coming months will be the impact of the extraordinary regularisation that closed on 30 June 2026. According to data provided by Social Security, the process has resulted in an increase of 159,000 foreign affiliates by June. Although the department of Elma Saiz does not break down figures by country, it has specified that around two thirds of applications come from Latin America.

Mónica Monguí, migration specialist at Complutense University of Madrid and native of Colombia, underscores the importance of this regularisation: "Favourable decisions will allow many people who already lived in Spain, and in many cases were already working informally, to formally enter the labour market".

What explains this upward trend?

According to Monguí, "it is foreseeable that the arrival of Latin American population will continue as long as worker demand, demographic ageing and care and service needs persist". However, she warns that the pace will also depend on factors such as access to housing, wages, migration policies and the political and economic situation in countries of origin.

Already consolidated family and community networks play a decisive role, facilitating new migration projects and family reunion processes. It is likely that in the coming months, following the extraordinary regularisation, these figures will continue to grow significantly.

The fact is that Spain can no longer understand its labour market without the active contribution of Latin American workers. The question everyone is now asking is whether integration, housing and service policies can sustain the pace of this influx.