Spain is the country with the highest unemployment rate of the European Union, according to the latest available data: this is the ranking

The Active Population Survey (EPA) published Tuesday by the INE has shown some improvement in the Spanish labor market. The data show that the paró rate decreased at the end of 2024 to the 10.6% (59 hundredths less compared to the anterior quarter) and 265,000 unemployed less were counted.

Despite the pull of employment in our country, at European Spain Spain continues to be one of the countries with the highest unemployment rate in Europe, according to the latest data published by Eurostat this Thursday.

With updated data of December 2024, The unemployment rate in Spain is -Coincidating with the data of the 10.6%. In the last year, the unemployment rate of our country has been descending. It was, according to the data of the European Statistical Office, of 11.9% in December 2023, and although Spain also cuts a tenth compared to the November data, 2024 (10.7%) remains the country of the European Union with Greater unemployment rate according to the published figures.

Thus, Spain surpasses countries such as Greece, Finland, Sweden, Portugal or France.

The unemployment rate in Europe

The unemployment rate in the euro zone in December, according to Eurostat, was 6.3%. In the EU as a whole, the unemployment rate was 5.9%. In this way, our country exceeds this last figure in more than four points.

Stopping in the balance by countries, Spain leads with 10.6%. They are followed by Greece with 9.40%, Finland with 8.6%and Sweden with 8.5%. Other countries such as France, Portugal or Italy record a 7.8%, 6.4%and 6.2%unemployment rate, respectively.

At the opposite end of the ranking are Czech Republic with 2.60% and Poland and Malta with 3%. The German unemployment rate was at the end of 2024 of 3.4%.

In this way, between the country that leads the ranking – Spain – and the one that closes it – Czech Republic – there is a difference of eight points.

According to statistics estimates, about 12.97 million people in the EU were unemployed in December. Of these, 10.83 live in the Eurozone.

The unemployed in the EU rose in 94,000 people in a month and in the euro zone in 96,000. Making the annual comparison, unemployment figures fall in 261,000 in the EU and 266,000 in the Eurozone. In the case of Spain, the Total unemployed rises to 2.6 million of unemployed compared to the 2.8 million registered in December 2023.

Spain, youth unemployment leader

Although the EPA does not stop in youth unemployment, Spain also leads in Europe in this ranking with a rate of 25.3%according to the latest data available in the European Statistical Office.

Spain is followed % in this measurement.

On the other side are Germany (6.4%), the Netherlands (8.7%) and the Czech Republic (9%). These three are the only ones with a rate of less than 10%.

Eurostat data shows that young people’s unemployment rates are significantly above the general computation. In fact, the unemployment rate among young Europeans in December 2024 was 15% in the EU and 14.8% in the Eurozone.

This implies that, in December 2024, 2.92 million young people from the European Union were unemployed and, from them, 2.35 million correspond to the Eurozone. Eurostat data shows that compared to December 2023, youth unemployment increased by 9,000 people in the EU and 24,000 in the euro area.

In the case of Spain, young people under 25 unemployed in December 2024 are located in the 451,000 compared to 497,000 of the same month of the year 2023.