Press Release: Statistics on Disability in the Labour Market. EPD (Year 2024), WPD (Year 2023), and SWLPD (Year 2023).

Main results

The labour force participation rate of people with disabilities (16-64 years old) fell by 0.1 points in 2024 to 35.4%. The employment rate rose 0.4 points to 28.9%, while the unemployment rate fell 1.2 points to stand at 18.5%.
The average gross annual salary of workers with disabilities reached 23,159.7 euros in 2023, 5.1% higher than 2022. This figure represented 82.1% of the average salary of workers without disabilities (28,207.8 euros).
Among people with any relationship with Social Security in 2023, 10.0% had a recognised disability (degree of ≥33% and assimilated), 0.1 points lower than in 2022. Of these, 76.4% received only a contributory pension (-0.3 points), and 11.4% were only registered in active employment (0.6 points).

More information

Within the framework of the statistics on disability in the labour market, the INE today publishes the Survey on the Population with Disabilities (EPD for its Spanish initials), the Survey on the Wages of Persons with Disabilities (SPD) and the Employment History of People with Disabilities (VLPD). These operations provide a comprehensive view of the participation, remuneration and career paths of this group.

The working age population (16-64 years) with a recognised disability amounted to 1,941,500 persons in 2024, 0.3% less than in 2023. Of these, 687,500 were in the job market (0.4% fewer than the previous year), 560,400 were employed (1.1% more) and 127,100 were unemployed (6.6% fewer).

Although these figures reflect an improvement in labour market insertion, significant gaps persist with respect to the non-disabled population.

Employment of Persons with Disabilities

The labour force participation rate of people with disabilities stood at 35.4% in 2024, falling 0.1 points from the previous year. This rate is less than half that of 78.5% of the non-disabled population.

The employment rate stood at 28.9%, up 0.4 points from 2023, while the unemployment rate fell by 1.2 points to 18.5%; for the non-disabled population these rates were 69.7% and 11.2%, respectively.

By gender, the participation rate for women rose by 1.2 points to 36.3%, while it fell by 1.1 points for men to 34.7%. As for the employment rate, for women with disabilities it stood at 29.8% (1.5 points higher than in 2023) and 28.2% for men (0.4 points lower).

Evolution of the activity rate. 2024

Percentage

Evolution of the employment rate. 2024

Percentage

Evolution of the unemployment rate. 2024

Percentage

By age, the 25-44 age group showed the highest participation rate (48.6%), employment (37.6%) and unemployment (22.7%) rates. The youngest age bracket—16-24 years—had a labour force participation rate of 22.7%, an employment rate of 11.7%, and an unemployment rate of 48.6%.

By type of disability, Sensory Disability had the highest participation rate (52.4%), while Mental Disability had the lowest (29.8%).

Labour force participation, employment and unemployment rates by sex. Men. 2024

Percentage

Labour force participation, employment and unemployment rates by sex. Women. 2024

Percentage

69.9% of employed people with disabilities had jobs in the private sector, while 20.8% were employed in the public sector. 83.8% had permanent contracts and 82.5% were full-time.

22.7% of the employed benefited from contribution rebates or reductions (0.5 points more than in 2023). Those with sensory difficulties (29.2%) received the highest rebates and those with mental disabilities the lowest (19.0%).

By autonomous communities, the ones with the highest labour force participation rates were Cantabria (45.1%) and Comunidad de Madrid (41.5%). At the other end of the scale were the Canary Islands (28.4%) and the Principality of Asturias (29.3%).

Wages of Persons with Disabilities

The average gross annual salary of employed workers with disabilities was 23,159.7 euros in 2023, 5.1% higher than 2022.

By gender, salaries for women grew by 6.1% to 22,191.5 euros, while men's salaries went up by 4.0% to 23,853.3 euros. The gender gap among individuals with disabilities was reduced to 93.0%, from 91.1% in 2022.

As for the wage gap with non-disabled workers, it increased by 0.9 points to 82.1%.

Average profit. 2023

Euros

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By type of contract, permanent employees with disabilities earned 23,615.2 euros on average (5.6% more than in 2022). Temporary workers earned 20,647.0 euros (up 1.8%).

In full-time employment, the average salary stood at 27,289.8 euros (2.7% higher than 2022), while part-time salaries stood at 12,516.7 (11.1% more).

Distribution of gross annual salary. 2023

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By occupation, people with disabilities earned more in Industry and Construction (24,917.0 euros) than in the Services sector (22,863.2).

By type of disability, persons with Physical and other disabilities obtained the highest average salary (24,936.9 euros) and persons with Intellectual disabilities the lowest (16,152.4 euros).

The degree of disability had a negative influence. Thus, people with less severe disabilities (between 33% and 44%) earned 24,206.1 euros, compared to 21,634.3 and 21,239.7 euros for the 45% to 64% and over 65% disability groups, respectively.

Workers with disabilities who benefited from social security contribution rebates had an average salary of 18,929.7 euros. And those with a specific disability contract, 20,712.3 euros.

Employment History of Persons with Disabilities

Of the 33,015,200 people with Social Security in 2023 aged 16 and over, 3,305,700 (10.0%) had a recognised disability.

Of these, 2,526,700 received only a contributory pension—making up 76.4% of the total receiving Social Security, compared to 20.5% without disability—while 377,300 were exclusively registered as employed (11.4% compared to 63.3%).

Type of relationship with social security. 2023

Percentage

Of the employed people with disabilities, 58.5% were men, 68.3% were aged 45 or over, and 3.8% were foreigners.

The average age of first employment was 20.9 years, compared to 22.2 years for the non-disabled population. By gender, the average age for men was 20.1 and for women 22.0.

Disabled pensioners amounted to 2,795,900 (0.8% more than in 2022). Six out of 10 (60.6%) were over 65 years of age.

Revision and updating of data

As of the 2024 reference year, the tables of the operation Employment of Persons with Disabilities have incorporated a new classification based on ICD-10. This update adheres to the implementation of this classification in the State Database of Persons with Assessment of the Degree of Disability, managed by the IMSERSO, which constitutes the administrative source used for the identification of the group. Results from previous years are maintained with the previous ranking, to preserve historical comparability.

All the results from these operations are available in EPD, SPD y VLPD.

Methodological note

The main objective of the Disabled Population Survey (EPD for its Spanish initials) is to estimate the disabled population and its participation in the labour market.

Scope:: population aged 16 to 64 years old who are resident in Spain and have a degree of disability of ≥33% or assimilated (Royal Legislative Decree 1/2013).
Sampling:: two-stage stratified, sample size 46,000 dwellings (about 110,000 persons).
Collection:: administrative files and questionnaires.
Periodicity:: annual.

The Wages of Persons with Disabilities (SPD in its Spanish initials) operation is based on the Annual Wage Structure Survey, cross-referenced against the State Database of Persons with Disabilities (IMSERSO).

Scope:: salaried workers contributing to Social Security.
Sample:: Approximately 28,500 establishments and 220,000 workers.
Collection:: administrative files and questionnaires.

The Employment History of Persons with Disabilities (VLPD in its Spanish initials) comes from cross-referencing the Continuous Sample of Working Lives with the State Database of Persons with Disabilities.

Scope:: people ≥16 years of age with Social Security coverage for at least one day in the year.
Sample:: 4% of persons affiliated with Social Security.
Collection:: administrative files.

More information on methodologies(EPD, SPD and VLPD) and standardised methodological reports(EPD, SPD and VLPD).

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and the Code of Best Practices.