Spain is getting older, but older people are starting to work more. This is the main conclusion drawn from the fifth edition of the “Map of Senior Talents, prepared by the MAPFRE Foundation and the Agingnomics Research Center”, presented this Friday in Madrid during a day that brought together representatives of the central government, autonomies and municipalities. The report, led by researchers Rafael Puyol, Alfonso Jiménez and Iñaki Ortega, analyzes the transformation of the Spanish labor market: in just five years, the active population over 55 has increased by more than a million people and that already represents 20.5% of the total workforcecompared to 17% in 2019. Figures which, according to the authors, “are progressing sufficiently, but must improve”.
The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saizexplained during the event presentation: “Leveraging everyone’s talents is essential to continue leading the growth of the OECD.” Saiz claimed generational diversity as an economic value, recalling that intergeneration improves “both innovation and productivity”“. He also stressed the urgency of fighting ageism in businesses and in society: “We are a team and we all have our place,” he said.
A general reading of the report shows that Spain is not only aging, but it is doing so by working. The activity rates of seniors have increased in all cohorts – from 55 to 59 years old, from 60 to 64 years old and even from 65 to 69 years old – and, for the first time, they exceed 50%: from 46.7% in 2019, they increased to 52.45% in 2024. In addition, this increase occurred more intensely among women, who are reducing the gap with men, even if active women remain less numerous than men despite being the majority in the population.
Senior self-employed workers are growing
In relation to young people, the map draws a panorama which shows the aging of the population. In 2024, Spain will 867,000 elderly people active more than younga gap that has quadrupled since 2019, when it was 189,700. Another significant fact is the increase in employment: the number of workers senior increased from 3.48 million to 4.52 millionconfirming the lengthening of working life.
The report attributes part of this boom to the effects of incentive measures approved in recent years. Delayed retirements increased from 4.8% in 2019 to 11.1% in 2024more than double, a development that Minister Saiz celebrated as a sign that the population is beginning to positively value work beyond the legal age.
Also The number of self-employed workers has increased significantly senior, which already exceed one million: 1,029 million compared to 882,000 five years ago. They are practically five times more than independents young people and represent 31% of the total group. However, the report specifies that a large majority (678,000) are self-employed without workers in charge, which limits its impact on entrepreneurship and the creation of larger-scale businesses with workers.
The president of the MAPFRE Foundation, Antonio Huertascontextualized the data within the Spanish demographic framework. He recalled that Spain is experiencing “negative vegetative growth” and a birth rate of “barely 1.2 children per family”, which forces us to consider the future of work in a different framework. “Half of the newly created jobs are occupied by immigrants. We need orderly migration, through the appropriate channels,” defended Huertas, who insisted that the talents senior will be fundamental in the transition to “a new society”.
However, the report not only reflects progress made; also highlights important points deficits compared to Europe. Even if Spain reduces its activity gap – in 2023 it reached a rate of 51.6%, ahead of France (45.3%) and Italy (46.9%) – it remains very far from leading countries in professional integration seniorlike Sweden (66.6%) or Germany (61.2%).
The unemployment situation is even more worrying: Spain is unemployed senior the highest in its surroundings, with 513,900 unemployed in 2024, compared to 471,700 in 2019. The rate goes from 14.7% to 18.7%despite the sharp increase in activity. The authors warn that this is one of the main challenges of the next decade, as many older workers find it more difficult to return to work after job loss.
Coordination between all social agents
The presentation of the report was accompanied by an institutional dialogue table in which representatives from all levels of the administration participated. They intervened Luis Carlos Cuetoadvisor to the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge; Michael Torresvice-president of the Basque Government; Carlos Velazquez, mayor of Toledo and Cristina Ayalamayor of Burgos. All explained the measures their administrations are taking to combat ageism, promote professional retraining and encourage the participation of older people in the labor market.
Looking to the future, the “Senior Talent Map” predicts that this trend will continue until 2029. Over the next five years, they estimate that the Spanish population in this age group will increase by 1.18 million people, reaching 10.78 million, while assets will increase by another 1.39 million. However, the authors warn that current public policies will not be enough to fill the labor gap with Europe and call for a coordinated and transversal strategy to take full advantage of the experience of a society that is aging at cruising speed.
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