Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Consumer behavior in Spain - statistics & facts
The Kingdom of Spain, which has been a member state of the European Union since 1986, is a continuously advancing country that has seen its gross domestic product roughly triple at current prices since the early 1990s. Coupled with the declining unemployment rate, Spain and its consumers are, overall, in a stronger financial position compared to decades past.
Thanks in part to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, consumer trends and hypes are fast paced. While this may present unexpected challenges and opportunities in the retail realm, one fact remains unchanged: Spain’s household consumption is closely linked to the country’s employment rate.
Apparel as non-essential purchase
Similar to other European countries, Spain is not immune to inflation either. While the total consumer spending is set to increase steadily over the next couple of years, there are certain product categories that Spanish consumers spent less on in 2023 due to rising costs. Sad news for Inditex and Co, but almost half of Spaniards surveyed reduced their spending on apparel and footwear that year. Other categories where Spanish consumers reduced their spending were technology and electronics, as well as dining out and nightlife. However, since 2010, the Spanish household expenditure on clothing has declined only slightly.Rise of e-commerce as a purchase place
In recent years, e-commerce has played an increasingly important role in global consumption, and Spain is no exception. The share of online shoppers in Spanish society has risen from approximately 24 percent in 2010 to almost 69 percent in 2023. However, what might be surprising is the fact that desktop computers are still the most popular devices for online shopping among Spanish consumers, outranking smartphones.Thanks in part to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, consumer trends and hypes are fast paced. While this may present unexpected challenges and opportunities in the retail realm, one fact remains unchanged: Spain’s household consumption is closely linked to the country’s employment rate.
