Rising Presence of Women in On-Site Construction Roles in Spain
Women are increasingly entering on-site construction roles in Spain, although their representation remains low.
Key Points
- • 11.2% of construction workers in Spain are women, totaling 160,288 individuals.
- • Only 0.7% or approximately 7,000 women work in on-site construction roles.
- • 5,451 new female bricklayers were added from 2023 to 2024, a growth rate of 1.9%.
- • Majority of women in construction hold administrative roles, with only 6.2% engaged in manual work.
The presence of women in Spain's construction sector has seen a significant increase, with women now accounting for 11.2% of the workforce, totaling 160,288 women affiliated with Social Security in the industry, marking the highest figure in a decade. However, only a small fraction—approximately 7,000 women—are engaged in on-site roles, representing a mere 0.7% of the construction workforce.
Between 2023 and 2024, there was an increase of 5,451 female bricklayers, indicating a growth rate of 1.9%. Notably, women make up 11.4% of all bricklayers in Spain. Yet, there is a concerning demographic trend; merely 10.7% of women in construction are under the age of 30, while the majority (70.6%) fall within the 30 to 54 age range.
In terms of employment types, 73.6% of women work under a general employment regime, with only 26.4% operating as self-employed. Moreover, the majority of women in construction (over half) hold administrative roles rather than manual or physical tasks, and only 6.2% are involved in direct construction work. Among these women, 85.7% are Spanish nationals, but there is a gradual increase in the number of foreign women employed, particularly from Romania, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
The rise in numbers underscores ongoing shifts in gender dynamics within the construction sector, despite the limited representation on-site.