Self-Employed Foreigners Increased by 4.8% in 2011
January 24th, 2012
The number of self-employed foreigners in Spain grew 4.8% in 2011, reaching 208,512, which is 9,580 more than a year ago, according to a study released yesterday by the National Federation of Independent Workers Associations (ATA).
The report, which was drawn up from Social Security data, also shows that in 2011 the percentage of foreigners self-employed increased in all regions.
The largest increase was recorded in Melilla, with an increase of 13.8%, followed by Cantabria with 8.5%, and Catalonia with 7.2%.
Also with increases above the national average of 4.8%, stood Castilla-La Mancha (6.4%), Madrid (6.1%) and the Basque Country (6%).
Below the national average were Aragón, which reported an increase of 4.5%, Andalusia with 4.4%, and Asturias at 4.1%.
Other regions with lower growth were Castilla y León and Navarre (both with a 3.9% increase), Valencia (3.6%) and Galicia, Extremadura and Ceuta (all three with an increase of 3.3%).
The communities which recorded the least growth in self-employed foreigners in 2011 were the Canary Islands (2.4%), the Balearic Islands (1.7%), La Rioja (1.4%) and Murcia (1.3%).
In absolute terms, the highest increases in foreign entrepreneurs were recorded in Catalonia, Madrid, Andalusia and Valencia.
An analysis of the country of origin showed that China accounted for 17.5% of the self-employed foreigners, followed by Romania, with 11.1% of the total, and the United Kingdom with 8.8%.
Cinco Dias reported that the ATA study also noted that the numbers of self-employed Chinese “continues its unstoppable growth” ending 2011 with an increase of 13.2%, or 4,256 more self-employed, and accounted for four out of every ten (44.4%) new self-employed registrations made last year.
In addition to China and Romania, the report indicates that the other countries who have seen “significant” increases in the number of self-employed in Spain, were Morocco (6.1%), Italy (1.9%) and Argentina (0.1%).
In contrast, the countries which recorded the largest declines were Portugal (3.5%), Ecuador (2.7%) and the UK (2.2%).
By sector of activity, construction was once again the hardest hit, recording a decrease in the number of foreign self-employed of 6.7%, although, according to the study, the decrease has moderated month by month.
The other sector which lost autonomous foreign affiliates in 2011 was in administrative activities which registered a decrease of 145.
On the opposite side, agriculture recorded a growth in the number of autonomous foreign affiliates of 15.9%.
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