In March 2026, Social Security allocated a total of 1,329.8 million euros to the payment of Permanent Disability (IP) pensions, a figure that is equivalent to 9.3% of the total monthly payroll of contributory benefits. This modality is the economic pillar that protects 1,060,220 people who have seen their working capacity reduced or canceled due to illnesses or accidents, whether of common or professional origin.
Although retirement pensions are the ones that consume the largest expense within the Social Security system, we must not leave aside permanent disability pensions, which are ranked as the third item within the system, being only surpassed by retirement (which absorbs 73.2% of the expense) and widowhood (15.9%).
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, the total expenditure on permanent disability is 1,329.8 million euros, for a total of 1,060,220 beneficiaries and whose average pension is 1,254.31 euros per month.
The average permanent disability pension: 1,254.31 euros
During the month of March, the average amount of Permanent Disability stood at 1,254.31 euros per month. This is an amount that is halfway within the system: it is lower than the average retirement pension (1,568.46 euros), but it comfortably exceeds the widow’s pension (973.37 euros). This is because disability benefits are calculated based on the worker’s previous contributions before suffering the contingency that removed them from the labor market.
Now, depending on the province or autonomous community, the average pension may vary. While in Gipuzkoa (Basque Country) a permanent disability pensioner earns an average of 1,626.45 euros per month, in Badajoz the figure falls to 1,078.44 euros. This difference of 548.01 euros per month (50.8% more in the Basque province) is a direct reflection of the salary asymmetries and the industrial fabric that exist in the different territories of Spain.
Permanent disability by provinces and communities
If we put the magnifying glass on the great demographic and economic drivers of the country, we observe very disparate realities that reflect the structure of a historical labor market. Andalusia is, by far, the community that bears the greatest weight of the system, protecting 227,792 beneficiaries of Permanent Disability (21.5% of the national total). To sustain this network, Social Security injects about 266.4 million euros monthly into the region.
Now, their average pension stagnates at 1,169.53 euros, which places it 84.78 euros below the national average (€1,254.31). If we go down to provincial detail, the internal gap is notable. Seville leads the volume in the south: the State allocates 74.4 million euros each month to its 64,924 pensioners, leaving them with an average payroll of 1,146.79 euros. It is followed by the province of Malaga, with 33,341 pensioners who earn an average of 1,230.82 euros per month. But the contrast is evident between poles with a greater industrial tradition such as Cádiz, which reaches an average pension of 1,249.43 euros, and provinces with greater agricultural weight such as Jaén, which barely reaches 1,099.67 euros per month.
For its part, the province of Barcelona perfectly illustrates how a historically solid industrial fabric translates into better coverage. By itself, the Catalan province brings together 123,948 IP pensioners (more than many entire autonomous communities), absorbing an expense of around 175.5 million euros per month. The average pension in Barcelona is set at 1,416.17 euros. This means that a Barcelona pensioner earns, on average, 161.86 euros more per month than the rest of Spain, which represents almost a 13% surplus compared to the state average.
The Community of Madrid, being uniprovincial, presents a very consolidated block. The system covers 99,019 Madrid residents with some degree of Permanent Disability, requiring a monthly effort of approximately 134.3 million euros.
As is the case in Barcelona, the economic dynamism of the capital and its historically higher salaries push benefits upwards. The average pension in Madrid is 1,356.10 euros, exceeding the national average by 101.79 euros. In this way, Madrid consolidates itself in the national leading group, moving higher than most communities and only behind the Basque Country, Navarra, Asturias and the province of Barcelona itself.
The map of extremes: the highest and the lowest
The industrialized provinces of northern Spain continue to monopolize the juiciest amounts in the system. On the contrary, the areas with a greater weight of the primary sector or low value-added services close the table.
The highest pensions:
- Gipuzkoa: €1,626.45
- Araba-Álava: €1,578.87
- Biscay: €1,568.53
- Navarra: €1,486.55
- Asturias: €1,409.68
The lowest pensions:
- Badajoz: €1,078.44
- Extremadura (Regional average): €1,083.72
- Cáceres: €1,093.68
- Jaén: €1,099.67
The communities with the largest volume of beneficiaries
To measure the demographic weight of this benefit, these are the four regions with the highest number of recipients in Spain:
| Autonomous Community | Number of Beneficiaries | Half Board |
|---|---|---|
| Andalusia | 227,792 | €1,169.53 |
| Catalonia | 169,315 | €1,371.76 |
| Valencian C. | 104,429 | €1,198.54 |
| Madrid | 99,019 | €1,356.10 |
Although the general statistics do not break down the amounts by degree of impact (if it can be obtained in another personalized report), it must be remembered that the Permanent Disability that is charged monthly is divided into three degrees:
- Total permanent disability: Disqualifies the worker from his usual profession, but he can dedicate himself to a different one (55% or 75% will be charged).
- Absolute permanent disability: Disqualifies the affected person from any profession or trade (100% of the regulatory base is charged).
- Major disability: The maximum degree, for those who also need the assistance of a third person for the most essential acts of daily life (these are usually the highest benefits thanks to a financial supplement).
In the system’s global payroll (10.46 million pensions), disability benefits barely represent 10.1% of the total. However, for this million or so people, we are not talking about simple help, but rather their main and often only life support.
Translated into annualized expenditure, the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration allocates some 15,957 million euros (1,329.8 million x 12 months) to protect this group. An economic magnitude that far exceeds the total budget of several autonomous communities.