Snapshot published by Afco shows sector generated 26,875 jobs in Spain last year and turned over €7.17bn
The Spanish corrugated cardboard industry generated a total turnover of €7.17bn in 2025, including both direct and indirect activity, consolidating its contribution to the national economy.
The figures were released by Afco, the Spanish Association of Corrugated Cardboard Packaging Manufacturers. It said they confirm “the solidity, strength, stability, and essential nature of an industry that is key to the logistics chain and a pillar of the Spanish production network”.
With 66 corrugating companies and 89 factories distributed throughout the country, the sector generated 26,875 jobs in Spain last year, of which 12,775 were direct jobs.
Corrugated cardboard production reached 5.94bn square meters, while paper consumption in corrugating reached 3.35mn tonnes, maintaining Spain’s position as the third largest producer in Europe, behind only Germany and Italy. According to Afco, per capita consumption of corrugated cardboard remained stable at 61.02kg.
“Corrugated cardboard continues to be a vital material for high-impact sectors,” the association said. “In 2025, the food industry accounted for 61per cent of demand; fast-moving consumer goods and durable goods represented 13.46 per cent; logistics and e-commerce, 9.14 per cent; and capital goods and supplies, 7.61 per cent.
“This distribution confirms the cross-cutting role of cardboard in the supply chain and its ability to adapt to the specific needs of each sector, from protecting fresh food to the rise of e-commerce. A key resource for ensuring the safety and supply of products across multiple channels.”
Afco also highlighted the role the sector played in driving a circular economy model. “The combination of a renewable and biodegradable raw material, its high recyclability, and an efficient recovery system allows cardboard to be reintegrated into the production process time and again. Its fibres can be reused more than 25 times without losing quality,” it said.
In Europe, with a recycling rate of 95 per cent, corrugated cardboard is the most recycled packaging material on the continent.
Afco president, Leopoldo Santorromán, commented: “The 2025 figures confirm not only the stability and strength of corrugated cardboard in Spain, but also its capacity to continue being an economic driver, a logistics ally, and a model of applied circular economy. A tangible example that it is possible to reconcile industrial development, innovation, and reducing environmental impact”.
