Spanish and Portuguese Games Industries Show Growth in 2024

The number of players in Spain's gaming market stood at 22.1 million in 2024, a 10.22% increase year-over-year, representing 45% of the nation's total population. Notably, women made up the largest segment of players, accounting for 50.45%. On average, Spanish gamers spent about 8.2 hours per week on games, which is less than their counterparts in the UK and Germany, who averaged 11.08 and 11.53 hours, respectively.

Spain's games industry turnover was €1.42 billion in 2023, showing a 3.1% growth compared to the previous year. The report from the developer trade association DEV indicated that Catalonia contributed 53% of this revenue. The industry is expected to grow at an aggregate rate of 4.1% through 2027, reaching €1.67 billion. In 2024, there were 815 studios actively developing games, with 495 of these registered as companies. Catalonia remains the largest hub, comprising 32.3% of the industry, followed by Madrid at 23.2%, Andalusia at 13.1%, and the Valencia community at 10.1%. Most studios are well-established, with only 9% operational for less than two years and 38% in business for five to ten years.

PC gaming accounted for 89% of the games developed in Spain, followed by Android at 52%, iOS at 41%, and Nintendo Switch at 49%. In 2023, the sector created 10,259 direct jobs, reflecting a 10% growth year-over-year, with Catalonia employing half of the workforce. Projections suggest this number may rise to 12,822 jobs by 2027, an increase driven largely by larger companies, which, although comprising only 6% of all studios, accounted for 53% of overall jobs.