Government and politics in Cantabria, Spain: official figures
Cantabria entered 2026 without a new budget law: its government is spending under a rolled-over (prorrogado) budget first approved for 2025, worth €3.76 billion in total according to the Ministry of Finance.
How many people work for the government of Cantabria?
The regional government public sector of Cantabria, including its health service, schools and public universities, employed 29,451 people in January 2026, 4th smallest of 19 regional workforces.
Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública · saved copyWho employs public sector workers in Cantabria?
Of the 39,787 public employees in Cantabria in January 2026, 74.0% worked for the regional government, 14.4% for local councils and provincial bodies and 11.6% for the national state (Spain overall: 62.8% regional).
Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública · saved copyHow many national police and Guardia Civil are there in Cantabria?
The central state employed 4,615 people in Cantabria in January 2026: 2,709 in the state administration, 1,846 in the armed forces, National Police and Guardia Civil, and 60 in the courts.
Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública · saved copyHow many soldiers and police work in Cantabria?
Soldiers, National Police officers and Guardia Civil made up 4.6% of all public employees in Cantabria in January 2026, 3rd lowest of 19.
Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública · saved copyHow Cantabria compares with other autonomous communities
Share of public employees working for the regional (or city) government, January 2026 (2026)
Cantabria ranks 3 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of public employees working for the regional (or city) government, January 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Navarre | 75.4% |
| 2 | La Rioja | 74.4% |
| 3 | Cantabria | 74.0% |
| 4 | Asturias | 73.3% |
| 5 | Basque Country | 71.8% |
| 6 | Murcia | 69.5% |
| 7 | Galicia | 68.9% |
Regional public sector employees, January 2026 (2026)
Cantabria ranks 16 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Regional public sector employees, January 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Asturias | 51,088 |
| 14 | Balearic Islands | 46,066 |
| 15 | Navarre | 35,572 |
| 16 | Cantabria | 29,451 |
| 17 | La Rioja | 16,407 |
| 18 | Ciudad de Ceuta | 1,439 |
| 19 | Ciudad de Melilla | 1,274 |
Women as a share of regional public sector employees, January 2026 (2026)
Cantabria ranks 4 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Women as a share of regional public sector employees, January 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asturias | 73.5% |
| 2 | La Rioja | 73.5% |
| 3 | Aragón | 73.0% |
| 4 | Cantabria | 72.2% |
| 5 | Madrid | 71.9% |
| 6 | Galicia | 71.7% |
| 7 | Balearic Islands | 71.2% |
More on Cantabria: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Spain
Sources
- Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública: Estadística del Personal al Servicio de las Administraciones Públicas (EPSAP), January 2026, tables 1.6, 1.6.1 and 1.7, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cade1d2eea7b…)
- Ministerio de Hacienda: Presupuestos Generales de las Comunidades Autónomas, año 2026 (resumen ejecutivo, published 31 March 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81db80f35219…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.