You want a number, not a theory: how much will arrive each month when you are on paro (contributory unemployment benefit). The sum is simple and fits in a table. First I tell you how it is done, then you have the figures for four common salaries, with and without children, and at the end a complete example down to the last euro.
The calculation in three steps
- Regulatory base (base reguladora). It is the average of the contribution bases for your last 180 days worked, not counting overtime. On this page I call it the “monthly base”: your gross salary each month with extra pay prorated.
- Percentage. 70 % of that base for the first 180 days of paro, and 60 % from day 181 on.
- Caps and floors. The result cannot fall below a minimum or above a maximum, which depend on dependent children and are calculated with the 2026 IPREM (€600 a month).
| Dependent children | Minimum a month | Maximum a month |
|---|---|---|
| None | €560 | €1,225 |
| One | €749 | €1,400 |
| Two or more | €749 | €1,575 |
The table by salary
Gross monthly amounts. In each row the first number is the 70 % stage (days 1 to 180) and the second the 60 % stage (from day 181).
| Monthly base | No children | 1 child | 2 or more children |
|---|---|---|---|
| €800 | €560 and €560 | €749 and €749 | €749 and €749 |
| €1,000 | €700 and €600 | €749 and €749 | €749 and €749 |
| €1,200 | €840 and €720 | €840 and €749 | €840 and €749 |
| €1,500 | €1,050 and €900 | €1,050 and €900 | €1,050 and €900 |
| €2,000 | €1,225 and €1,200 | €1,400 and €1,200 | €1,400 and €1,200 |
| €2,500 | €1,225 and €1,225 | €1,400 and €1,400 | €1,575 and €1,500 |
A few things the table shows that are worth looking at calmly:
- With low salaries, the minimum protects you. With a €800 base the calculation would give €560 and €480, but you never receive less than the minimum: €560 without children and €749 with them.
- With children, the second stage can stick to the minimum. With a €1,000 base, 60 % is €600, but with children you receive €749.
- From about €1,750 of base the 70 % exceeds the maximum without children (€1,225) and each extra euro of salary stops counting. A €2,500 base and a €2,000 base give the same maximum in the first stage.
- The second stage hurts most. With a €1,500 base you go from €1,050 to €900 a month on day 181. If you rely on the benefit for fixed costs, plan with the 60 % figure, not the 70 %.
A complete example with €1,200
Marcos has a contract with a €1,200 monthly base and has contributed 1,100 days in the last six years. He has no dependent children.
- Length. 1,100 days fall in the 1,080 to 1,259 band, which gives 360 days of paro, twelve months.
- First 180 days. 70 % of €1,200 is €840 a month. Between the minimum and maximum, no adjustment.
- Day 181 to 360. 60 % is €720 a month. Also no adjustment.
- Total paro. 6 × €840 + 6 × €720 = €5,040 + €4,320 = €9,360 gross.
The comparison with his salary is clear: he goes from earning €1,200 a month to €840, a 30 % cut, and to €720 later, 40 %. That jump is what needs to be budgeted before signing anything.
Another example: two children and a €2,000 base
Lucas has two dependent children and a €2,000 monthly base. He has contributed 1,800 days in the last six years.
- Length. 1,800 days fall in the 1,800 to 1,979 band, which gives 600 days of paro, 20 months.
- First 180 days. 70 % of €2,000 is €1,400. The maximum with two children is €1,575, so no adjustment.
- Day 181 to 600. 60 % is €1,200. No adjustment either.
- Total. 6 × €1,400 + 14 × €1,200 = €8,400 + €16,800 = €25,200 gross.
Notice that most of the money is received in the 60 % stage: 14 of the 20 months. That is the figure to budget with if the paro will last more than half a year.
What the table cannot tell you
- Your real base may differ from your salary. If you have had reduced hours, variable pay or salary changes in the last six months, the regulatory base is an average. When there were months with a lower base, the average falls.
- Overtime does not count. It is contributed separately and is not part of the paro base.
- Part-time contracts adjust the caps and floors in proportion to working time, so the table figures do not apply as they are.
- Income tax withholding may apply to the benefit. What you receive is the gross amount minus that withholding.
- The SEPE calculates with your real bases. This page is an estimate. The decision states the final figure.
How to estimate your base if your pay changes
If your salary changed a lot in the last half year, do the sum like this: add the bases of the last 180 days, about six months, and divide by six. For example, if you earned €1,200 for four months and €1,800 for two, the average base is (4 × 1,200 + 2 × 1,800) / 6 = €1,400. With that base, 70 % is €980 a month and 60 % is €840.
Overtime is excluded. Fixed payslip supplements do count, because they are part of the contribution base. Check the base on each payslip: it is in the contributions section, as “base de cotización por contingencias comunes”.
To know how many months you will receive those amounts, see the contribution-day table. If you prefer to receive it in one go instead of month by month, read capitalising unemployment benefit. And if you are going to work half-time while you receive it, what changes is in working while claiming unemployment.
If you chose to leave, check the specific rules on resignation and unemployment benefit in Spain before relying on a payment.
This page is informational and approximate. The SEPE sets the amounts when it recognises your benefit.