The Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Envases y Embalajes de Cartón Ondulado (AFCO) has released the sector's 2025 figures, a set of results that confirms the solidity, strength, stability, and essential character of an industry that is a key link in the logistics chain and a pillar of Spain's productive fabric.
With 66 corrugating companies and 89 factories distributed across the country, the sector maintains a robust, modern, and competitive industrial structure that operates as an indispensable link for multiple productive activities.
During 2025, the Spanish corrugated cardboard industry reached total revenues of 7.168 billion euros, across both direct and indirect activity, consolidating its contribution to the national economy. It also generated 26,875 jobs in Spain, of which 12,775 are direct positions, a demonstration of its capacity to sustain stable, specialized employment across the country.
© AFCO
Corrugated cardboard production reached 5.941 billion square meters, while paper consumption at corrugating plants hit 3,347 thousand tons, keeping Spain as the third-largest European producer, behind only Germany and Italy, and consolidating its leadership position.
Per capita consumption held steady at 61.02 kg of cardboard per person — a figure that reflects both the solidity of structural demand and the material's importance in key sectors including retail, food, and logistics.
Corrugated cardboard remains an essential material for high-impact sectors. In 2025, the food industry accounted for 61% of demand; fast-moving and durable consumer goods represented 13.46%; logistics and e-commerce, 9.14%; and capital and auxiliary goods, 7.61%.
This breakdown confirms the cross-cutting role of cardboard in the supply chain and its capacity to adapt to the specific needs of each sector — from protecting fresh food to supporting the growth of e-commerce. A key resource for guaranteeing the safety and supply of products across multiple channels.
© AFCO
The sector drives a genuine circular economy model. The combination of a renewable and biodegradable raw material, high recyclability, and an efficient recovery system allows cardboard to re-enter the production process again and again. Its fibers can be reused more than 25 times without loss of quality.
In Europe, with a recycling rate of 95%, corrugated cardboard is the most recycled packaging material on the continent.
"The 2025 figures confirm not only the stability and solidity of corrugated cardboard in Spain, but also its capacity to continue acting as an economic engine, a logistics ally, and a model of applied circular economy. A tangible example that industrial development, innovation, and reduced environmental impact can go hand in hand," says Leopoldo Santorromán, president of AFCO.
The full report is available here.
For more information:
Spanish Association of Corrugated Containers and Packaging Manufacturers (AFCO)
https://afco.es
