The public sector worsens its payment deadlines in 2024, up to 67 days, above the private sector

This is collected by the Multisectoral platform against delinquency (PMCM) in its ‘Money report: study payment terms in Spain 2024’, where it indicates that, both in the case of public administrations and in companies, the records exceed the average payment deadlines established in the Ley 15/2010which sets a maximum of 30 days for the public sector and a maximum of 60 days for companies.

The analysis also includes that 52% of respondents ensure that The local administration is the one that takes the closest to pay followed by the Regional Administration (28%) and the central administration (20%).

Specifically, the average payment terms exceeded the legal period for 76% of the local administration, for 78% of regional suppliers and for 80% of the central suppliers.

Before these figures, the president of the PMCM, Antoni Cañete has claimed “an immediate solution” and has insisted that “governments, to demonstrate their true commitment, must begin by ensuring that they comply with the rules that they dictate themselves.”

“At the present time, in which the administration is increasing its collection, there is no justification for it to worsen its payment deadlines and should be the first to respect the times they impose, giving example to the private sector,” added Cañete.

According to the platform, their “distan” data of the information provided by public administrations on their payment terms, which are “more optimistic” and “are close to the legal term.”

Private sector: payments to subcontractors in 88 days

Regarding the average payment terms of the private sector, which have supposed the best data in the historical series-initiated in 2009-when approaching the official period of 60 daysthe report has revealed that, for 56% of respondents, the type of customer for company size that takes to pay them is the large companies (those with a turnover exceeding 50 million euros).

Asked how much these companies take approximately paying them, andl 74% of participants declare that they exceed the legal termwhile 33% indicate that they pay them well above the legal deadlines (more than 90 days) and 41% agree that they do something above the legal term (taking between 60 and 90 days).

According to respondents, only 26% of large companies pay them within the legal period. Regarding the payment to subcontractors by the main contractors, the study figure the average day in 88.

More than 80,000 million euros pending payable

The new edition of the study has verified “once again” the permanence of abusive conditions during the past year, since 61% of the suppliers had commercial contracts or agreements with clients (of the public and private sectors) that imposed payment terms higher than those allowed by law.

To this is added the “worrying” fact that, in case of non -payment or delays, 84% of suppliers never or almost never demanded of their delinquent customers the interests of delay, and 92% of suppliers did not demand legal compensation due to recovery costs in case of delay or default. In this situation, for 94% of respondents a sanctioning regime is “necessary.”

Cañete has stressed that only companies quoted in Spain have more than 80,000 million euros in invoices payable, according to delays exceeding 60 days, which is limit that marks Europe.

74% of Spaniards do not change their collection expectation for 2025

On the other hand, the study of the PMCM has shown that the delinquency ratio, measured as the percentage of defaults with respect to the total billing, was estimated in 2024 in 5.2%, slightly higher than 5.1% of 2023. Cañete has assured that everything that is above 2.3% or 2.5% in a country in the issue of non -payment “is a big problem because it is a great problem.

On what would be his first option in case of liquidity, 76% of respondents declare that it would be to request financing, and 16% would be bound to expand their payment deadlines.

Facing 2025, 74% of the participants indicate that their expectation of the collection term will not vary, 12% think it will improve and 14% believe that it will be extended. In Cañete’s words, last year was “quite similar.”