The annual report of the Spanish Franchise Association reflects the constant growth of Spanish licenses abroad since 2008
Catalonia is the autonomous community with the highest number of operational franchises abroad (106), according to the report ‘The Spanish Franchise in the World 2025’, prepared by the Spanish Franchise Association. Madrid follows, with 90 brands operating abroad. The other autonomous communities, led by Andalusia with 30 franchises, are significantly behind the two major ones.
The 106 Catalan franchises operating abroad account for 33.76% of the total registered in this community. In the case of Madrid, the percentage drops to 28.66% of the companies based in the region. Andalusia is the third community in the ranking with 31 franchises (9.87% of the total), ahead of the Valencian Community (28 – 8.92%) and Galicia (17 – 5.41%).
By country, Portugal is the country where the most Spanish franchises (176) have established and where they have opened the most locations (2,632), followed by Italy, Mexico, Argentina, France, and Germany. The total number of establishments opened abroad is 18,929 —0.16% more than in 2024 (18,897)— corresponding to 1,384 brands.
Portugal is also the country with the highest number of operational locations (2,632) and where more sectors are represented (19), among which fashion (72), hospitality (62), and beauty and aesthetics (35) are the most brands have worldwide. The fashion sector is, by far, the one that is established in the most countries: 116 of the 139 where there is Spanish presence.
The number of Spanish franchises abroad grew steadily from 2008 —210 brands, 8,101 locations, and 106 countries— until 2019 —353 companies, 21,916 stores, and 140 countries—. These figures suffered a severe setback due to the pandemic and, although the trend since 2022 is again upward, they have not yet reached that record.
“These growths, although moderate, confirm that internationalization continues to consolidate as an essential strategy for the expansion and strengthening of Spanish franchise networks in the global arena,” assures the president of the Spanish Franchise Association, Luisa Masuet, in the study.
However, the report warns that the economic and commercial situation affects the margins and profitability of these companies. On the contrary, it considers the redefinition of distribution channels brought about by digital transformation and the growth of e-commerce to be positive.
