AI adoption doubles among Spanish SMEs but size gap persists
AI use among Spanish small and medium-sized firms has roughly doubled since 2024, reaching 30–35 percent, a Bank of Spain study finds. Around 70 percent of large firms use AI, while reported employment effects remain limited.
Wider adoption, unequal intensity
In Q1 2026, AI adoption among Spanish SMEs was 16 percentage points above 2024 levels; large firms recorded a roughly 17-point increase.
SMEs still mainly experiment, while large firms use AI more intensively.
Adoption approaches 60 percent in information and communications, 50 percent in professional and scientific activities and 30 percent in agriculture and construction.
Around 89 percent of firms report no employment effect over the previous three years; more than 25 percent report productivity and investment increases.
Among non-adopters, 61 percent cite resource constraints, 18 percent limited usefulness, 11 percent technical readiness and 8 percent regulatory or ethical concerns as their main obstacle.
Capabilities distinguish the adopters
Jacob Hess and Diana Posada Restrepo link the Bank of Spain's Q1 2026 business survey to 2023 balance sheets.
A one-standard-deviation increase in productivity is associated with a 6.3-percentage-point higher adoption probability, against 4.6 points for wages and 4.1 for intangible assets.
The debt-ratio association is 0.8 points and statistically insignificant.
Large firms anticipate productivity gains over the next three years more often than SMEs: 61 versus 27 percent.
Investment expectations show a similar gap, at 69 versus 30 percent.
Adoption is not integration
The authors stress that adoption rates alone do not capture effective integration.
Their evidence identifies associations, not causal productivity gains from AI.
They warn that gaps in skills, digital assets and organizational capacity risk widening existing differences between firms.