2024 Edition Primary

Background

Spain reluctantly ceded the strategically important Gibraltar to Great Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, and the British garrison at Gibraltar was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. After the UK granted Gibraltar autonomy in 1969, Spain closed the border and severed all communication links. Between 1997 and 2002, the UK and Spain held a series of talks on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against sharing sovereignty with Spain. Since 2004, Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar have held tripartite talks to resolve problems that affect the local population, and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services, communications and maritime security, legal and customs services, environmental protection, and education and visa services. A new noncolonial constitution came into force in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in 2008. The UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability. Spain and the UK continue to spar over the territory. In 2009, for example, a dispute over Gibraltar's claim to territorial waters extending out three miles gave rise to periodic non-violent maritime confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols. Spain renewed its demands for an eventual return of Gibraltar to Spanish control after the UK’s 2016 vote to leave the EU, but London has dismissed any connection between the vote and its sovereignty over Gibraltar. 

Area

land

6.5 sq km

total

7 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

more than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Climate

Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Coastline

12 km

Elevation

highest point

Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

36 08 N, 5 21 W

Geography - note

note 1: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea note 2: one of only two British territories where traffic drives on the right, the other being the island of Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Spain 1.2 km

total

1.2 km

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2011 est.)

other

100% (2018 est.)

Location

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea

3 nm

Natural hazards

occasional droughts; no streams or large bodies of water on the peninsula (all potable water comes from desalination)

Natural resources

none

Terrain

a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Age structure

0-14 years

20% (male 3,045/female 2,895)

15-64 years

62.5% (male 9,383/female 9,179)

65 years and over

17.5% (2024 est.) (male 2,491/female 2,690)

Birth rate

13.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

40.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

32.7

potential support ratio

3.1 (2021)

total dependency ratio

60.1

youth dependency ratio

27.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Gibraltarian 79%, other British 13.2%, Spanish 2.1%, Moroccan 1.6%, other EU 2.4%, other 1.6% (2012 est.)

note

note: data represent population by nationality

Gross reproduction rate

0.92 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

5.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.8 years

male

78.1 years

total population

80.9 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

35,000 GIBRALTAR (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

37.5 years

male

36.2 years

total

36.8 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Gibraltar

noun

Gibraltarian(s)

Net migration rate

-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

female

14,764 (2024 est.)

male

14,919

total

29,683

Population growth rate

0.17% (2024 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 72.1%, Church of England 7.7%, other Christian 3.8%, Muslim 3.6%, Jewish 2.4%, Hindu 2%, other 1.1%, none 7.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.93 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.89 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.45% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

from the Spanish derivation of the Arabic "Jabal Tariq," which means "Mountain of Tariq" and which refers to the Rock of Gibraltar

geographic coordinates

36 08 N, 5 21 W

name

Gibraltar

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

amendments

proposed by Parliament and requires prior consent of the British monarch (through the Secretary of State); passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote in Parliament followed by simple majority vote in a referendum; note – only sections 1 through 15 in Chapter 1 (Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms) can be amended by Parliament

history

previous 1969; latest passed by referendum 30 November 2006, entered into effect 14 December 2006, entered into force 2 January 2007

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Gibraltar

etymology

from the Spanish derivation of the Arabic "Jabal Tariq," which means "Mountain of Tariq" and which refers to the Rock of Gibraltar

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed from among the 17 elected members of Parliament by the governor in consultation with the chief minister

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Sir David STEEL (since 11 June 2020)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed chief minister by the governor

head of government

Chief Minister Fabian PICARDO (since 9 December 2011)

Flag description

two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band; the design is that of Gibraltar's coat of arms granted on 10 July 1502 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain; the castle symbolizes Gibraltar as a fortress, while the key represents Gibraltar's strategic importance - the key to the Mediterranean

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of at least 3 judges, including the court president); Supreme Court of Gibraltar (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office

Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judges appointed by the governor upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 7-member body of judges and appointees of the governor; tenure of the Court of Appeal president based on terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice and judges normally appointed until retirement at age 67 but tenure can be extended 3 years

subordinate courts

Court of First Instance; Magistrates' Court; specialized tribunals for issues relating to social security, taxes, and employment

Legal system

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament (18 seats; 17 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by majority vote and 1 appointed by Parliament as speaker; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - GSLP-Liberal Alliance 49.9%, GSD 48% independent 2.1%; seats by party - GLSP-Liberal Alliance 9 (GSLP 7, LPG 2), GSD 8; composition including Parliament speaker - men 13, women 5, percentage women 38.5%

elections

last held on 12 October 2023 (next to be held by October 2027)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Peter EMBERLEY

name

"Gibraltar Anthem"

note

note: adopted 1994; serves as a local anthem; as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or join Spain

National symbol(s)

Barbary macaque; national colors: red, white, yellow

Political parties

Gibraltar Liberal Party or Liberal Party of Gibraltar or LPG Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP GSLP-Liberal Alliance Together Gibraltar or TG 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; and British citizens with six months residence or more

Agricultural products

none

Economic overview

British territorial high-income economy; Brexit caused significant economic disruption to longstanding financial services, shipping, and tourism industries; ongoing negotiations to rejoin EU Schengen Area; independent taxation authority

Exchange rates

Currency

Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

0.783 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2014

$202.3 million (2014 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, ships, cars, natural gas (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Ireland 20%, India 18%, Brazil 12%, Netherlands 10%, South Korea 8% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.044 billion (2014 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal tar oil, ships, cars (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Spain 19%, Italy 17%, Greece 11%, Nigeria 10%, UK 6% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco

Labor force

24,420 (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2014 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014

$2.044 billion (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2014

$61,700 (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

1% (2016 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from consumed natural gas

148,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

14.149 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

14.297 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

244.5 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

43,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

7 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

75.781 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

75.781 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

84,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

62 (2020 est.)

total

21,009 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides TV and radio broadcasting services via 1 TV station and 4 radio stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1 radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are accessible

Internet country code

.gi

Internet users

percent of population

94.4% (2021 est.)

total

31,152 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

53 per 100 fixed-line and 100 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021)

general assessment

Gibraltar’s population is urban-based, served by a digital telephone exchange supported by a fiber optic and copper infrastructure; near universal mobile and Internet use (2019)

international

country code - 350; landing point for the EIG to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East via submarine cables; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

53 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

17,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

112 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

37,000 (2022 est.)

Airports

1 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-G

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 8, container ship 5, general cargo 31, oil tanker 16, other 69

total

129 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Europa Point

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

1 (2024)

Roadways

paved

29 km (2007)

total

29 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military and security forces

Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2024)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Royal Gibraltar Regiment has more than 400 personnel (2023)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.63 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources: more than 90% of drinking water supplied by desalination, the remainder from stored rainwater; a separate supply of saltwater used for sanitary services

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2011 est.)

other

100% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.45% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

16,954 tons (2012 est.)