2018 Edition

Background

Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently Spain has emerged from a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008, posting three straight years of GDP growth above the EU average. Unemployment has fallen, but remains high especially among youth. Spain is the Eurozone's fourth largest economy. In October 2017, the Catalan regional government conducted an illegal independence referendum and declared independence from Madrid. The international community has not recognized Catalonia's unilateral declaration of independence.

Area

land

498,980 sq km

note

there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera

total

505,370 sq km

water

6,390 sq km

Area Comparative

almost five times the size of Kentucky; slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

Climate

temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast

Coastline

4,964 km

Elevation

elevation extremes

0 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean

mean elevation

660 m

note

3718 highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands

Environment Current Issues

pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification

Environment International Agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geographic Coordinates

40 00 N, 4 00 W

Geography Note

strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas

Irrigated Land

38,000 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (6)

Andorra 63 km, France 646 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1224 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 8 km, Morocco (Melilla) 10.5 km

note

an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera

total

1,952.7 km

Land Use

arable land: 24.9% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 9.1% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 20.1% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

54.1% (2011 est.)

forest

36.8% (2011 est.)

other

9.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France

Map References

Europe

Maritime Claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

periodic droughts, occasional floodingvolcanism: volcanic activity in the Canary Islands, located off Africa's northwest coast; Teide (3,715 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; La Palma (2,426 m), which last erupted in 1971, is the most active of the Canary Islands volcanoes; Lanzarote is the only other historically active volcano

Natural Resources

coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land

Population Distribution

with the notable exception of Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza, the largest urban agglomerations are found along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts; numerous smaller cities are spread throughout the interior reflecting Spain's agrarian heritage; dense settlement is found around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona

Terrain

large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north

Age Structure

0-14 years

15.29% (male 3,879,229 /female 3,664,016)

15-24 years

9.65% (male 2,458,486 /female 2,299,523)

25-54 years

44.54% (male 11,208,598 /female 10,762,651)

55-64 years

12.38% (male 2,980,206 /female 3,125,949)

65 years and over

18.15% (male 3,833,601 /female 5,118,817) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

9 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

70.9% (2016)

Death Rate

9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

28.5 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

3.5 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

51 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

22.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic Groups

Spanish 86.4%, Morocco 1.8%, Romania 1.3%, other 10.5% (2018 est.)

note

data represent population by country of birth

Health Expenditures

9% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

0.4% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

NA

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

150,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

3 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

3.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

3.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Castilian Spanish (official nationwide) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (where it is known as Valencian)) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and in the Basque-speaking area of Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in the northwest corner of Catalonia (Vall d'Aran) along with Catalan, <5,000 speakers)

note

Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Basque, Calo, Catalan, Galician, and Valencian are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

85 years (2018 est.)

male

78.8 years (2018 est.)

total population

81.8 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2016 est.)

female

97.7% (2016 est.)

male

98.8% (2016 est.)

total population

98.3% (2016 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

6.497 million MADRID (capital), 5.494 million Barcelona, 830,000 Valencia (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

44.3 years (2018 est.)

male

41.9 years

total

43.1 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

30.7 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Spanish

noun

Spaniard(s)

Net Migration Rate

7.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

23.8% (2016)

Physicians Density

3.87 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

49,331,076 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.73% (2018 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 70.2%, atheist 9.9%, other 2.6%, non-believer 15.1%, unspecified 2.1% (2016 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 99.8% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 100% of population (2015 est.)

total: 99.9% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 0% of population (2015 est.)

total: 0.1% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

18 years (2015)

male

18 years (2015)

total

18 years (2015)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.5 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

37.4% (2017 est.)

male

39.5% (2017 est.)

total

38.6% (2017 est.)

Urbanization

note

data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla

rate of urbanization

0.33% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

80.3% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia; Aragon; Asturias; Canarias (Canary Islands); Cantabria; Castilla-La Mancha; Castilla-Leon; Cataluna (Castilian), Catalunya (Catalan), Catalonha (Aranese) [Catalonia]; Ceuta*; Comunidad Valenciana (Castilian), Comunitat Valenciana (Valencian) [Valencian Community]; Extremadura; Galicia; Illes Baleares (Balearic Islands); La Rioja; Madrid; Melilla*; Murcia; Navarra (Castilian), Nafarroa (Basque) [Navarre]; Pais Vasco (Castilian), Euskadi (Basque) [Basque Country]

note

the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central government, are all along the coast of Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)

Capital

daylight saving time

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

geographic coordinates

40 24 N, 3 41 W

name

Madrid

note

Spain has two time zones, including the Canary Islands (UTC 0)

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Spain

dual citizenship recognized

only with select Latin American countries

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years for persons with no ties to Spain

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the government, by the General Courts (the Congress or the Senate), or by the self-governing communities submitted through the government; passage requires three-fifths majority vote by both houses and passage by referendum if requested by one-tenth of members of either house; proposals disapproved by both houses are submitted to a joint committee, which submits an agreed upon text for another vote; passage requires two-thirds vote in Congress and simple majority vote in the Senate; amended 1992, 2007, 2011 (2016)

history

previous 1812; latest approved by the General Courts 31 October 1978, passed by referendum 6 December 1978, signed by the king 27 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 (2016)

Country Name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Spain

conventional short form

Spain

etymology

derivation of the name "Espana" is uncertain, but may come from the Phoenician term "span," related to the word "spy," meaning "to forge metals," so, "i-spn-ya" would mean "place where metals are forged"; the ancient Phoenicians long exploited the Iberian Peninsula for its mineral wealth

local long form

Reino de Espana

local short form

Espana

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Richard BUCHAN (since December 2017) note - also accredited to Andorra

consulate(s) general

Barcelona

embassy

Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid

FAX

[34] (91) 587-2303

mailing address

PSC 61, APO AE 09642

telephone

[34] (91) 587-2200

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Santiago CABANAS Ansorena (since 17 September 2018)

consulate(s)

Kansas City (MO)

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

FAX

[1] (202) 833-5670

telephone

[1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340

Executive Branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers designated by the president

chief of state

King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014); Heir Apparent Princess LEONOR, Princess of Asturias (daughter of the monarch, born 31 October 2005)

election results

percent of National Assembly vote - NA

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually proposes as president the leader of the party or coalition with the largest majority of seats, who is then indirectly elected by the Congress of Deputies; election last held on 26 June 2016 (next to be held in June 2020); vice president and Council of Ministers appointed by the president

head of government

President of the Government (Prime Minister-equivalent) Pedro SANCHEZ Perez-Castejon (since 2 June 2018); Vice President (and Minister of the President's Office) Maria del Carmen CALVO Poyato (since 7 June 2018); note - Prime Minister RAJOY was ousted in a non-confidence vote on 1 June 2018

note

there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding

Flag Description

three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; the red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe; the triband arrangement with the center stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century

note

the red and yellow colors are related to those of the oldest Spanish kingdoms: Aragon, Castile, Leon, and Navarre

Government Type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence

1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo (consists of the court president and organized into the Civil Room, with a president and 9 judges; the Penal Room, with a president and 14 judges; the Administrative Room, with a president and 32 judges; the Social Room, with a president and 12 judges; and the Military Room, with a president and 7 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional de Espana (consists of 12 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates proposed by the General Council of the Judiciary Power, a 20-member governing board chaired by the monarch that includes presidential appointees, lawyers, and jurists confirmed by the National Assembly; judges can serve until age 70; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the National Assembly, executive branch, and the General Council of the Judiciary, and appointed by the monarch for 9-year terms

subordinate courts

National High Court; High Courts of Justice (in each of the autonomous communities); provincial courts; courts of first instance

Legal System

civil law system with regional variations

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral General Courts or Las Cortes Generales consists of:Senate or Senado (266 seats; 208 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 58 members indirectly elected by the legislatures of the autonomouse communities; members serve 4-year terms) Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; 348 members directly elected in 50 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 2 directly elected from the North African Ceuta and Melilla enclaves by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms or until the government is dissolved)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 149, PSOE 62, Unidos Podemos 20, ERC 12, EAJ/PNV 6, other 17; composition - men 165, women 101, percent of women 38% Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 33%, PSOE 22.7%, Podemos 21.1%, C's 13%, ERC-CatSi 2.6%, EAJ/PNV 1.2%, other 6.4%; seats by party - PP 134, PSOE 84, Podemos 67, C's 32, ERC-CatSi 9, EAJ/PNV 5, other 19; composition - men 213, women 137, percent of women 38.6%

elections

Senate - last held on 26 June 2016 (next to be held no later than June 2020) Congress of Deputies - last held on 26 June 2016 (next to be held no later than June 2020)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

no lyrics/unknown

name

"Himno Nacional Espanol" (National Anthem of Spain)

note

officially in use between 1770 and 1931, restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem is the first anthem to be officially adopted, but it has no lyrics; in the years prior to 1931 it became known as "Marcha Real" (The Royal March); it first appeared in a 1761 military bugle call book and was replaced by "Himno de Riego" in the years between 1931 and 1939; the long version of the anthem is used for the king, while the short version is used for the prince, prime minister, and occasions such as sporting events

National Holiday

National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 October (1492); note - commemorates the arrival of COLUMBUS in the Americas

National Symbol S

Pillars of Hercules; national colors: red, yellow

Political Parties And Leaders

Asturias Forum or FAC [Cristina COTO]Basque Country Unite (Euskal Herria Bildu) or EH Bildu [Arnaldo OTEGI Mondragon] (coalition of 4 Basque pro-independence parties)Basque Nationalist Party or PNV or EAJ [Andoni ORTUZAR]Canarian Coalition or CC [Claudina MORALES Rodriguez] (coalition of 5 parties)Canarian Nationalist Party or PNC [Juan Manuel GARCIA Ramos]Catalan European Democratic Party or PDeCat [Artur MAS] (formerly Democratic Convergence of Catalonia)Ciudadanos Party or C's [Albert RIVERA]Compromis [Eric MORERA i Catala]Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Ana PONTON Mondelo]Gomera Socialist Group or ASG [Casimiro CURBELO]Initiative for Catalonia Greens or ICV [Joan HERRERA i Torres and Dolors CAMATS]Unidos Podemos [Pablo IGLESIAS Turrion] (formerly Podemos IU; electoral coalition formed for May 2016 election)Popular Party or PP [Pablo CASADO]Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Oriol JUNQUERAS i Vies]Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Pedro SANCHEZ]Union of People of Navarra or UPN [Javier ESPARZA]Union, Progress and Democracy or UPyD [Cristiano BROWN]United Left or IU [Alberto GARZON] (coalition includes Communist Party of Spain or PCE and other small parties; ran as Popular Unity or UP in 2016 election)Yes to the Future or Geroa Bai [Uxue BARKOS] (coalition include 4 Navarran parties)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish

Budget

expenditures

539 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

498.1 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-3.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

0.05% (10 September 2014)

0.25% (13 November 2013)

note

this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

2.03% (31 December 2017 est.)

2.19% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

$24.74 billion (2017 est.)

$23.77 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$2.094 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.963 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

35.9 (2012)

32 (2005)

Economy Overview

After a prolonged recession that began in 2008 in the wake of the global financial crisis, Spain marked the fourth full year of positive economic growth in 2017, with economic activity surpassing its pre-crisis peak, largely because of increased private consumption. The financial crisis of 2008 broke 16 consecutive years of economic growth for Spain, leading to an economic contraction that lasted until late 2013. In that year, the government successfully shored up its struggling banking sector - heavily exposed to the collapse of Spain’s real estate boom - with the help of an EU-funded restructuring and recapitalization program.Until 2014, contraction in bank lending, fiscal austerity, and high unemployment constrained domestic consumption and investment. The unemployment rate rose from a low of about 8% in 2007 to more than 26% in 2013, but labor reforms prompted a modest reduction to 16.4% in 2017. High unemployment strained Spain's public finances, as spending on social benefits increased while tax revenues fell. Spain’s budget deficit peaked at 11.4% of GDP in 2010, but Spain gradually reduced the deficit to about 3.3% of GDP in 2017. Public debt has increased substantially – from 60.1% of GDP in 2010 to nearly 96.7% in 2017.Strong export growth helped bring Spain's current account into surplus in 2013 for the first time since 1986 and sustain Spain’s economic growth. Increasing labor productivity and an internal devaluation resulting from moderating labor costs and lower inflation have improved Spain’s export competitiveness and generated foreign investor interest in the economy, restoring FDI flows.In 2017, the Spanish Government’s minority status constrained its ability to implement controversial labor, pension, health care, tax, and education reforms. The European Commission expects the government to meet its 2017 budget deficit target and anticipates that expected economic growth in 2018 will help the government meet its deficit target. Spain’s borrowing costs are dramatically lower since their peak in mid-2012, and increased economic activity has generated a modest level of inflation, at 2% in 2017.

Exchange Rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.885 (2017 est.)

0.903 (2016 est.)

0.9214 (2015 est.)

0.7525 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exports

$313.7 billion (2017 est.)

$280.5 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods

Exports Partners

France 15.1%, Germany 11.3%, Italy 7.8%, Portugal 7.1%, UK 6.9%, US 4.4% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

34.1% (2017 est.)

government consumption

18.5% (2017 est.)

household consumption

57.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-31.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.6% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

2.6% (2017 est.)

industry

23.2% (2017 est.)

services

74.2% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$1.314 trillion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$38,400 (2017 est.)

$37,200 (2016 est.)

$36,100 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$1.778 trillion (2017 est.)

$1.727 trillion (2016 est.)

$1.674 trillion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

3% (2017 est.)

3.2% (2016 est.)

3.6% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

23% of GDP (2017 est.)

22.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

21.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

24% (2011)

lowest 10%

24% (2011)

Imports

$338.6 billion (2017 est.)

$300.2 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semi-finished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments

Imports Partners

Germany 14.2%, France 11.9%, China 6.9%, Italy 6.8%, Netherlands 5.1%, UK 4% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

4% (2017 est.)

Industries

textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2% (2017 est.)

-0.2% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

22.75 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

4.2%

industry

24%

services

71.7% (2009)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$787.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$992.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.117 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

21.1% (2012 est.)

Public Debt

98.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

99% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$69.41 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$63.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$1.088 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$841.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$776.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$696.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$824.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$739.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$2.491 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.21 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$1.088 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$841.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

note

see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Taxes And Other Revenues

37.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

17.2% (2017 est.)

19.6% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

286.7 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

1.325 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

2,252 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

150 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - total population

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

239.5 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

14.18 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

47% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

32% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

21.85 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

105.9 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

258.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

31.27 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

2.888 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

34.63 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

36.81 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

2.548 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

1.296 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

562,400 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

464,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

1.361 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

30 (2017 est.)

total

14,473,888 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

a mixture of both publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; overall, hundreds of TV channels are available including national, regional, local, public, and international channels; satellite and cable TV systems available; multiple national radio networks, a large number of regional radio networks, and a larger number of local radio stations; overall, hundreds of radio stations (2008)

Internet Country Code

.es

Internet Users

percent of population

80.6% (July 2016 est.)

total

39,123,384 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 145 telephones per 100 persons (2016)

general assessment

well-developed, modern facilities (2016)

international

country code - 34; submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

40 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

19,680,973 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

107 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

52,484,655 (2017 est.)

Airports

150 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

19 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

14 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

24 (2013)

over 3,047 m

18 (2013)

total

99 (2013)

under 914 m

24 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

13 (2013)

total

51 (2013)

under 914 m

36 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

EC (2016)

Heliports

10 (2013)

Merchant Marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 44, oil tanker 28, other 399 (2017)

total

472 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1,040,913,279 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

60,809,228 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

414 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

20 (2015)

Pipelines

10481 km gas, 616 km oil, 3461 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Algeciras (4,761,428), Barcelona (2,236,960), Valencia (4,722,000) (2016)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Mugardos, Sagunto

major seaport(s)

Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona, Valencia (all in Spain); Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (in the Canary Islands)

Railways

broad gauge

11,873 km 1.668-m gauge (6,488 km electrified) (2014)

narrow gauge

1,884.9 km 1.000-m gauge (807 km electrified) (2014)

note

28 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) 3.6 0.600-m gauge

standard gauge

2,312 km 1.435-m gauge (2,312 km electrified) (2014)

total

16,102 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

683,175 km (includes 16,205 km of expressways) (2011)

total

683,175 km (2011)

Waterways

1,000 km (2012)

Military Branches

Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola, AE, includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2013)

Military Expenditures

0.93% of GDP (2018)

0.91% of GDP (2017)

1.21% of GDP (2016)

1.18% of GDP (2015)

1.23% of GDP (2014)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service by a Spanish citizen or legal immigrant, 2-3 year obligation; women allowed to serve in all SAF branches, including combat units; no conscription, but Spanish Government retains right to mobilize citizens 19-25 years of age in a national emergency; mandatory retirement of non-NCO enlisted personnel at age 45 or 58, depending on service length (2013)

Disputes International

in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomyafter voters in the UK chose to leave the EU in a June 2016 referendum, Spain again proposed shared sovereignty of Gibraltar; UK officials rejected Spain’s joint sovereignty proposalMorocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island)Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North AfricaPortugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

Illicit Drugs

despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

note

123,310 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-December 2018); 28,707 migrant arrivals in 2017

refugees (country of origin)

11,752 (Syria) (2017), 29,603 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay), 9,260 (Ukraine) (2018) note - estimate represents asylum applicants since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis in 2014 to September 2017

stateless persons

1,596 (2017)

Terrorist Groups Home Based

Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)

aim(s): establish an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France based on Marxist principlesarea(s) of operation: headquartered in northern Spain, reportedly disarmed in 2017 (April 2018)