2020 Edition

Background

Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England.  Spain remained neutral during both World Wars but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39) resulting in a dictatorship. A peaceful transition to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975 and rapid economic modernization after Spain joined the EU in 1986 gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy. After a severe recession in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2008, Spain has posted solid years of GDP growth above the EU average. Unemployment has fallen but remains high, especially among youth. Spain is the euro-zone's fourth-largest economy. The country has faced increased domestic turmoil in recent years due to the independence movement in its restive Catalonia region.

Area

land

498,980 sq km

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

highest point

Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

660 m

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; Spain's Canary Islands are one of four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are the Azores (Portugal), Madeira (Portugal), and Cabo Verde

Irrigated land

38,012 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

border countries

Andorra 63 km; France 646 km; Gibraltar 1.2 km; Portugal 1,224 km; Morocco (Ceuta) 8 km and Morocco (Melilla) 10.5 km

total

1,952.7 km

Land use

agricultural land

49.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 23% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 10.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 19.8% (2023 est.)

forest

38.2% (2023 est.)

other

12.3% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Major rivers (by length in km)

Tagus river source (shared with Portugal [m]) - 1,006 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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 flooding volcanism: 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) 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; very dense settlement 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

13% (male 3,147,019/female 3,012,821)

15-64 years

66.1% (male 15,662,492/female 15,585,138)

65 years and over

20.9% (2024 est.) (male 4,259,816/female 5,613,147)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

4.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

10.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

3.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

7.16 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

50.2% (2021 est.)

Death rate

9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

31.6 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

3.2 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

51.3 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

19.7 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

9.9% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Spanish 84.8%, Moroccan 1.7%, Romanian 1.2%, other 12.3% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.65 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

10.7% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in part of Catalonia) <5,000 speakers

major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.8 years

male

80.3 years

total population

83 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

99.6% (2021 est.)

male

99.8% (2021 est.)

total population

99.7% (2021 est.)

Major urban areas - population

6.751 million MADRID (capital), 5.687 million Barcelona, 838,000 Valencia (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

47.8 years

male

45.7 years

total

47.2 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

31.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Spanish

noun

Spaniard(s)

Net migration rate

3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.8% (2016)

Physician density

4.29 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

24,211,106

male

23,069,327

total

47,280,433 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

0.12% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 58.2%, atheist 16.2%, agnostic 10.8%, other 2.7%, non-believer 10.5%, unspecified 1.7% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

18 years (2023 est.)

male

17 years (2023 est.)

total

18 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

22% (2025 est.)

male

25.8% (2025 est.)

total

23.9% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.32 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.24% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.6% of total population (2023)

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; Cataluña (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]

Capital

daylight saving time

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

etymology

the meaning and origin of the name is unclear; the city grew from a small Moorish fort that was called Majerit in the first recorded mention in A.D. 932; some trace the modern-day name back to the Roman era, with the Latin word materia (materials) as a possible source

geographic coordinates

40 24 N, 3 41 W

name

Madrid

time difference

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

time zone note

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

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

amendment process

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 the 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 majority vote in Congress and simple majority vote in the Senate

history

several previous; 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

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Spain

conventional short form

Spain

etymology

derivation of the name España is uncertain; the Basque words ezpain or espan ("edge," as in a river bank) are possible sources, or the Punic word span, meaning "rabbit;" some academics tie it to the god Hesperus from Greco-Roman mythology

local long form

Reino de Espa&ntilde;a

local short form

Espa&ntilde;a

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Rian Harker HARRIS (since 15 July 2024); note - also accredited to Andorra

consulate(s) general

Barcelona

email address and website

askACS@state.gov https://es.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Calle de Serrano, 75, 28006 Madrid

FAX

[34] (91) 587-2303

mailing address

8500 Madrid Place, Washington DC 20521-8500

telephone

[34] (91) 587-2200

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador &Aacute;ngeles MORENO Bau (since 27 February 2024)

consulate(s) general

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

email address and website

emb.washington@maec.es https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/washington/en/Paginas/index.aspx

FAX

[1] (202) 833-5670

telephone

[1] (202) 452-0100

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers designated by the president

chief of state

King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014)

election results

Congress of Deputies vote - 179 to 171 (16 November 2023)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually proposes as president the leader of the majority party or coalition, who is then indirectly elected by the Congress of Deputies; vice president and Council of Ministers appointed by the president

expected date of next election

31 July 2027

head of government

President of the Government of Spain (prime minister-equivalent) Pedro SANCHEZ PEREZ-CASTEJON (since 2 June 2018)

most recent election date

23 July 2023

Flag

description: three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double-width), and red, with the national coat of arms on the left side of the yellow band; the coat of arms shows the emblems of the area's former kingdoms (clockwise from upper left: Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon), which also used red and yellow as their colors; the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield represents Granada; the two columns represent the Pillars of Hercules, which are promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on the Strait of Gibraltar; a red scroll bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond), referring to Spanish lands outside Europe

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence

1492

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, CABEI, 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, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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; 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

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

The Cortes (Las Cortes Generales)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados)

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

July 2027

most recent election date

7/23/2023

number of seats

350 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

People's Party (PP) (136); Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (122); Vox (33); SUMAR (31); Other (28)

percentage of women in chamber

44.3%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate (Senado)

electoral system

mixed system

expected date of next election

July 2027

most recent election date

7/23/2023

number of seats

265 (208 directly elected; 57 indirectly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

People's Party (PP) (120); Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (72); Other (16)

percentage of women in chamber

42.5%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1942;officially in use between 1770 and 1931, restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem was the first to be officially adopted; 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, and the short version is used for the prince, prime minister, and occasions such as sporting events

lyrics/music

no lyrics/unknown

title

"Himno Nacional Espanol" (National Anthem of Spain)

National color(s)

red, yellow

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain (c); Works of Antoni Gaudí (c); Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) (c); Historic City of Toledo (c); Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida (c); Tower of Hercules (c); Doñana National Park (n); Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (m); Alhambra, Generalife, and Albayzín in Granada (c); Old City of Salamanca (c); Teide National Park (n); Historic Walled Town of Cuenca (c); Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct (c); Historic Cordoba (c); Royal Site of Saint Lorenzo de El Escorial (c); Cathedral, Alcázar, and Archivo de Indias in Seville

total World Heritage Sites

50 (44 cultural, 4 natural, 2 mixed)

National holiday

National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 October (1492)

National symbol(s)

Pillars of Hercules

Political parties

Asturias Forum or FAC  Basque Country Unite (Euskal Herria Bildu) or EH Bildu (coalition of 4 Basque pro-independence parties) Basque Nationalist Party or PNV or EAJ  Canarian Coalition or CC (coalition of 5 parties) Ciudadanos Party (Citizens Party) or Cs  Compromis - Compromise Coalition  Navarrese People's Union or UPN  Together for Catalonia or Junts  People's Party or PP  Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC  Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE  Teruel Existe or TE  Unidas (Unite) or Sumar (electoral coalition formed in March 2022) (formerly Unidas Podemos or UP) Vox or VOX

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, olives, pork, grapes, wheat, tomatoes, barley, sugar beets, maize, oranges (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

12.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$549.772 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$512.57 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$4.482 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$43.012 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$52.182 billion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

high-income, core-EU and eurozone economy; strong growth driven by public consumption, tourism, and other service exports; tight labor market despite high structural unemployment; efforts to narrow persistent fiscal deficits through tax and spending measures; high but declining unemployment supported by job growth and immigration

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$573.598 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$616.648 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$642.358 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

cars, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)

Exports - partners

France 15%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 9%, UK 6% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

38.1% (2023 est.)

government consumption

19.5% (2023 est.)

household consumption

54.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-34.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

19.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

1.3% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.5% (2024 est.)

industry

19.5% (2024 est.)

services

69.1% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.723 trillion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

33.6 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.8% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

2.3% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$561.448 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$552.948 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$568.502 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, cars, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas (2023)

Imports - partners

Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, USA 7% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

2.6% (2024 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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.4% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.8% (2024 est.)

Labor force

24.386 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

20.2% (2022 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2023

107.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$2.229 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.289 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$2.361 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.2% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$46,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$47,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$48,400 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$92.905 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$103.089 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$107.774 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

13% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

12.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

11.4% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

27.7% (2024 est.)

male

26.4% (2024 est.)

total

27% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

7.388 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

1.629 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

9.798 million metric tons (2023 est.)

production

1.28 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

1.187 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

227.187 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

25.279 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

11.315 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

130.366 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

24.532 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

28% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

8.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

20.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

17.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

23.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

101.12 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

29.041 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

6.576 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

35.252 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

34.124 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

2.549 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

7.12GW (2025 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

3 (2025)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

7 (2025)

Percent of total electricity production

20.3% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

150 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1.325 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

total petroleum production

47,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

38 (2023 est.)

total

18.2 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

mix of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; hundreds of TV channels available, including national, regional, local, public, and international channels; satellite and cable TV available; multiple national radio networks, large number of regional radio networks, and larger number of local radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.es

Internet users

percent of population

95% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

38 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

18.431 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

124 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

61.2 million (2023 est.)

Airports

365 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

EC

Heliports

162 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 33, oil tanker 24, other 445

total

503 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Alicante, Barcelona, Cadiz, Ceuta, Ferrol, Huelva, Las Palmas, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Puerto de Bilbao, Puerto de Pasajes, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santander, Sevilla, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo

large

3

medium

14

ports with oil terminals

13

size unknown

2

small

9

total ports

52 (2024)

very small

24

Railways

total

15,489 km (2020) 9,953 km electrified

Military - note

the Spanish military has a wide range of responsibilities, including protecting the country’s national interests, sovereignty, and territory, providing support during natural disasters, and fulfilling Spain’s responsibilities to European and international security; it maintains garrisons in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla, conducts operations worldwide, and participates in a variety of EU-, NATO-, and UN-led missions; Spain joined NATO in 1982 and is fully integrated into the NATO structure; it routinely conducts exercises with NATO (and EU) partners, and hosts one of NATO’s two combined air operations centers  the Spanish military's history goes back to the 13th century; the Army has an infantry regiment, formed in the 13th century, that is considered the oldest still active military unit in the Western world; the Marine Corps, which traces its roots back to 1537, is the oldest naval infantry force in the world; Spain created a Spanish Legion for foreigners in 1920, but early on the Legion was primarily filled by native Spaniards due to difficulties in recruiting foreigners, and most of its foreign members were from the Republic of Cuba; it was modeled after the French Foreign Legion and its purpose was to provide a corps of professional troops to fight in Spain's colonial campaigns in North Africa; in more recent years, it has been used in NATO peacekeeping deployments; today’s Legion includes a mix of native Spaniards and foreigners with Spanish residency (2025)

Military and security forces

Spanish Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de España): Army (Ejército de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola; includes Marine Corps), Air and Space Force (Ejército del Aire y del Espacio), Emergency Response Unit (Unidad Militar de Emergencias); Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) Ministry of the Interior: Spanish National Police (Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, CNP) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 120,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 80,000 Guardia Civil (2025)

Military deployments

Spain has up to 3,000 military personnel deployed on 17 missions supporting the EU, NATO, and the UN on four continents, as well as naval missions in the Mediterranean and the seas off the Horn of Africa; its largest deployments are up to 700 troops in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and about 1,700 personnel in Eastern Europe supporting NATO missions in Latvia, Romania, and Slovakia (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is comprised of weapons and equipment that were produced domestically, co-produced with or imported from other European countries, or acquired from the US; key suppliers of major armaments include Germany and the US; Spain's defense industry manufactures land, air, and sea weapons systems and is integrated within the European defense-industrial sector (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2021

1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2025

2% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (upper age limits depend on branch of service, roles, specialties, etc); 24-36 month initial obligation; no conscription, but the Spanish Government retains the right to mobilize citizens 19-25 years of age in a national emergency; 18-58 for the voluntary reserves (2026)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

3,960 (2024 est.)

refugees

693,298 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

10,164 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1960s - began working with the US/NASA and the European Space Research Organization (ESRO), the forerunner of the ESA; sounding rocket program (ended in the 1990s) 1974 - first satellite (IntaSat) launched by US 1990s - satellite launch vehicle (SLV) development program (canceled in 2000) 1992 - first communications satellite (Hispasat 1A) launched on European rocket 1998 - first astronaut in space on US Space Shuttle 2018 - first synthetic-aperture-radar, remote-sensing/reconnaissance satellite (Paz) launched by US 2023 - Spanish built Miuri-1 becomes first European private rocket to reach space; joined US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration 2025 - communications satellite (SpainSat NG 1) with advanced security technology launched by US

Space agency/agencies

Spanish Space Agency (AEE; became operational in 2023); Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

El Arenosillo Test Center/Range (Andalusia) (2025)

Space program overview

space program dates back to the 1940s; manufactures and operates communications, remote sensing (RS), and scientific/technology satellites; has developed sounding rockets; conducts research and development in a broad range of space-related capabilities, including astrobiology, astronomy, imaging/RS, meteorology, optics, propulsion, robotics, satellites (particularly micro- and nano-satellites), and satellite launch vehicles; program is integrated into the ESA; also participates in EU space programs; hosts the European Space Astronomy Center (ESOC) and the ESA&rsquo;s Space Surveillance and Tracking Data Centre (ESAC); cooperates with foreign space agencies and industries, including the US; has an active commercial space industry (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa’ida

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

13.39 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

59.105 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

182.327 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

254.823 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from oil and gas production; drought; air pollution; deforestation; desertification

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Basque Coast UNESCO; Cabo de Gata-N&iacute;jar; Cabo Ortegal; Calatrava Volcanoes. Ciudad Real; Central Catalonia; Costa Quebrada; Courel Mountains; El Hierro; Granada; Lanzarote and Chinijo Islands; Las Loras; Maestrazgo; Molina-Alto; Origens; Sierra Norte de Sevilla; Sierras Subb&eacute;ticas; Sobrarbe-Pirineos: Villuercas Ibores Jara (2025)

total global geoparks and regional networks

18 (2025)

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

8.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

111.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

18.96 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

5.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

4.56 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

22.409 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

27.7% (2022 est.)