2023 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 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

note

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

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 Azores (Portugal), Madeira (Portugal), and Cabo Verde

Irrigated land

37,593 sq km (2020)

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

note

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

agricultural land

54.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 24.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.1% (2018 est.)

forest

36.8% (2018 est.)

other

9.1% (2018 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]) - 1,006note – [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 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; 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

13.37% (male 3,226,491/female 3,087,271)

15-64 years

66.13% (male 15,649,418/female 15,577,164)

65 years and over

20.5% (2023 est.) (male 4,169,949/female 5,512,320)

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

7.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

62.1% (2018)

note

note: percent of women aged 18-49

Current health expenditure

10.7% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

50.1% (2023 est.)

Death rate

10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

30.2

potential support ratio

3.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.4

youth dependency ratio

21.9

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: data represent population by country of birth

Gross reproduction rate

0.63 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

3 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

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

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

85.6 years

male

80.1 years

total population

82.8 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.2% (2020)

male

99%

total population

98.6%

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 (2020 est.)

Median age

female

47.4 years

male

45.2 years

total

46.3 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

31.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Spanish

noun

Spaniard(s)

Net migration rate

4.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.8% (2016)

Physicians density

4.44 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

47,222,613 (2023 est.)

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; very dense settlement around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona

Population growth rate

0.12% (2023 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

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

19 years (2020)

male

18 years

total

18 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 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 (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

26.7% (2020 est.)

male

28.6% (2020 est.)

total

27.7% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.29 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

note

note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla

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; 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

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

etymology

the Romans named the original settlement "Matrice" after the river that ran through it; under Arab rule it became "Majerit," meaning "source of water"; in medieval Romance dialects (Mozarabic) it became "Matrit," which over time changed to "Madrid"

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

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 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; amended 1992, 2011

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

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 Julissa REYNOSO (since 2 February 2022); note - also accredited to Andorra

consulate(s) general

Barcelona

email address and website

askACS@state.govhttps://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 Santiago CABANAS Ansorena (since 17 September 2018)

consulate(s) general

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

email address and website

emb.washington@maec.eshttps://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); Heir Apparent Princess LEONOR, Princess of Asturias (daughter of the monarch, born 31 October 2005)

election results

Congress of Deputies vote - NA

elections/appointments

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; election last held on 10 November 2019 (next to be held in December 2023); vice president and Council of Ministers appointed by the president

head of government

President of the Government of Spain (prime minister-equivalent) Pedro SANCHEZ PEREZ-CASTEJON (since 2 June 2018); Vice President Nadia Maria CALVINO Santamaria (since 12 July 2021)

note

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

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, 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 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 (265 seats; 208 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 57 members indirectly elected by the legislatures of the autonomous 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 closed-list proportional representation vote, with a 3% threshold needed to gain a seat, 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 120, PSOE 72, ERC 7, PNV 4, other 5; composition (as of mid-2022) - men 161, women 104; percent of women 39.3%Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 33.1%, PSOE 31.7%, Vox 12.4%, Sumar 12.3%, ERC 1.7%, JuntsxCat 1.6%, EH-Bildu 1.4%, PNV 1.1% other 4.7%; seats by party - PP 136, PSOE 122, Vox 33, Sumar 31, ERC 7, JuntsxCat 7, EH-Bildu 6, PNV 5, other 3; men 196, women 154, percent of women 44%; note - overall General Courts percent of women 42%

elections

Senate - last held on 23 July 2023 (next to be held no later than July 2027)Congress of Deputies - last held on 23 July 2023 (next to be held no later than July 2027)

National anthem

lyrics/music

no lyrics/unknown

name

"Himno Nacional Espanol" (National Anthem of Spain)

note

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 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); El Escorial (c)

total World Heritage Sites

50 (44 cultural, 4 natural, 2 mixed)

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 [Carmen MORIYON]Basque Country Unite (Euskal Herria Bildu) or EH Bildu [Arnaldo OTEGI] (coalition of 4 Basque pro-independence parties)Basque Nationalist Party or PNV or EAJ [Andoni ORTUZAR]Canarian Coalition or CC [Fernando Clavijo BATLLE] (coalition of 5 parties)Ciudadanos Party (Citizens Party) or Cs [Adrian Vazquez LAZARA]Compromis - Compromise Coalition [Enric MORERA i Català]Together for Catalonia or JuntsxCat [Albert BATET]People's Party or PP [Alberto Nunez FEIJOO]Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Oriol JUNQUERAS]Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Pedro SANCHEZ]Teruel Existe or TE [Tomas GUITARTE]Unidas (Unite) or Sumar [Yolanda Diaz] (electoral coalition formed in March 2022) (formerly Unidas Podemos or UP)Union of People of Navarra or UPN [Javier ESPARZA]Vox or VOX [Santiago ABASCAL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

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

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

12.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$585.979 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$546.084 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

A- (2018)

Moody's rating

Baa1 (2018)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

A (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$29.247 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$8.045 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$13.445 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$2.366 trillion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$2.338 trillion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

high-income core EU economy; diversified trade portfolio; continental tourism locale; high government spending and debt; prone to political financing corruption; negatively impacted by COVID-19; important port and customs infrastructure; key clothing/footwear supplier

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$486.633 billion (2019 est.) ; note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$393.774 billion (2020 est.) ; note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$497.868 billion (2021 est.) ; note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, delivery trucks, clothing and apparel (2019)

Exports - partners

France 15%, Germany 11%, Italy 8%, Portugal 8%, United Kingdom 7%, United States 5% (2019)

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)

$1,393,351,000,000 (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

34.3 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24% (2011)

lowest 10%

2.5%

Imports

Imports 2019

$445.719 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$375.087 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$476.678 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, natural gas, refined petroleum (2019)

Imports - partners

Germany 13%, France 11%, China 8%, Italy 7% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

4.03% (2021 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) 2019

0.7% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

-0.32% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

3.09% (2021 est.)

Labor force

23.382 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

20.7% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2018

104.74% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

108.99% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

141.22% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1.921 trillion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$1.704 trillion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$1.798 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.98% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-11.33% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

5.52% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$40,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$36,000 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$37,900 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$74.731 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$81.288 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$92.201 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.58% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

14.1% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

15.53% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

14.73% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

38.2%

male

35.9%

total

36.9% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

16.743 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

72.582 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

191.299 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

280.624 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

4.918 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

2.083 million metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

4.857 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

546,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

1.187 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

233.267 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

14.649 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

17.928 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

115.837 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

23.999 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

2.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

32.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

13.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

21.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

8.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

22.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

122.673 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

32.03 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

1.185 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

32.489 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

57.99 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves

2.549 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

7.12GW (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

1

Number of operational nuclear reactors

7 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

21.38% (2016)

Percent of total energy produced

33.2% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

1,364,700 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

150 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1.328 million bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

47,200 bbl/day (2021 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

35 (2020 est.)

total

16,188,502 (2020 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  (2019)

Internet country code

.es

Internet users

percent of population

94% (2021 est.)

total

44.18 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 40 per 100 and mobile-cellular 120 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Spain’s telecom sector has tracked the performance of the overall economy, which has been one of the most heavily impacted by the pandemic in all of Europe; GDP dropped by 10.8% in 2020, while telecom revenue reversed the previous five years’ positive results by falling 5.3%; fixed-line services were the hardest hit, with revenue falling 13.7%; mobile voice services did not fare much better, falling 4.7%; this is despite relatively small shifts in the number of subscribers, though the harsh lockdown conditions resulted in a significant drop in usage; it had appeared that a return to growth might be possible in 2021 following lifting the state of emergency in May, but the most recent surge in cases and the continued restrictions on travel may once again put the brakes on growth until at least 2022; Spain’s fixed-line broadband market managed to extend its decade-long pattern of steady growth into 2020, with a slight increase in demand caused by the need for fast internet access to support working and learning from home; while most of Spain’s larger telcos delivered negative revenue and profit in 2020 (2021)

international

country code - 34; landing points for the MAREA, Tata TGN-Western Europe, Pencan-9, SAT-3/WASC, Canalink, Atlantis-2, Columbus -111, Estepona-Tetouan, FLAG Europe-Asia (FEA), Balalink, ORVAL and PENBAL-5 submarine cables providing connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Asia, Southeast Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

40 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

19,075,931 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

120 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

56,805,348 (2021 est.)

Airports

135 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

28

joint use (civil-military) airports

13

military airports

6

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

55

total

102

Airports - with unpaved runways

33

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

EC

Heliports

13 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 35, oil tanker 23, other 435

total

494 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1.117 billion (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

80,672,105 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

552

number of registered air carriers

21 (2020)

Pipelines

10,481 km gas, 358 km oil, 4,378 km refined products (2017)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Algeciras (4,799,497), Barcelona (3,531,762), Valencia (5,604,478) (2021)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, El Musel, Huelva, Mugardos, Sagunto

major seaport(s)

Atlantic Ocean: Bilbao, Huelva; Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (in the Canary Islands)Mediterranean Sea: Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Tarragona, Valencia

river port(s)

Seville (Guadalquivir River)

Railways

total

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

Roadways

paved

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

total

683,175 km (2011)

Waterways

1,000 km (2012)

Military - note

the Spanish Armed Forces are a modern and professional military with a wide variety 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; the military conducts operations worldwide, and its air, ground, and naval forces participate 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 EU and NATO partners, and hosts one of NATO’s two combined air operations centers the military is organized into commands for aerospace, cyberspace, joint, land, and maritime operations; it also has a separate Emergency Response Unit, a permanent joint service force designed to respond to catastrophes and emergencies in both domestic and overseas environments; the Army is the largest service and has two divisional headquarters with several subordinate brigades of mechanized infantry and one of paratroopers; there are also separate commands for air defense, artillery, aviation, mountain troops, and special operations forces, as well as for the garrison units in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melillathe basic structure of the Navy’s operational units includes surface and action forces, aviation and submarine flotillas, and a marine corps; the Surface Combat Force includes amphibious, mine warfare, surface warship, and escort squadrons and groups, while the Maritime Action Force is generally made up of units and assets whose main task is to conduct maritime security and surveillance operations in geographically based areas such as the Balearic and Canary islands, Cadiz, and Cartagena; the Navy’s principal warships include 11 frigates, four attack submarines, and three large helicopter-capable amphibious assault ships; it also has squadrons of multirole fighters and anti-submarine warfare aircraft; the 5,500-strong Marine Corps (aka Marine Infantry or Infantería de Armada) has amphibious, garrison, and special operations forcesthe Air Force is organized into an Air Combat Command, home to the air combat squadrons, a General Air Command, and a Canary Islands Air Command; it has approximately 400 aircraft, including about 170 modern European- and US-made fighters and multirole fighter aircraft; in addition to traditional military operations, the Air Force supports such missions as medical operations, delivering humanitarian aid, evacuations, search and rescue, firefighting, and surveillancethe Spanish military has a rich history that 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 (2023)

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) (2023)

note

note 1: the Civil Guard is a military force with police duties (including coast guard) under both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior; it also responds to the needs of the Ministry of Financenote 2: the Emergency Response Unit was established in 2006 as a separate branch of service for responding to natural disasters and providing disaster relief both domestically and abroad; it has personnel from all the other military servicesnote 3: the Spanish National Police ( Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, CNP) and the Civil Guard maintain internal security as well as migration and border enforcement under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior; the regional police under the authority of the Catalan and the Basque Country regional governments and municipal police throughout the country also support domestic security note 4: the military has a Common Corps of four specialized corps that provide professional services to all the branches of the Armed Forces and the Civil Guard, including comptroller, legal, medical, and music servicesnote 5: the Royal Guard is an independent regiment of the military dedicated to the protection of the King and members of the royal family; it is made up of members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Common Corps

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 120,000 active-duty troops (72,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 5,500 marines; 23,000 Air and Space Force); 80,000 Guardia Civil (2023)

note

note: military figures include about 3,500 Emergency Response Unit and 1,500-2,000 Royal Guard personnel

Military deployments

approximately 200 Iraq (NATO/EU training assistance); up to 600 Latvia (NATO); 650 Lebanon (UNIFIL); approximately 200 Romania (NATO); approximately 500 Mali (EUTM); 150 Turkey (NATO) (2023)

note

note 1: as of 2023, up to 3,000 Spanish soldiers and civil guards were deployed on 17 missions on four continents note 2: in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including Spain, have sent additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is comprised of domestically produced and imported Western weapons systems; in recent years, leading suppliers have included France, Germany, and the US; Spain's defense industry manufactures land, air, and sea weapons systems and is integrated within the European defense-industrial sector (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

0.9% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 24-36 month initial obligation; women allowed to serve in all branches, including combat units; no conscription (abolished 2001), 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 (2023)

note

note 1: as of 2023, women comprised about 13% of the military's full-time personnelnote 2: the military recruits foreign nationals with residency in Spain from countries of its former empire, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela

Disputes - international

Spain-Andorra: none identified Spain-France: none identified Spain-Gibraltar (UK): 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 does not recognize British sovereignty beyond the original fortified perimeter of the city and disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; after 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 proposal Spain-Morocco: Morocco 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), which remains unoccupied but was the site of a  military standoff in 2002; Morocco serves as the primary embarkation area for illegal migration into mainland Spain from North Africa Spain-Portugal: Portugal 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

a primary European transit point for cocaine from South America and for hashish from Morocco; cocaine is shipped in raw or liquid form with mixed cargo to avoid detection or altered to escape detection Spanish chemists reconstitute it and distribute to Europe; minor domestic drug production; synthetic drugs, including ketamine, new psychoactive substances (NPS), and MDMA transit from Spain to the United States

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: 325,212 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals, including Canary Islands (January 2015-November 2023)

refugees (country of origin)

14,994 (Syria) (mid-year 2022); 438,400 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2022); 185,870 (Ukraine) (as of 3 December 2023)

stateless persons

6,489 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Spanish Space Agency (became operational in April 2023); previously, the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial or INTA, established 1942), a public research organization that depends on the Ministry of Defense, acted as Spain’s space agency; Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI); Catalan Space Agency (established 2021); Valencian Space Consortium (established 2009) (2023)

Space launch site(s)

El Arenosillo Experiment Center/Range (Andalusia); private launch site (Teruel province) (2023)

Space program overview

space program is integrated into the European Space Agency (ESA) and 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, materials, meteorology, optics, propulsion, robotics, satellites (particularly micro- and nano-satellites), satellite systems and subsystems, satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs), and space sciences; participates in ESA, EU, and other international programs; hosts the European Space Astronomy Center (ESOC) and the ESA’s Space Surveillance and Tracking Data Centre (ESAC); cooperates with foreign space agencies and industries, including those of ESA and EU member states and the US; has a considerable commercial space industry, which is involved in a wide range of space-related research, development, and production, including satellites and SLVs; the CDTI coordinates the activities of the commercial space sector (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

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

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

244 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

36.94 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

9.34 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

54.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 24.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.1% (2018 est.)

forest

36.8% (2018 est.)

other

9.1% (2018 est.)

Major rivers (by length in km)

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

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

111.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

18.96 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

5.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

4.56 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

note

note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

81.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

20.151 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

3,393,428 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

16.8% (2015 est.)