2024 Edition Primary

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

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% (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

7.1 births/1,000 population (2024 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 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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

0.64 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

3 beds/1,000 population (2018)

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 (2024 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.

note

note: Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Calo, and Valencian are also recognized as regional languages 

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.8 years

male

80.3 years

total population

83 years (2024 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

47.8 years

male

45.7 years

total

46.8 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

31.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Spanish

noun

Spaniard(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.8% (2016)

Physician density

4.44 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

female

24,211,106 (2024 est.)

male

23,069,327

total

47,280,433

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% (2024 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

1.04 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

26.7% (2020 est.)

male

28.6% (2020 est.)

total

27.7% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.3 children born/woman (2024 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

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 "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 Ángeles 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.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)

election results

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

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 23 July 2023 (next to be held on 31 July 2027); 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)

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, 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 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 - men 153, women 112; percentage women 42.3%Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 33.1%, PSOE 31.7%, Vox 12.4%, Sumar 12.3%, ERC 1.7%, Junts 1.6%, EH-Bildu 1.4%, PNV 1.1% other 4.7%; seats by party - PP 137, PSOE 121, Vox 33, Sumar 31, ERC 7, Junts 7, EH-Bildu 6, PNV 5, other 3; composition - men 195, women 155, percentage women 44.3%; total General Courts percentage 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

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, barley, wheat, grapes, pork, olives, tomatoes, maize, oranges, sugar beets (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

4.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

15.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$514.452 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$467.609 billion (2022 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 2021

$10.893 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$8.095 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$41.094 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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; government debt remains high amid deficit reductions; innovation and economic freedom ranked lower than EU and OECD peers

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$493.359 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$578.039 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$615.83 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

France 17%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 8%, UK 6% (2022)

note

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

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

39% (2023 est.)

government consumption

19.9% (2023 est.)

household consumption

55.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-34.8% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

19.3% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

1% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.3% (2023 est.)

industry

20.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

68.5% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.581 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

33.9 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.7% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

2.2% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$479.392 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$561.49 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$550.576 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, garments, cars, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, US 6% (2022)

note

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

Industrial production growth rate

1.94% (2023 est.)

note

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

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) 2021

3.09% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.39% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.53% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

24.108 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

20.2% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

111.43% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$2.068 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$2.188 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.242 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

6.4% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.77% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$43,600 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$45,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$46,400 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.27% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.31% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$92.201 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$92.905 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$103.089 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15.82% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

14.78% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

12.92% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

12.14% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

28.6% (2023 est.)

male

28.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

28.7% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

15.6 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

66.823 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

184.054 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

266.476 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

8.255 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

1.45 million metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

10.775 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

1.293 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

1.187 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

232.66 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

27.916 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

8.043 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

118.141 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

26.117 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

2.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

37.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

5.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

20.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

11.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

22% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

105.979 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

32.833 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

6.066 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

39.662 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

41.009 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

2.549 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

7.12GW (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

3 (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

7 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

20.3% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

150 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1.269 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

47,000 bbl/day (2023 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 39 per 100 and mobile-cellular 124 telephones per 100 persons (2022)

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

39 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

18.687 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

124 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

59.02 million (2022 est.)

Airports

363 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

EC

Heliports

121 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

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

total

503 (2023)

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

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

Roadways

total

150,110 km (2021)

Waterways

1,000 km (2012)

Military - note

the Spanish Armed Forces have 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 air, cyberspace, joint, land, maritime, and space operations; it maintains garrisons in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melillathe 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 (2024)

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) (2024)

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 118,000 active-duty troops (70,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 5,500 marines; 23,000 Air and Space Force); 80,000 Guardia Civil (2024)

note

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

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 (2024)

note

 

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 EU countries, or purchased from the US; 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 (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

1% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.2% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.2% of GDP (2023)

Military Expenditures 2024

1.3% of GDP (2024 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 (2024)

note

note 1: as of 2024, 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

Illicit drugs

a 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 after which chemists within Spain extract and reconstitute any altered form of cocaine, preparing it for distribution within Europe;  minor domestic drug production; occasionally synthetic drugs, including ketamine, new psychoactive substances (NPS), and MDMA transit through Spain to the United States

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: 351,562 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals, including Canary Islands (January 2015-March 2024)

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); 192,390 (Ukraine) (as of 29 February 2024)

stateless persons

6,489 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Spanish Space Agency (AEE; 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; Space Command (Mando del Espacio or MESPA; established January 2024); Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI); Catalan Space Agency (established 2021); Valencian Space Consortium (established 2009) (2024)

Space launch site(s)

El Arenosillo Test Center/Range (Andalusia); private launch site (Teruel province) (2024)

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 (2024)

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 the Space Programs reference guide

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 the Terrorism reference guide

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

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Basque Coast UNESCO; Cabo de Gata-Níjar; Cabo Ortegal; Calatrava Volcanoes. Ciudad Real; Central Catalonia; Courel Mountains; El Hierro; Granada; Lanzarote and Chinijo Islands; Las Loras; Maestrazgo; Molina-Alto; Origens; Sierra Norte de Sevilla; Sierras Subbéticas; Sobrarbe-Pirineos: Villuercas Ibores Jara (2024)

total global geoparks and regional networks

17 (2024)

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.)