Spain

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.TipVisit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.Definitions and Notes

Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references

Europe

Area

total : 505,370 sq km

land: 498,980 sq km

water: 6,390 sq km

note: includes two autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla), 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

comparison ranking: total 54

Area – comparative

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

Area comparison map:

Land boundaries

total: 1,952.7 km

border countries (5): 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: an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera

Coastline

4,964 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Elevation

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

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 660 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

agricultural land: 53.4% (2022 est.)

arable land: 23.4% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 10.2% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 19.8% (2022 est.)

forest: 37.2% (2022 est.)

other: 9.5% (2022 est.)

Irrigated land

38,012 sq km (2022)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Tagus river source (shared with Portugal [m]) – 1,006 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Population distribution

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

Natural hazards

periodic droughts, occasional flooding

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

Geography – note

strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco, including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas; Spain’s Canary Islands are one of four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are the Azores (Portugal), Madeira (Portugal), and Cabo Verde

People and Society

Population

total: 47,280,433 (2024 est.)

male: 23,069,327

female: 24,211,106

comparison rankings: total 32; female 32; male 34

Nationality

noun: Spaniard(s)

adjective: Spanish

Ethnic groups

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

note: data represent population by country of birth

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

Spanish audio sample:

Religions

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

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)

2024 population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 51.3 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 19.7 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 31.6 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 3.2 (2024 est.)

Median age

total: 46.8 years (2024 est.)

male: 45.7 years

female: 47.8 years

comparison ranking: total 8

Population growth rate

0.12% (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 182

Birth rate

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

comparison ranking: 221

Death rate

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

comparison ranking: 36

Net migration rate

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

comparison ranking: 25

Population distribution

Urbanization

urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023)

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

note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla

Major urban areas – population

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother’s mean age at first birth

31.2 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

comparison ranking: 184

Infant mortality rate

total: 2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births

comparison ranking: total 217

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 83 years (2024 est.)

male: 80.3 years

female: 85.8 years

comparison ranking: total population 18

Total fertility rate

1.3 children born/woman (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 218

Gross reproduction rate

0.64 (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

note: percent of women aged 18-49

Drinking water source

improved:

urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved:

urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

10.7% of GDP (2021)

15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

4.29 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Hospital bed density

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

Sanitation facility access

improved:

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity – adult prevalence rate

23.8% (2016)

comparison ranking: 62

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 10.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 4.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 3.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 2.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

comparison ranking: total 17

Tobacco use

total: 23.9% (2025 est.)

male: 25.8% (2025 est.)

female: 22% (2025 est.)

comparison ranking: total 45

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

50.1% (2023 est.)

Education expenditure

4.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

9.2% national budget (2022 est.)

comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 91

Literacy

total population: 100% (2021 est.)

male: 100% (2021 est.)

female: 100% (2021 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 18 years (2023 est.)

male: 17 years (2023 est.)

female: 18 years (2023 est.)

Environment

Environmental issues

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

International environmental agreements

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

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Climate

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

Land use

Urbanization

urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023)

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

note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla

Carbon dioxide emissions

254.823 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 13.39 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 182.327 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 59.105 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

comparison ranking: total emissions 27

Particulate matter emissions

8.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 4.56 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 5.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 18.96 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources

111.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Geoparks

total global geoparks and regional networks: 18 (2025)

global geoparks and regional networks: Basque Coast UNESCO; Cabo de Gata-Níjar; Cabo Ortegal; Calatrava Volcanoes. Ciudad Real; Central Catalonia; Costa Quebrada; Courel Mountains; El Hierro; Granada; Lanzarote and Chinijo Islands; Las Loras; Maestrazgo; Molina-Alto; Origens; Sierra Norte de Sevilla; Sierras Subbéticas; Sobrarbe-Pirineos: Villuercas Ibores Jara (2025)

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain

conventional short form: Spain

local long form: Reino de España

local short form: España

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

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital

name: Madrid

geographic coordinates: 40 24 N, 3 41 W

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

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

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

Administrative divisions

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

note: Spain administers the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla and the three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, which are all located along the coast of Morocco; they are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)

Legal system

civil law system with regional variations

Constitution

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

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

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014)

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

cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president

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

most recent election date: 23 July 2023

election results: Congress of Deputies vote – 179 to 171 (16 November 2023)

expected date of next election: 31 July 2027

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

Legislative branch

legislature name: The Cortes (Las Cortes Generales)

legislative structure: bicameral

Legislative branch – lower chamber

chamber name: Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados)

number of seats: 350 (all directly elected)

electoral system: proportional representation

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 4 years

most recent election date: 7/23/2023

parties elected and seats per party: People’s Party (PP) (136); Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) (122); Vox (33); SUMAR (31); Other (28)

percentage of women in chamber: 44.3%

expected date of next election: July 2027

Legislative branch – upper chamber

chamber name: Senate (Senado)

number of seats: 265 (208 directly elected; 57 indirectly elected)

electoral system: mixed system

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 4 years

most recent election date: 7/23/2023

parties elected and seats per party: People’s Party (PP) (120); Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) (72); Other (16)

percentage of women in chamber: 42.5%

expected date of next election: July 2027

Judicial branch

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

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates proposed by the General Council of the Judiciary Power, a 20-member governing board chaired by the monarch; judges can serve until age 70; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the National Assembly, executive branch, and the General Council of the Judiciary, and appointed by the monarch for 9-year terms

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ángeles MORENO Bau (since 27 February 2024)

chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100

FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670

email address and website:
[email protected]

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Rian Harker HARRIS (since 15 July 2024); note – also accredited to Andorra

embassy: Calle de Serrano, 75, 28006 Madrid

mailing address: 8500 Madrid Place, Washington DC 20521-8500

telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200

FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303

email address and website:
[email protected]

https://es.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general: Barcelona

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

Independence

1492

note: the Iberian peninsula was home to 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 completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

National holiday

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

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 shows the emblems of the area’s former kingdoms (clockwise from upper left: Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon), which also used red and yellow as their colors; Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the two columns represent the Pillars of Hercules, which are promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on the Strait of Gibraltar; a red scroll bears the imperial motto of “Plus Ultra” (further beyond), referring to Spanish lands outside Europe

National symbol(s)

Pillars of Hercules

National color(s)

red, yellow

National anthem(s)

title: “Himno Nacional Espanol” (National Anthem of Spain)

lyrics/music: no lyrics/unknown

history: adopted 1942;officially in use between 1770 and 1931, restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem was the first to be officially adopted; it first appeared in a 1761 military bugle-call book and was replaced by “Himno de Riego” in the years between 1931 and 1939; the long version of the anthem is used for the king, and the short version is used for the prince, prime minister, and occasions such as sporting events

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 50 (44 cultural, 4 natural, 2 mixed)

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

Economy

Economic overview

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.361 trillion (2024 est.)
$2.289 trillion (2023 est.)
$2.229 trillion (2022 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

comparison ranking: 15

Real GDP growth rate

3.2% (2024 est.)
2.7% (2023 est.)
6.2% (2022 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

comparison ranking: 111

Real GDP per capita

$48,400 (2024 est.)
$47,300 (2023 est.)
$46,600 (2022 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

comparison ranking: 41

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.723 trillion (2024 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.8% (2024 est.)
3.5% (2023 est.)
8.4% (2022 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

comparison ranking: 81

GDP – composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.5% (2024 est.)

industry: 19.5% (2024 est.)

services: 69.1% (2024 est.)

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

comparison rankings: services 40; industry 135; agriculture 141

GDP – composition, by end use

household consumption: 54.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 19.5% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 19.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: 1.3% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 38.1% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -34.1% (2023 est.)

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

Agricultural products

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

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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

Industrial production growth rate

2.6% (2024 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 89

Labor force

24.386 million (2024 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 28

Unemployment rate

11.4% (2024 est.)
12.2% (2023 est.)
13% (2022 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

comparison ranking: 156

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 27% (2024 est.)

male: 26.4% (2024 est.)

female: 27.7% (2024 est.)

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

comparison ranking: total 29

Population below poverty line

20.2% (2022 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini Index coefficient – distribution of family income

33.6 (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 99

Average household expenditures

on food: 12.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco: 4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3% (2022 est.)

highest 10%: 24.8% (2022 est.)

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

Remittances

0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

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

Budget

revenues: $467.609 billion (2022 est.)

expenditures: $514.452 billion (2022 est.)

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

Public debt

107.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

comparison ranking: 15

Taxes and other revenues

15% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

comparison ranking: 91

Current account balance

$52.182 billion (2024 est.)
$43.012 billion (2023 est.)
$4.482 billion (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 12

Exports

$642.358 billion (2024 est.)
$616.648 billion (2023 est.)
$573.598 billion (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 17

Exports – partners

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

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

Exports – commodities

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

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

$568.502 billion (2024 est.)
$552.948 billion (2023 est.)
$561.448 billion (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 17

Imports – partners

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

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

Imports – commodities

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$107.774 billion (2024 est.)
$103.089 billion (2023 est.)
$92.905 billion (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 27

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar –

Exchange rates:
0.924 (2024 est.)
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification – total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 130.366 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 227.187 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports: 25.279 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports: 11.315 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 24.532 billion kWh (2023 est.)

comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 191; imports 21; exports 8; consumption 21; installed generating capacity 11

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 28% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear: 20.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 17.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind: 23.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity: 8.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

biomass and waste: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy

Number of operational nuclear reactors: 7 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 7.12GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production: 20.3% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 3 (2025)

Coal

production: 1.28 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption: 7.388 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports: 1.629 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports: 9.798 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 1.187 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 47,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 1.325 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 150 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas

production: 34.124 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption: 29.041 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports: 6.576 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports: 35.252 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 2.549 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

101.12 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

comparison ranking: 48

Communications

Telephones – fixed lines

total subscriptions: 18.431 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2023 est.)

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 14

Telephones – mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 61.2 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 124 (2022 est.)

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 30

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.es

Internet users

percent of population: 95% (2023 est.)

Broadband – fixed subscriptions

total: 18.2 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2023 est.)

comparison ranking: total 15

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

365 (2025)

comparison ranking: 20

Heliports

162 (2025)

comparison ranking: 17

Railways

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

Merchant marine

total: 503 (2023)

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

comparison ranking: total 42

Ports

total ports: 52 (2024)

large: 3

medium: 14

small: 9

very small: 24

size unknown: 2

ports with oil terminals: 13

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

Military and Security

Military and security forces

Spanish Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de España): Army (Ejército de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola; includes Marine Corps), Air and Space Force (Ejército del Aire y del Espacio), Emergency Response Unit (Unidad Militar de Emergencias); Civil Guard (Guardia Civil)

Ministry of the Interior: Spanish National Police (Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, CNP) (2025)

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 Finance; the 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 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 services

note 3: the Royal Guard is an independent joint-service regiment of the military dedicated to the protection of the King and members of the royal family

Military expenditures

1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2023)
1.2% of GDP (2022)
1% of GDP (2021)
1% of GDP (2020)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 120,000 active-duty Armed Forces (70,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 5,500 marines; 25,000 Air and Space Force); approximately 80,000 Guardia Civil (2024)

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 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 1: as of 2024, women comprised about 13% of the military’s full-time personnel

note 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

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)

Military – note

the Spanish military has a wide range of responsibilities, including protecting the country’s national interests, sovereignty, and territory, providing support during natural disasters, and fulfilling Spain’s responsibilities to European and international security; it maintains garrisons in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla, conducts operations worldwide, and participates in a variety of EU-, NATO-, and UN-led missions; Spain joined NATO in 1982 and is fully integrated into the NATO structure; it routinely conducts exercises with NATO (and EU) partners, and hosts one of NATO’s two combined air operations centers

the Spanish military has a rich history going back to the 13th century; the Army has an infantry regiment, formed in the 13th century, that is considered the oldest still active military unit in the Western world; the Marine Corps, which traces its roots back to 1537, is the oldest naval infantry force in the World; Spain created a Spanish Legion for foreigners in 1920, but early on the Legion was primarily filled by native Spaniards due to difficulties in recruiting foreigners, and most of its foreign members were from the Republic of Cuba; it was modeled after the French Foreign Legion and its purpose was to provide a corps of professional troops to fight in Spain’s colonial campaigns in North Africa; in more recent years, it has been used in NATO peacekeeping deployments; today’s Legion includes a mix of native Spaniards and foreigners with Spanish residency (2025)

Space

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: 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

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

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

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