Gibraltar

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Gibraltar

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Overview

Background: Spain reluctantly ceded the strategically important Gibraltar to Great Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, and the British garrison at Gibraltar was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. After the UK granted Gibraltar autonomy in 1969, Spain closed the border and severed all communication links. Between 1997 and 2002, the UK and Spain held a series of talks on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against sharing sovereignty with Spain. Since 2004, Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar have held tripartite talks to resolve problems that affect the local population, and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services, communications and maritime security, legal and customs services, environmental protection, and education and visa services. A new noncolonial constitution came into force in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in 2008. The UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability.
Spain and the UK continue to spar over the territory. In 2009, for example, a dispute over Gibraltar's claim to territorial waters extending out three miles gave rise to periodic non-violent maritime confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols. Spain renewed its demands for an eventual return of Gibraltar to Spanish control after the UK’s 2016 vote to leave the EU, but London has dismissed any connection between the vote and its sovereignty over Gibraltar.

Geography

Area

Land: 6.5 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
Total: 7 sq km

Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Land Use

Other: 100% (2022 est.)
Forest: 0% (2022 est.)
Agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)

Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
Coastline: 12 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

Irrigated land: NA
Map references: Europe

Land Boundaries

Total: 1.2 km
Border countries: Spain 1.2 km

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural hazards: occasional droughts; no streams or large bodies of water on the peninsula (all potable water comes from desalination)
Geography note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
Natural resources: none
Area comparative: more than 10 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates: 36 08 N, 5 21 W

People & Society

Languages: English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Religions: Roman Catholic 72.1%, Church of England 7.7%, other Christian 3.8%, Muslim 3.6%, Jewish 2.4%, Hindu 2%, other 1.1%, none 7.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2012 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 13.55 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 36.2 years
Total: 37.1 years (2025 est.)
Female: 37.5 years

Population

Male: 14,923
Total: 29,733 (2025 est.)
Female: 14,810

Nationality

Noun: Gibraltarian(s)
Adjective: Gibraltar

Urbanization

Urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 20% (male 3,045/female 2,895)
15 64 years: 62.5% (male 9,383/female 9,179)
65 years and over: 17.5% (2024 est.) (male 2,491/female 2,690)

Ethnic groups: Gibraltarian 79%, other British 13.2%, Spanish 2.1%, Moroccan 1.6%, other EU 2.4%, other 1.6% (2012 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 60 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 32.1 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.6 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 28 (2025 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure: 8.6% national budget (2025 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 0.16% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.92 (2025 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 78.1 years
Female: 83.8 years
Total population: 80.9 years (2024 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Major urban areas population: 35,000 GIBRALTAR (capital) (2018)

Government

Flag: description: two horizontal bands of white (top, double-width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; a gold key hangs from the castle gate and is centered in the red band

meaning: the castle symbolizes Gibraltar as a fortress, and the key represents Gibraltar's strategic importance -- the key to the Mediterranean

history: the design comes from Gibraltar's coat of arms, which King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted on 10 July 1502

Capital

Name: Gibraltar
Etymology: from the Spanish derivation of the Arabic jabal tariq, which means "Mountain of Tariq" and refers to the Berber chief who captured the peninsula in A.D. 711
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
Geographic coordinates: 36 08 N, 5 21 W

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; and British citizens with six months residence or more
Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Constitution

History: previous 1969; latest passed by referendum 30 November 2006, entered into effect 14 December 2006, entered into force 2 January 2007
Amendment process: proposed by Parliament and requires prior consent of the British monarch (through the Secretary of State); passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote in Parliament followed by simple majority vote in a referendum; note – only sections 1 through 15 in Chapter 1 (Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms) can be amended by Parliament

Country Name

Etymology: from the Spanish derivation of the Arabic jabal tariq, which means "Mountain of Tariq" and refers to the Berber chief who captured the peninsula in A.D. 711
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Gibraltar

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Legal system: the laws of the UK apply
Government type: parliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Judicial Branch

Note: note: appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of at least 3 judges, including the court president); Supreme Court of Gibraltar (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges) 
Subordinate courts: Court of First Instance; Magistrates' Court; specialized tribunals for issues relating to social security, taxes, and employment
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judges appointed by the governor upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 7-member body of judges and appointees of the governor; tenure of the Court of Appeal president based on terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice and judges normally appointed until retirement at age 67, but tenure can be extended 3 years

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 17 elected members of Parliament by the governor, in consultation with the chief minister
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Sir David STEEL (since 11 June 2020)
Head of government: Chief Minister Fabian PICARDO (since 9 December 2011)
Election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as chief minister

National holiday: National Day, 10 September (1967)
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
National color(s): red, white, yellow
Political parties: Gibraltar Liberal Party or Liberal Party of Gibraltar or LPG
Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD
Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP
GSLP-Liberal Alliance
Together Gibraltar or TG

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 4 years
Number of seats: 18 (17 directly elected, 1 appointed)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Legislature name: Parliament
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 10/12/2023
Expected date of next election: October 2027
Percentage of women in chamber: 38.5%
Parties elected and seats per party: GSLP-Liberal Alliance (9) (GSLP 7, LPG 2); GSD (8)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "God Save the King"
History: official anthem, as an overseas UK territory
Lyrics/music: unknown

National symbol(s): Barbary partridge
National coat of arms: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted this coat of arms to Gibraltar in 1502; the castle in the center of the shield represents Gibraltar as a fortress, and the gold key represents its strategic position as the gateway to the Mediterranean; below the shield is the national motto, Montis Insignia Calpe (“Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar”); the coat of arms uses the national colors of red, white, and yellow
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organisations: ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), UPU

Economy

Industries: tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco

Exchange Rates

Currency: Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 0.78 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 0.727 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 0.811 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 0.805 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 0.782 (2024 est.)

Economic overview: British territorial high-income economy; Brexit caused significant economic disruption to longstanding financial services, shipping, and tourism industries; ongoing negotiations to rejoin EU Schengen Area; independent taxation authority
Exports partners: Netherlands 38%, France 26%, Cyprus 7%, Poland 7%, Sweden 6% (2023)
Imports partners: Italy 26%, Greece 12%, Spain 10%, Netherlands 9%, India 9% (2023)
Agricultural products: none
Exports commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, ships, cars, scrap iron (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal tar oil, natural gas, ships (2023)
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.044 billion (2014 est.)

Energy

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption: 91,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 213.744 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 50,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 6.256 million kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Imports: 77.196 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 77.196 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 94% (2016 est.)

Broadcast media: Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides TV and radio services via 1 TV station and 4 radio stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1 radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are accessible
Internet country code: .gi

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 17,200 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 46 (2022 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 36,700 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (2022 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 23,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 61 (2022 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 0
Medium: 1
Key ports: Europa Point
Very small: 0
Total ports: 1 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 1

Airports: 1 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 129 (2023)
BY type: bulk carrier 8, container ship 5, general cargo 31, oil tanker 16, other 69

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VP-G

Environment

Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Land Use

Other: 100% (2022 est.)
Forest: 0% (2022 est.)
Agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 17,000 tons (2024 est.)

Environmental issues: limited natural freshwater resources

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 15.608 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 150,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 15.458 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Military & Security

Military note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military and security forces: Royal Gibraltar Regiment (UK) (2025)

Cite this page

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Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Gibraltar — vintage 2026-Q1: Gibraltar factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/gibraltar

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Sources: CIA World Factbook