Spain
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Spain⌘K
Overview
- 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.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 498,980 sq km
- Note
- 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
- Water
- 6,390 sq km
- Total
- 505,370 sq km
- 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
Land Use
- Other
- 12.3% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 38.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 49.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 23% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 10.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 19.8% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France
- Coastline
- 4,964 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
- Mean elevation
- 660 m
- Irrigated land
- 38,012 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Europe
Land Boundaries
- 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
- 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
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)
- 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
- Natural resources
- coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
- Area comparative
- almost five times the size of Kentucky; slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
- Geographic coordinates
- 40 00 N, 4 00 W
- 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
- 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
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 99.8% (2021 est.)
- Female
- 99.6% (2021 est.)
- Total population
- 99.7% (2021 est.)
Languages
- Note
- note: Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Calo, and Valencian are also recognized as regional 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.
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 58.2%, atheist 16.2%, agnostic 10.8%, other 2.7%, non-believer 10.5%, unspecified 1.7% (2021 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.76 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 7.16 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 45.7 years
- Total
- 47.2 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 47.8 years
Population
- Male
- 23,069,327
- Total
- 47,280,433 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 24,211,106
Nationality
- Noun
- Spaniard(s)
- Adjective
- Spanish
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 25.8% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 23.9% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 22% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Note
- note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla
- Urban population
- 81.6% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.24% annual rate of change (2020-25 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)
- Ethnic groups
- Spanish 84.8%, Moroccan 1.7%, Romanian 1.2%, other 12.3% (2021 est.)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 51.3 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 19.7 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 3.2 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 31.6 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 4.29 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 10.7% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.32 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 4.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 9.9% national budget (2022 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.12% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.65 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- with the notable exception of Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza, the largest urban agglomerations are found along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts; numerous smaller cities are spread throughout the interior; very dense settlement around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 80.3 years
- Female
- 85.8 years
- Total population
- 83 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 4.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 3.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 10.72 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.)
- Major urban areas population
- 6.751 million MADRID (capital), 5.687 million Barcelona, 838,000 Valencia (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 23.8% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 31.2 years (2020 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 50.2% (2021 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 17 years (2023 est.)
- Total
- 18 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 18 years (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double-width), and red, with the national coat of arms on the left side of the yellow band; the coat of arms shows the emblems of the area's former kingdoms (clockwise from upper left: Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon), which also used red and yellow as their colors; the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield represents Granada; the two columns represent the Pillars of Hercules, which are promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on the Strait of Gibraltar; a red scroll bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond), referring to Spanish lands outside Europe
Capital
- Name
- Madrid
- 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
- Time zone note
- Spain has two time zones, including the Canary Islands (UTC 0)
- 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
- 40 24 N, 3 41 W
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
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
- 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
Country Name
- Etymology
- derivation of the name España is uncertain; the Basque words ezpain or espan ("edge," as in a river bank) are possible sources, or the Punic word span, meaning "rabbit;" some academics tie it to the god Hesperus from Greco-Roman mythology
- Local long form
- Reino de España
- Local short form
- España
- Conventional long form
- Kingdom of Spain
- Conventional short form
- Spain
- Independence
- 1492
- Legal system
- civil law system with regional variations
- Government type
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
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)
- Subordinate courts
- National High Court; High Courts of Justice (in each of the autonomous communities); provincial courts; courts of first instance
- 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
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding
- 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)
- Head of government
- President of the Government of Spain (prime minister-equivalent) Pedro SANCHEZ PEREZ-CASTEJON (since 2 June 2018)
- Most recent election date
- 23 July 2023
- Election/appointment process
- the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually proposes as president the leader of the majority party or coalition, who is then indirectly elected by the Congress of Deputies; vice president and Council of Ministers appointed by the president
- Expected date of next election
- 31 July 2027
- National holiday
- National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 October (1492)
- National color(s)
- red, yellow
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
- 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
Legislative Branch
- Legislature name
- The Cortes (Las Cortes Generales)
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Himno Nacional Espanol" (National Anthem of Spain)
- History
- adopted 1942;officially in use between 1770 and 1931, restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem was the first to be officially adopted; it first appeared in a 1761 military bugle-call book and was replaced by "Himno de Riego" in the years between 1931 and 1939; the long version of the anthem is used for the king, and the short version is used for the prince, prime minister, and occasions such as sporting events
- Lyrics/music
- no lyrics/unknown
- National symbol(s)
- Pillars of Hercules
- 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]
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Chamber name
- Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados)
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 350 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 7/23/2023
- Expected date of next election
- July 2027
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 44.3%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- People's Party (PP) (136); Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (122); Vox (33); SUMAR (31); Other (28)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- Senate (Senado)
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 265 (208 directly elected; 57 indirectly elected)
- Electoral system
- mixed system
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 7/23/2023
- Expected date of next election
- July 2027
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 42.5%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- People's Party (PP) (120); Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (72); Other (16)
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 833-5670
- Chancery
- 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 452-0100
- 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.es
https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/washington/en/Paginas/index.aspx
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [34] (91) 587-2303
- Embassy
- Calle de Serrano, 75, 28006 Madrid
- Telephone
- [34] (91) 587-2200
- Mailing address
- 8500 Madrid Place, Washington DC 20521-8500
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Rian Harker HARRIS (since 15 July 2024); note - also accredited to Andorra
- Consulate(s) general
- Barcelona
- Email address and website
askACS@state.gov
https://es.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
SPAIN · LOWER HOUSE
Congreso de los Diputados
350 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
350
Majority line
176
Largest party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Parties
44
All political parties
Upper house
SPAIN · UPPER HOUSE
Senado
265 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
265
Majority line
134
Largest party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Parties
36
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Felipe VI of Spain
- Head of State
Pedro Sánchez
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $512.57 billion (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $549.772 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $639.5B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $573.598 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $616.648 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $642.358 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $567.6B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $561.448 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $552.948 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $568.502 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment
- Labor force
- 24.386 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 100.7%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2023
- 107.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- euros (EUR) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 0.876 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 0.845 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 0.95 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 0.925 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 0.924 (2024 est.)
- 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
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 10.4%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 13% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 12.2% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 11.4% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- France 15%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 9%, UK 6% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, USA 7% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $57,965
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $46,600 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $47,300 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $48,400 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.8%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 6.2% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 2.7% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 3.2% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- milk, olives, pork, grapes, wheat, tomatoes, barley, sugar beets, maize, oranges (2023)
- Exports commodities
- cars, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)
- Imports commodities
- crude petroleum, cars, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $54.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- $4.482 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $43.012 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $52.182 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 15% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $1.723 trillion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 54.3% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 19.5% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 1.3% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 19.7% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 38.1% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -34.1% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 20.2% (2022 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 12.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.7%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 8.4% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 3.5% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 2.8% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 2.6% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $2.361 trillion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $2.229 trillion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $2.289 trillion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $2.361 trillion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 26.4% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 27% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 27.7% (2024 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 2022
- $92.905 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $103.089 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $107.774 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 19.5% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 69.1% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 2.5% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2.3% (2022 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 24.8% (2022 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022
- 33.6 (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 1.629 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 9.798 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 1.28 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 7.388 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 1.187 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 47,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 150 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 1.325 million bbl/day (2024 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 25.279 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 11.315 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 227.187 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 130.366 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 24.532 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 6.576 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 35.252 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 34.124 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 29.041 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 2.549 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Nuclear Energy
- Number of operational nuclear reactors
- 7 (2025)
- Percent of total electricity production
- 20.3% (2023 est.)
- Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors
- 7.12GW (2025 est.)
- Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down
- 3 (2025)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 101.12 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 23.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 17.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Nuclear
- 20.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 28% 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.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 95% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- mix of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; hundreds of TV channels available, including national, regional, local, public, and international channels; satellite and cable TV available; multiple national radio networks, large number of regional radio networks, and larger number of local radio stations (2019)
- Internet country code
- .es
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 18.431 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 38 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 61.2 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 124 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 18.2 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 38 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 3
- Small
- 9
- Medium
- 14
- 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
- Very small
- 24
- Total ports
- 52 (2024)
- Size unknown
- 2
- Ports with oil terminals
- 13
- Airports
- 365 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 15,489 km (2020) 9,953 km electrified
- Heliports
- 162 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 503 (2023)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 1, general cargo 33, oil tanker 24, other 445
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- EC
Environment
- Climate
- temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Geoparks
- 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)
- Total global geoparks and regional networks
- 18 (2025)
Land Use
- Other
- 12.3% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 38.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 49.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 23% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 10.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 19.8% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Note
- note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla
- Urban population
- 81.6% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.24% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 22.409 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 27.7% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from oil and gas production; drought; air pollution; deforestation; desertification
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 4.56 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 5.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 18.96 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 254.823 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 59.105 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.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 8.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 111.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
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
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Spanish military has a wide range of responsibilities, including protecting the country’s national interests, sovereignty, and territory, providing support during natural disasters, and fulfilling Spain’s responsibilities to European and international security; it maintains garrisons in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla, conducts operations worldwide, and participates in a variety of EU-, NATO-, and UN-led missions; Spain joined NATO in 1982 and is fully integrated into the NATO structure; it routinely conducts exercises with NATO (and EU) partners, and hosts one of NATO’s two combined air operations centers
the Spanish military's history goes back to the 13th century; the Army has an infantry regiment, formed in the 13th century, that is considered the oldest still active military unit in the Western world; the Marine Corps, which traces its roots back to 1537, is the oldest naval infantry force in the world; Spain created a Spanish Legion for foreigners in 1920, but early on the Legion was primarily filled by native Spaniards due to difficulties in recruiting foreigners, and most of its foreign members were from the Republic of Cuba; it was modeled after the French Foreign Legion and its purpose was to provide a corps of professional troops to fight in Spain's colonial campaigns in North Africa; in more recent years, it has been used in NATO peacekeeping deployments; today’s Legion includes a mix of native Spaniards and foreigners with Spanish residency (2025) - Military deployments
- Spain has up to 3,000 military personnel deployed on 17 missions supporting the EU, NATO, and the UN on four continents, as well as naval missions in the Mediterranean and the seas off the Horn of Africa; its largest deployments are up to 700 troops in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and about 1,700 personnel in Eastern Europe supporting NATO missions in Latvia, Romania, and Slovakia (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 1.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military expenditures 2025
- 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Spanish Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de España): Army (Ejército de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola; includes Marine Corps), Air and Space Force (Ejército del Aire y del Espacio), Emergency Response Unit (Unidad Militar de Emergencias); Civil Guard (Guardia Civil)
Ministry of the Interior: Spanish National Police (Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, CNP) (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (upper age limits depend on branch of service, roles, specialties, etc); 24-36 month initial obligation; no conscription, but the Spanish Government retains the right to mobilize citizens 19-25 years of age in a national emergency; 18-58 for the voluntary reserves (2026)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's inventory is comprised of weapons and equipment that were produced domestically, co-produced with or imported from other European countries, or acquired from the US; key suppliers of major armaments include Germany and the US; Spain's defense industry manufactures land, air, and sea weapons systems and is integrated within the European defense-industrial sector (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 120,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 80,000 Guardia Civil (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa’ida
Space
- Space launch site(s)
- El Arenosillo Test Center/Range (Andalusia) (2025)
- Space agency/agencies
- Spanish Space Agency (AEE; became operational in 2023); Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) (2025)
- Space program overview
- space program dates back to the 1940s; manufactures and operates communications, remote sensing (RS), and scientific/technology satellites; has developed sounding rockets; conducts research and development in a broad range of space-related capabilities, including astrobiology, astronomy, imaging/RS, meteorology, optics, propulsion, robotics, satellites (particularly micro- and nano-satellites), and satellite launch vehicles; program is integrated into the ESA; also participates in EU space programs; hosts the European Space Astronomy Center (ESOC) and the ESA’s Space Surveillance and Tracking Data Centre (ESAC); cooperates with foreign space agencies and industries, including the US; has an active commercial space industry (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 1960s - began working with the US/NASA and the European Space Research Organization (ESRO), the forerunner of the ESA; sounding rocket program (ended in the 1990s)
1974 - first satellite (IntaSat) launched by US
1990s - satellite launch vehicle (SLV) development program (canceled in 2000)
1992 - first communications satellite (Hispasat 1A) launched on European rocket
1998 - first astronaut in space on US Space Shuttle
2018 - first synthetic-aperture-radar, remote-sensing/reconnaissance satellite (Paz) launched by US
2023 - Spanish built Miuri-1 becomes first European private rocket to reach space; joined US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration
2025 - communications satellite (SpainSat NG 1) with advanced security technology launched by US
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 3,960 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 693,298 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 10,164 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index74.0 / 100as of 2024-Q437 / 1902024-Q4
Civica Pulse+3.4as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.74as of 2024-Q425 / 170+0.042024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—−1.02024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Free press (74/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.911as of 2022—2022
Corruption Perceptions Index60 / 100as of 202336 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Spain — vintage 2026-Q1: Spain factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/spain
Sources: Eurostat, FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata