THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

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.

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
Area - comparative: almost five times the size of Kentucky; slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries: 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
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: 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.)
forest: 38.2% (2023 est.)
other: 12.3% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land: 38,012 sq km (2022)
Major rivers (by length in km): Tagus river source (shared with Portugal [m]) - 1,006 kmnote: [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

Population: total: 47,280,433 (2024 est.)
male: 23,069,327
female: 24,211,106
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s)
adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups: Spanish 84.8%, Moroccan 1.7%, Romanian 1.2%, other 12.3% (2021 est.)
Languages: Languages: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in part of Catalonia) <5,000 speakers
major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
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)
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: 47.2 years (2025 est.)
male: 45.7 years
female: 47.8 years
Population growth rate: 0.12% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 7.16 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (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
Urbanization: urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.24% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 83 years (2024 est.)
male: 80.3 years
female: 85.8 years
Total fertility rate: 1.32 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.65 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
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.)
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: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 23.8% (2016)
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.)
Tobacco use: total: 23.9% (2025 est.)
male: 25.8% (2025 est.)
female: 22% (2025 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 50.2% (2021 est.)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 9.9% national budget (2022 est.)
Literacy: total population: 99.7% (2021 est.)
male: 99.8% (2021 est.)
female: 99.6% (2021 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 18 years (2023 est.)
male: 17 years (2023 est.)
female: 18 years (2023 est.)

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: 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.)
forest: 38.2% (2023 est.)
other: 12.3% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.24% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total 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.)
Particulate matter emissions: 8.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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.)
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.)
Total renewable water resources: 111.5 billion cubic meters (2022 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)

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]
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
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: emb.washington@maec.eshttps://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: askACS@state.govhttps://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
National holiday: National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 October (1492)
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
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

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): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $2.361 trillion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $2.289 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $2.229 trillion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: 3.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 2.7% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 6.2% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $48,400 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $47,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $46,600 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $1.723 trillion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.8% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 3.5% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 8.4% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 2.5% (2024 est.)
industry: 19.5% (2024 est.)
services: 69.1% (2024 est.)
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.)
Agricultural products: milk, olives, pork, grapes, wheat, tomatoes, barley, sugar beets, maize, oranges (2023)
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.)
Labor force: 24.386 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 11.4% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 12.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 13% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 27% (2024 est.)
male: 26.4% (2024 est.)
female: 27.7% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 20.2% (2022 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022: 33.6 (2022 est.)
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.)
Remittances: Remittances 2024: 0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget: revenues: $512.57 billion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $549.772 billion (2023 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2023: 107.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 15% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2024: $52.182 billion (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $43.012 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: $4.482 billion (2022 est.)
Exports: Exports 2024: $642.358 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $616.648 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $573.598 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners: France 15%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 9%, UK 6% (2023)
Exports - commodities: cars, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)
Imports: Imports 2024: $568.502 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $552.948 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $561.448 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners: Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, USA 7% (2023)
Imports - commodities: crude petroleum, cars, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $107.774 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $103.089 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $92.905 billion (2022 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 0.924 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 0.925 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 0.95 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 0.845 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 0.876 (2020 est.)

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.)
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: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 101.12 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

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.)
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.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: EC
Airports: 365 (2025)
Heliports: 162 (2025)
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
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 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 expenditures: Military Expenditures 2025: 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 1.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 120,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 80,000 Guardia Civil (2025)
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 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 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 - 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)

Space agency/agencies: Spanish Space Agency (AEE; became operational in 2023); Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) (2025)
Space launch site(s): El Arenosillo Test Center/Range (Andalusia) (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 US1990s - satellite launch vehicle (SLV) development program (canceled in 2000)1992 - first communications satellite (Hispasat 1A) launched on European rocket1998 - first astronaut in space on US Space Shuttle 2018 - first synthetic-aperture-radar, remote-sensing/reconnaissance satellite (Paz) launched by US2023 - Spanish built Miuri-1 becomes first European private rocket to reach space; joined US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration2025 - communications satellite (SpainSat NG 1) with advanced security technology launched by US

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees: 693,298 (2024 est.)
IDPs: 3,960 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 10,164 (2024 est.)

Spain