Factbook dossier
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
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
Natural resources
coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
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
Population
total: 47,280,433 (2024 est.) male: 23,069,327 female: 24,211,106
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 informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Calo, and Valencian are also recognized as regional languages
Religions
Roman Catholic 58.2%, atheist 16.2%, agnostic 10.8%, other 2.7%, non-believer 10.5%, unspecified 1.7% (2021 est.)
Environmental issues
pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from oil and gas production; drought; air pollution; deforestation; desertification
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
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
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
Real GDP per capita
$48,400 (2024 est.) $47,300 (2023 est.) $46,600 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.8% (2024 est.) 3.5% (2023 est.) 8.4% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
France 15%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 9%, UK 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, USA 7% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Spanish Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Espa a): Army (Ej rcito de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola; includes Marine Corps), Air and Space Force (Ej rcito 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 Polic a, 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
2% of GDP (2025 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1% of GDP (2021 est.)