{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "

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": { "Location": { "text": "Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "40 00 N, 4 00 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "Europe" }, "Area": { "total ": { "text": "505,370 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "498,980 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "6,390 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" }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "almost five times the size of Kentucky; slightly more than twice the size of Oregon" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "1,952.7 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Andorra 63 km; France 646 km; Gibraltar 1.2 km; Portugal 1,224 km; Morocco (Ceuta) 8 km and Morocco (Melilla) 10.5 km" }, "note": "note: an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera" }, "Coastline": { "text": "4,964 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "contiguous zone": { "text": "24 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)" } }, "Climate": { "text": "temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast" }, "Terrain": { "text": "large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean 0 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "660 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "49.6% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 23% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 10.2% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 19.8% (2023 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "38.2% (2023 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "12.3% (2023 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "38,012 sq km (2022)" }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Tagus river source (shared with Portugal [m]) - 1,006 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco, including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas; Spain's Canary Islands are one of four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are the Azores (Portugal), Madeira (Portugal), and Cabo Verde" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "total": { "text": "47,280,433 (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "23,069,327" }, "female": { "text": "24,211,106" } }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Spaniard(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Spanish" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Spanish 84.8%, Moroccan 1.7%, Romanian 1.2%, other 12.3% (2021 est.)", "note": "note: data represent population by country of birth" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "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)": { "text": "
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." }, "note": "note: Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Calo, and Valencian are also recognized as regional languages " }, "Religions": { "text": "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": { "text": "13% (male 3,147,019/female 3,012,821)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "66.1% (male 15,662,492/female 15,585,138)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "20.9% (2024 est.) (male 4,259,816/female 5,613,147)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "51.3 (2024 est.)" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "19.7 (2024 est.)" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "31.6 (2024 est.)" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "3.2 (2024 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "47.2 years (2025 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "45.7 years" }, "female": { "text": "47.8 years" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "0.12% (2025 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "7.16 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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": { "text": "81.6% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.24% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" }, "note": "note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla" }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "6.751 million MADRID (capital), 5.687 million Barcelona, 838,000 Valencia (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "1 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.76 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "31.2 years (2020 est.)" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "2.7 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "2.1 deaths/1,000 live births" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "83 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "80.3 years" }, "female": { "text": "85.8 years" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "1.32 children born/woman (2025 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "0.65 (2025 est.)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)" } }, "Health expenditure": { "Health expenditure (as % of GDP)": { "text": "10.7% of GDP (2021)" }, "Health expenditure (as % of national budget)": { "text": "15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)" } }, "Physician density": { "text": "4.29 physicians/1,000 population (2022)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "2.9 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 100% of population (2022 est.)" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0% of population (2022 est.)" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "23.8% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "10.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "4.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "3.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "2.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "23.9% (2025 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "25.8% (2025 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "22% (2025 est.)" } }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "50.2% (2021 est.)" }, "Education expenditure": { "Education expenditure (% GDP)": { "text": "4.6% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Education expenditure (% national budget)": { "text": "9.9% national budget (2022 est.)" } }, "Literacy": { "total population": { "text": "99.7% (2021 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "99.8% (2021 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "99.6% (2021 est.)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "18 years (2023 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "17 years (2023 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "18 years (2023 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environmental issues": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Climate": { "text": "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": { "text": "49.6% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 23% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 10.2% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 19.8% (2023 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "38.2% (2023 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "12.3% (2023 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "81.6% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.24% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" }, "note": "note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla" }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "254.823 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "13.39 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "182.327 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "59.105 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" } }, "Particulate matter emissions": { "text": "8.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)" }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "22.409 million tons (2024 est.)" }, "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": { "text": "27.7% (2022 est.)" } }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "4.56 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "5.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "18.96 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "111.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "Geoparks": { "total global geoparks and regional networks": { "text": "18 (2025)" }, "global geoparks and regional networks": { "text": "Basque Coast UNESCO; Cabo de Gata-Níjar; Cabo Ortegal; Calatrava Volcanoes. Ciudad Real; Central Catalonia; Costa Quebrada; Courel Mountains; El Hierro; Granada; Lanzarote and Chinijo Islands; Las Loras; Maestrazgo; Molina-Alto; Origens; Sierra Norte de Sevilla; Sierras Subbéticas; Sobrarbe-Pirineos: Villuercas Ibores Jara (2025)" } } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Kingdom of Spain" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Spain" }, "local long form": { "text": "Reino de España" }, "local short form": { "text": "España" }, "etymology": { "text": "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": { "text": "parliamentary constitutional monarchy" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Madrid" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "40 24 N, 3 41 W" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "daylight saving time": { "text": "+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October" }, "time zone note": { "text": "Spain has two time zones, including the Canary Islands (UTC 0)" }, "etymology": { "text": "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": { "text": "17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia; Aragon; Asturias; Canarias (Canary Islands); Cantabria; Castilla-La Mancha; Castilla-Leon; Cataluña (Castilian), Catalunya (Catalan), Catalonha (Aranese) [Catalonia]; Ceuta*; Comunidad Valenciana (Castilian), Comunitat Valenciana (Valencian) [Valencian Community]; Extremadura; Galicia; Illes Baleares (Balearic Islands); La Rioja; Madrid; Melilla*; Murcia; Navarra (Castilian), Nafarroa (Basque) [Navarre]; Pais Vasco (Castilian), Euskadi (Basque) [Basque Country]", "note": "note: Spain administers the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla and the three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Peñón de Alhucemas, and Peñón de Velez de la Gomera, which are all located along the coast of Morocco; they are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)" }, "Legal system": { "text": "civil law system with regional variations" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of Spain" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "only with select Latin American countries" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "10 years for persons with no ties to Spain" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014)" }, "head of government": { "text": "President of the Government of Spain (prime minister-equivalent) Pedro SANCHEZ PEREZ-CASTEJON (since 2 June 2018)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers designated by the president" }, "election/appointment process": { "text": "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": { "text": "23 July 2023" }, "election results": { "text": "Congress of Deputies vote - 179 to 171 (16 November 2023)" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "31 July 2027" }, "note": "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": { "text": "The Cortes (Las Cortes Generales)" }, "legislative structure": { "text": "bicameral" } }, "Legislative branch - lower chamber": { "chamber name": { "text": "Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados)" }, "number of seats": { "text": "350 (all directly elected)" }, "electoral system": { "text": "proportional representation" }, "scope of elections": { "text": "full renewal" }, "term in office": { "text": "4 years" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "7/23/2023" }, "parties elected and seats per party": { "text": "People's Party (PP) (136); Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (122); Vox (33); SUMAR (31); Other (28)" }, "percentage of women in chamber": { "text": "44.3%" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "July 2027" } }, "Legislative branch - upper chamber": { "chamber name": { "text": "Senate (Senado)" }, "number of seats": { "text": "265 (208 directly elected; 57 indirectly elected)" }, "electoral system": { "text": "mixed system" }, "scope of elections": { "text": "full renewal" }, "term in office": { "text": "4 years" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "7/23/2023" }, "parties elected and seats per party": { "text": "People's Party (PP) (120); Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (72); Other (16)" }, "percentage of women in chamber": { "text": "42.5%" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "July 2027" } }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "National High Court; High Courts of Justice (in each of the autonomous communities); provincial courts; courts of first instance" } }, "Political parties": { "text": "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": { "text": "Ambassador Ángeles MORENO Bau (since 27 February 2024)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 452-0100" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 833-5670" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
emb.washington@maec.es

https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/washington/en/Paginas/index.aspx" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Rian Harker HARRIS (since 15 July 2024); note - also accredited to Andorra" }, "embassy": { "text": "Calle de Serrano, 75, 28006 Madrid" }, "mailing address": { "text": "8500 Madrid Place, Washington DC  20521-8500" }, "telephone": { "text": "[34] (91) 587-2200" }, "FAX": { "text": "[34] (91) 587-2303" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
askACS@state.gov

https://es.usembassy.gov/" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "Barcelona" } }, "International organization participation": { "text": "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": { "text": "1492", "note": "note: the Iberian peninsula was home to a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain" }, "National holiday": { "text": "National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 October (1492)", "note": "note: commemorates the arrival of explorer Christopher COLUMBUS in the Americas" }, "Flag": { "text": "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)": { "text": "Pillars of Hercules" }, "National color(s)": { "text": "red, yellow" }, "National anthem(s)": { "title": { "text": "\"Himno Nacional Espanol\" (National Anthem of Spain)" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "no lyrics/unknown" }, "history": { "text": "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": { "text": "50 (44 cultural, 4 natural, 2 mixed)" }, "selected World Heritage Site locales": { "text": "Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain (c); Works of Antoni Gaudí (c); Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) (c); Historic City of Toledo (c); Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida (c); Tower of Hercules (c); Doñana National Park (n); Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (m); Alhambra, Generalife, and Albayzín in Granada (c); Old City of Salamanca (c); Teide National Park (n); Historic Walled Town of Cuenca (c); Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct (c); Historic Cordoba (c); Royal Site of Saint Lorenzo de El Escorial (c); Cathedral, Alcázar, and Archivo de Indias in Seville" } } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "

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": { "text": "$2.361 trillion (2024 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": { "text": "$2.289 trillion (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { "text": "$2.229 trillion (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2024": { "text": "3.2% (2024 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2023": { "text": "2.7% (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2022": { "text": "6.2% (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2024": { "text": "$48,400 (2024 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2023": { "text": "$47,300 (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2022": { "text": "$46,600 (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$1.723 trillion (2024 est.)", "note": "note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024": { "text": "2.8% (2024 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023": { "text": "3.5% (2023 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022": { "text": "8.4% (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual % change based on consumer prices" }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "2.5% (2024 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "19.5% (2024 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "69.1% (2024 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data" }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "54.3% (2023 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "19.5% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "19.7% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "1.3% (2023 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "38.1% (2023 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-34.1% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection" }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "milk, olives, pork, grapes, wheat, tomatoes, barley, sugar beets, maize, oranges (2023)", "note": "note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage" }, "Industries": { "text": "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": { "text": "2.6% (2024 est.)", "note": "note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency" }, "Labor force": { "text": "24.386 million (2024 est.)", "note": "note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work" }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2024": { "text": "11.4% (2024 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2023": { "text": "12.2% (2023 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2022": { "text": "13% (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force seeking employment" }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "27% (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "26.4% (2024 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "27.7% (2024 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment" }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "20.2% (2022 est.)", "note": "note: % of population with income below national poverty line" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022": { "text": "33.6 (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality" }, "Average household expenditures": { "on food": { "text": "12.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)" }, "on alcohol and tobacco": { "text": "4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "2.3% (2022 est.)" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "24.8% (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population" }, "Remittances": { "Remittances 2024": { "text": "0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)" }, "Remittances 2023": { "text": "0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Remittances 2022": { "text": "0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities" }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "$512.57 billion (2023 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "$549.772 billion (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2023": { "text": "107.3% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: central government debt as a % of GDP" }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "15% (of GDP) (2023 est.)", "note": "note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2024": { "text": "$52.182 billion (2024 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2023": { "text": "$43.012 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2022": { "text": "$4.482 billion (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars" }, "Exports": { "Exports 2024": { "text": "$642.358 billion (2024 est.)" }, "Exports 2023": { "text": "$616.648 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Exports 2022": { "text": "$573.598 billion (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars" }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "France 15%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 9%, UK 6% (2023)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "cars, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)", "note": "note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2024": { "text": "$568.502 billion (2024 est.)" }, "Imports 2023": { "text": "$552.948 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Imports 2022": { "text": "$561.448 billion (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars" }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, USA 7% (2023)", "note": "note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "crude petroleum, cars, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas (2023)", "note": "note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024": { "text": "$107.774 billion (2024 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023": { "text": "$103.089 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022": { "text": "$92.905 billion (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars" }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2024": { "text": "0.924 (2024 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2023": { "text": "0.925 (2023 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2022": { "text": "0.95 (2022 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "0.845 (2021 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "0.876 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2022 est.)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "130.366 million kW (2023 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "227.187 billion kWh (2023 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "25.279 billion kWh (2023 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "11.315 billion kWh (2023 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "24.532 billion kWh (2023 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "28% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "nuclear": { "text": "20.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "17.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "23.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "8.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" } }, "Nuclear energy": { "Number of operational nuclear reactors": { "text": "7 (2025)" }, "Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors": { "text": "7.12GW (2025 est.)" }, "Percent of total electricity production": { "text": "20.3% (2023 est.)" }, "Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down": { "text": "3 (2025)" } }, "Coal": { "production": { "text": "1.28 million metric tons (2023 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "7.388 million metric tons (2023 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "1.629 million metric tons (2023 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "9.798 million metric tons (2023 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "1.187 billion metric tons (2023 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "47,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "1.325 million bbl/day (2024 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "150 million barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "34.124 million cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "29.041 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "6.576 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "35.252 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "2.549 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2023": { "text": "101.12 million Btu/person (2023 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "18.431 million (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "38 (2023 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "61.2 million (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "124 (2022 est.)" } }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "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": { "text": ".es" }, "Internet users": { "percent of population": { "text": "95% (2023 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "18.2 million (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "38 (2023 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "EC" }, "Airports": { "text": "365 (2025)" }, "Heliports": { "text": "162 (2025)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "15,489 km (2020) 9,953 km electrified" } }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "503 (2023)" }, "by type": { "text": "bulk carrier 1, general cargo 33, oil tanker 24, other 445" } }, "Ports": { "total ports": { "text": "52 (2024)" }, "large": { "text": "3" }, "medium": { "text": "14" }, "small": { "text": "9" }, "very small": { "text": "24" }, "size unknown": { "text": "2" }, "ports with oil terminals": { "text": "13" }, "key ports": { "text": "Alicante, Barcelona, Cadiz, Ceuta, Ferrol, Huelva, Las Palmas, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Puerto de Bilbao, Puerto de Pasajes, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santander, Sevilla, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Spanish Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de España): Army (Ejército de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola; includes Marine Corps), Air and Space Force (Ejército del Aire y del Espacio), Emergency Response Unit (Unidad Militar de Emergencias); Civil Guard (Guardia Civil)

Ministry of the Interior: Spanish National Police (Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, CNP) (2025)", "note": "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": { "Military Expenditures 2025": { "text": "2% of GDP (2025 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2024": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2024 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2023": { "text": "1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "1% of GDP (2021 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "approximately 120,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 80,000 Guardia Civil (2025)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "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": { "text": "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)", "note": "note 1: as of 2024, women comprised about 13% of the military's full-time personnel; they serve in all branches, including combat arms

note 2: the military recruits foreign nationals with residency in Spain from countries of its former empire, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "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)", "note": " " }, "Military - note": { "text": "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": { "Space agency/agencies": { "text": "Spanish Space Agency (AEE; became operational in 2023); Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) (2025)", "note": "note 1: the CDTI coordinates the activities of the commercial space sector

note 2: prior to the establishment of the AEE, the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial or INTA, established 1942), a public research organization that depends on the Ministry of Defense, acted as Spain’s space agency" }, "Space launch site(s)": { "text": "El Arenosillo Test Center/Range (Andalusia) (2025)" }, "Space program overview": { "text": "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": { "text": "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" } }, "Terrorism": { "Terrorist group(s)": { "text": "Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa’ida", "note": "note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees": { "text": "693,298 (2024 est.)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "3,960 (2024 est.)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "10,164 (2024 est.)" } } } }