| variable | 1980-1989 | 1990-1999 | 2000-2007 | 2008-2009 | 2010-2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| real gdp growth | 2.98 | 2.91 | 3.08 | -1.85 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| CPI % | 9.35 | 4.0 | 3.31 | 0.9 | 1.01 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 2.3 |
| Unemployment rate | 18.17 | 19.51 | 10.2 | 18.9 | 20.05 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 9.8 | 9.8 |
| Debt/GDP % | 35.39 | 57.0 | 44.38 | 56.7 | 98.55 | 105.1 | 101.6 | 100.4 | 98.2 | 96.2 |
| Current account balance/GDP % | -0.97 | -2.27 | -6.43 | -3.8 | 1.42 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
Data derived from World Economic Outlook Database. To see main macroeconomic indicator in graphs click here
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.
Area: 505,370 sq km km2
Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
Groups: Spanish 84.8%, Moroccan 1.7%, Romanian 1.2%, other 12.3% (2021 est.)
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
Religions: Roman Catholic 58.2%, atheist 16.2%, agnostic 10.8%, other 2.7%, non-believer 10.5%, unspecified 1.7% (2021 est.)
Capital: Madrid
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
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)
Description: The Cortes (Las Cortes Generales) - bicameral
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
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
GDP by sector: Agriculture: 2.5% (2024 est.), Industry: 19.5% (2024 est.), Services: 69.1% (2024 est.)
Export partners: France 15%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 9%, UK 6% (2023)
Export commodities: cars, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)
Import partners: Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, USA 7% (2023)
Import commodities: crude petroleum, cars, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas (2023)
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France
Military expenditure: 2025: 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
Information derived from worldfactbook.io (Lupon Media), open successor to the CIA World Factbook. Data sourced from World Bank, IMF, UN and other international organizations.