Introduction
Background
Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded control of the seas to England. 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 have given Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy.
Geography
Area
total : 505,370 sq km
land: 498,980 sq km
water: 6,390 sq km
Climate
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Natural resources
coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
People and Society
Population
total: 47,280,433
Ethnic 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.)
Population growth rate
0.12% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital
name: Madrid
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)
Legislative branch
summary: bicameral General Courts consists of the Senate (265 seats) and the Congress of Deputies (350 seats)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ángeles MORENO Bau (since 27 February 2024)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Julissa REYNOSO (since 2 February 2022); note - also accredited to Andorra
Economy
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; government debt remains high amid deficit reductions; innovation and economic freedom ranked lower than EU and OECD peers
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.242 trillion (2023 est.)
$2.188 trillion (2022 est.)
$2.068 trillion (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$46,400 (2023 est.)
$45,800 (2022 est.)
$43,600 (2021 est.)
Exports
$615.83 billion (2023 est.)
$578.039 billion (2022 est.)
$493.359 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
France 17%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 8%, UK 6% (2022)
Exports - commodities
cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)
Imports
$550.576 billion (2023 est.)
$561.49 billion (2022 est.)
$479.392 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, US 6% (2022)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, natural gas, garments, cars, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)
Page last updated: Tuesday, September 17, 2024
