Capital

Spanien

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 Romans named the original settlement "Matrice" after the river that ran through it; under Arab rule it became "Majerit," meaning "source of water"; in medieval Romance dialects (Mozarabic) it became "Matrit," which over time changed to "Madrid"

Citizenship

Spanien

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

Legal system

Spanien

civil law system with regional variations

Suffrage

Spanien

18 years of age; universal

Area

Spanien

total: 505,370 sq km

land: 498,980 sq km

water: 6,390 sq km

note: there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 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

Land use

Spanien

agricultural land: 54.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 24.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 20.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 36.8% (2018 est.)

other: 9.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Spanien

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France

Age structure

Spanien

0-14 years: 13.37% (male 3,226,491/female 3,087,271)

15-64 years: 66.13% (male 15,649,418/female 15,577,164)

65 years and over: 20.5% (2023 est.) (male 4,169,949/female 5,512,320)

Birth rate

Spanien

7.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Spanien

10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Spanien

Castilian Spanish (official nationwide) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (where it is known as Valencian)) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and in the Basque-speaking area of Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in the northwest corner of Catalonia (Vall d'Aran) along with Catalan, <5,000 speakers); note - Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Basque, Calo, Catalan, Galician, and Valencian are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

Spanien

total population: 82.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 80.1 years

female: 85.6 years

Major urban areas - population

Spanien

6.751 million MADRID (capital), 5.687 million Barcelona, 838,000 Valencia (2023)

Median age

Spanien

total: 46.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 45.2 years

female: 47.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Spanien

31.2 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Spanien

4.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Spanien

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 reflecting Spain's agrarian heritage; very dense settlement around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona

Population growth rate

Spanien

0.12% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Spanien

1.29 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Spanien

urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.24% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla

Education expenditures

Spanien

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Spanien

total: 18 years

male: 18 years

female: 19 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Spanien

-3.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Spanien

4.03% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Spanien

23.382 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Spanien

20.7% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Spanien

14.73% (2021 est.)

15.53% (2020 est.)

14.1% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Spanien

141.22% of GDP (2020 est.)

108.99% of GDP (2019 est.)

104.74% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Spanien

3.09% (2021 est.)

-0.32% (2020 est.)

0.7% (2019 est.)

Exports

Spanien

$497.868 billion (2021 est.) ; note: data are in current year dollars

$393.774 billion (2020 est.) ; note: data are in current year dollars

$486.633 billion (2019 est.) ; note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Spanien

France 15%, Germany 11%, Italy 8%, Portugal 8%, United Kingdom 7%, United States 5% (2019)

Imports

Spanien

$476.678 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$375.087 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$445.719 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Spanien

Germany 13%, France 11%, China 8%, Italy 7% (2019)

Airports

Spanien

135 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Spanien

total: 16,188,502 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Spanien

total: 44.18 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 94% (2021 est.)

Railways

Spanien

total: 15,489 km (2020) 9,953 km electrified

Roadways

Spanien

total: 683,175 km (2011)

paved: 683,175 km (2011) (includes 16,205 km of expressways)

Telephones - fixed lines

Spanien

total subscriptions: 19,075,931 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Spanien

total subscriptions: 56,805,348 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Spanien

1,000 km (2012)

Disputes - international

Spanien

Spain-Andorra: none identified

Spain-France: none identified

Spain-Gibraltar (UK): in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain does not recognize British sovereignty beyond the original fortified perimeter of the city and disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; after voters in the UK chose to leave the EU in a June 2016 referendum, Spain again proposed shared sovereignty of Gibraltar; UK officials rejected Spain’s joint sovereignty proposal

Spain-Morocco: Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island), which remains unoccupied but was the site of a  military standoff in 2002; Morocco serves as the primary embarkation area for illegal migration into mainland Spain from North Africa

Spain-Portugal: Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz