01
Physical geography
Large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north.
Local timeMadrid ·
Europe / Southern Europe · Card 049
Spain
Spain is a country in Southern Europe. Its capital is Madrid.
Find Spain
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Madrid
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Population
- 49.4 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 505,992 km²195,364.52 square miles
- Constitution
- 1978The present democratic constitutional framework.
Spain in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Madrid; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Spanish is the state-wide official language. Catalan/Valencian, Galician, Basque and other languages have official or protected status in particular regions.
03
Location
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France.
Flag
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
History & status
Spain developed through the gradual union of kingdoms. A civil war from 1936 to 1939 led to Francisco Franco's dictatorship. After his death in 1975, a transition restored democratic government, and the 1978 constitution established the present framework.
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The Spanish Civil War begins
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The democratic constitution is approved
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Spain joins the European Communities
Economy
Main activities
Tourism and other services are major activities. Manufacturing includes vehicles, machinery, chemicals and food products. Agriculture, renewable energy and regional industries also contribute.
Industry and production
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
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people49.42025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 33,814,531 | 33.815 |
| 1980 | 37,491,165 | 37.491 |
| 1990 | 38,867,322 | 38.867 |
| 2000 | 40,567,864 | 40.568 |
| 2010 | 46,576,897 | 46.577 |
| 2020 | 47,359,424 | 47.359 |
| 2025 | 49,355,143 | 49.355 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Trillions of constant 2015 US dollars1.52025 · trillions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Trillions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 745,271,992,216 | 0.745 |
| 1991 | 764,246,620,838 | 0.764 |
| 1992 | 771,348,118,767 | 0.771 |
| 1993 | 763,391,725,887 | 0.763 |
| 1994 | 781,584,842,223 | 0.782 |
| 1995 | 803,136,997,375 | 0.803 |
| 1996 | 824,078,081,164 | 0.824 |
| 1997 | 853,640,231,891 | 0.854 |
| 1998 | 890,363,642,200 | 0.890 |
| 1999 | 929,618,577,228 | 0.930 |
| 2000 | 977,964,704,474 | 0.978 |
| 2001 | 1,016,292,009,754 | 1.016 |
| 2002 | 1,044,295,490,090 | 1.044 |
| 2003 | 1,074,990,358,774 | 1.075 |
| 2004 | 1,108,471,271,904 | 1.108 |
| 2005 | 1,147,835,587,310 | 1.148 |
| 2006 | 1,194,247,574,981 | 1.194 |
| 2007 | 1,236,446,314,615 | 1.236 |
| 2008 | 1,245,931,907,237 | 1.246 |
| 2009 | 1,198,983,535,018 | 1.199 |
| 2010 | 1,200,112,046,038 | 1.200 |
| 2011 | 1,192,432,281,394 | 1.192 |
| 2012 | 1,158,267,740,899 | 1.158 |
| 2013 | 1,141,735,527,746 | 1.142 |
| 2014 | 1,159,095,455,877 | 1.159 |
| 2015 | 1,206,164,777,553 | 1.206 |
| 2016 | 1,241,326,362,266 | 1.241 |
| 2017 | 1,277,275,696,051 | 1.277 |
| 2018 | 1,307,871,701,701 | 1.308 |
| 2019 | 1,333,521,400,433 | 1.334 |
| 2020 | 1,187,633,217,292 | 1.188 |
| 2021 | 1,267,004,457,827 | 1.267 |
| 2022 | 1,347,716,659,731 | 1.348 |
| 2023 | 1,380,882,052,539 | 1.381 |
| 2024 | 1,428,595,035,672 | 1.429 |
| 2025 | 1,468,952,188,359 | 1.469 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.918Very High human developmentRank 28 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.766
20000.833
20100.875
20200.901
20230.918
83.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
10.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The Cortes (Las Cortes Generales) has two chambers (a bicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Spain.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
What did Spain’s 1978 constitution establish?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.