Geography
Size snapshot: almost five times the size of Kentucky.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Spain
EuropeGlobal Leader
Few places match Spain's #5 ranking in tourist arrivals. See if you can spot its other strengths.
Few places match Spain's #5 ranking in tourist arrivals. With 36.4 million, the numbers speak for themselves. See if you can spot its other strengths.
40.0, -4.0 - Europe
Area
506K km²
Pop.
47.28M
Stats
198
Reality brief
Spain is a country in Europe with a population of 47.28M and an area of 505,992 km². Life expectancy is 83.9 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Life Expectancy
83.9 years#9globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
University Enrollment Rate
93.73%#13globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Internet Users (%)
95.76%#29globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Human Development Index
0.92#28globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Spain
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community) 17%, and more.
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: Kingdom of Spain.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Spain
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Madrid
Spain
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Barcelona
Catalonia, Spain
Famous91/100
Open city guide
Valencia
Spain
Famous78/100
Open city guide
Bilbao
Basque Country, Spain
Famous68/100
Open city guide
Córdoba
Andalusia, Spain
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Canary Islands, Spain
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Vigo
Galicia, Spain
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Zaragoza
Aragon, Spain
Famous63/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Long-Term Unemployment
3.8% of workforce#2globallyTop stat
Share of the workforce unemployed for a long period, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Tourist Arrivals
36.41M#5globallyTop stat
How many international tourists visit the country each year.
Electric Generating Capacity
130.37M kW#11globallyTop stat
Installed electricity generating capacity in kilowatts from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Irrigated Land
38.0K km²#14globallyTop stat
Irrigated land area from CIA World Factbook.
Median Age
44.9 years#18globallyTop stat
The age that splits the population in half: half are younger, half are older. UN WPP estimate as of 1 July 2023.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #218 in birth rate
#2187.2 per 1kBirth Rate
The number of babies born per 1,000 people each year.
Ranks #12 globally in beer consumption
#124.2 L/person/yrBeer Consumption
Liters of beer consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Ranks #15 globally in gdp (nominal)
#15$1,725,671,652,742.19GDP (Nominal)
The country's total economic output in current US dollars.
Has one of the highest government debt (% gdp) figures
#15107.3% of GDPGovernment Debt (% GDP)
Central government debt as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Ranks #17 globally in women in parliament (%)
#1744.29%Women in Parliament (%)
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
Compared with the region
How Spain Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Spain
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $56,877.64
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Spain$56,877.64
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+79% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 83.9 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Spain83.9 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+14% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.92
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Spain0.92
Europe0.89
World0.74
+24% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 95.76%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Spain95.76%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+36% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Spain
Country briefing
Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England.
Read the full Factbook note
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 & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France
- Climate
- temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
- Terrain
- large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north
- Natural Resources
- coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
- Natural Hazards
- 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
- Size Comparison
- almost five times the size of Kentucky; slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
People & Culture4 facts
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Spanish 84.8%, Moroccan 1.7%, Romanian 1.2%, other 12.3% (2021 est.)
- Major Cities
- 6.751 million MADRID (capital), 5.687 million Barcelona, 838,000 Valencia (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Capital
- Madrid
- Capital Coordinates
- 40 24 N, 3 41 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Kingdom of Spain
- Name Origin
- 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
- Independence
- 1492
- National Symbols
- Pillars of Hercules
- National Anthem
- "Himno Nacional Espanol" (National Anthem of Spain)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 50 (44 cultural, 4 natural, 2 mixed)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- 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; efforts to narrow persistent fiscal deficits through tax and spending measures; high but declining unemployment supported by job growth and immigration
- Industries
- 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
- Agricultural Products
- milk, olives, pork, grapes, wheat, tomatoes, barley, sugar beets, maize, oranges (2023)
- 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)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- Military Forces
- 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)
- Military Service
- 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)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 28% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 20.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 17.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 23.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 8.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 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)
- Space Program
- 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)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #2
Long-Term Unemployment
GDP (Nominal)
Government Debt (% GDP)
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
GDP Per Capita
High-Tech Exports (%)
GDP Growth Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Inflation Rate
Gender Pay Gap (%)
Employment Rate (%)
Education & Future8 statsBest: #3
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #5
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #9
Life Expectancy
Doctors (per 1,000)
Health Spending (% GDP)
Smoking Rate
Suicide Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Obesity Rate
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Energy2 statsBest: #11
Electric Generating Capacity
130.37M kW#11
Nuclear Electricity Share
20.3%#15
Society & Equality6 statsBest: #11
Environment9 statsBest: #14
Irrigated Land
38.0K km²#14
Total CO2 Emissions
Forest Area
Electricity Access (%)
Renewable Energy (%)
Protected Land (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Forest Coverage (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Demographics12 statsBest: #18
Median Age
Elderly Population (%)
Population
Death Rate
Land Area
Urban Population (%)
Population Density
Dependency Ratio
Teen Birth Rate
Fertility Rate
Youth Population (%)
Birth Rate
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #19
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #28
Coastline Length
5.0K km#28
Highest Elevation
3.7K m#49
Lowest Elevation
0 m#79
Land Border Length
2.0K km#90
Technology3 statsBest: #29
Keep exploring
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Spain
#9 in Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Top 5% globally
83.9 years
Frequently Asked Questions about Spain
What is the population of Spain?
Spain has a population of 47.28M, ranking #34 globally by population.
What continent is Spain in?
Spain is located in Europe. It has an area of 505,992 km².
What is the life expectancy in Spain?
Life expectancy in Spain is 83.9 years, ranking #9 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Spain?
Spain's GDP per capita (PPP) is $56,877.64, ranking #37 globally.
What is Spain known for in global statistics?
Spain ranks particularly high in Life Expectancy (#9), Life Expectancy (#13), University Enrollment Rate (#13).
What is Spain's Human Development Index?
Spain has an HDI of 0.918, ranking #28 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Spain?
Spain has a population density of 96.8 people per km², ranking #107 globally.