Economy of Spain

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Economy of Spain

AZCA and Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid

Currency Euro (EUR, €)

Fiscal year Calendar year

Trade organisations EU, WTO and OECD

Country group Developed/Advanced[1]

High-income economy[2]

Statistics

Population  47,435,597 [3]

GDP  $1.39 trillion (nominal, 2022)[4]

 $2.21 trillion (PPP, 2022)[4]

GDP rank 16th (nominal, 2022)

16th (PPP, 2022)

GDP growth  5.1% (2021)[5]

 4.3% (2022f)[5]

 1.2% (2023f)[5]
GDP per capita  $29,198 (nominal, 2022)[4]

 $46,551 (PPP, 2022)[4]

GDP per capita rank 40th (nominal, 2022)

38th (PPP, 2022)

GDP by sector agriculture: 2.9%
 industry: 22.5%

services: 74.6%

(2021)[6]
Inflation (CPI) 6.8% (December 2022)[6]
Population  21% at risk of poverty or social exclusion (Eurostat, 2020)
below poverty line
[7]

Gini coefficient  32.1 medium (2020, Eurostat)[8]

Human Development  0.905 very high (2021)[9] (27th)
Index
 0.788 high IHDI (2021)[10]
Labour force  23,312,310 (2021)[11]

 67.0% employment rate (2018)[12]

Labour force by agriculture: 4.2%
occupation
industry: 24.0%

services: 71.7%

(2009)[13]

Unemployment  13.5% (March 2022)[14]

 29.6% youth unemployment (15 to 24 year-olds; March

2022)[15]
Average gross salary €2,648 / $2,800 monthly (2021)

Average net salary €2,039 / $2,156 monthly (2021)

Main industries machinery

electronics

medical equipment

chemicals
motor vehicles

clothing

food processing

tourism

shipbuilding
[16][17]

Ease-of-doing-  30th (very easy, 2020)[18]

business rank

External

Exports  $533.8 billion (2019 est.)[13]

Export goods Machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals,

medicines, other consumer goods

Main export partners  France 15.1%

 Germany 11.3%

 Italy 7.8%

 Portugal 7.1%

 United Kingdom 6.9%

 United States 4.4%

(2017)[13]

Imports  $463.1 billion (2019 est.)[13]

Import goods Fuels, chemicals, semi-finished goods, foodstuffs, consumer

goods, machinery and equipment, measuring and medical

control instruments
Main import partners  Germany 14.2%

 France 11.9%

 China 6.9%

 Italy 6.8%

 Netherlands 5.1%

 United Kingdom 4%

(2017)[13]
FDI stock  $824.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)[13]

 Abroad: $776.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)[13]

Current account  $29.6 billion (2019 est.)[13]
Gross external debt  $2.094 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)[13]

Public finances
Public debt  116.1% of GDP (Q2 2022)[19]
 €1.475 trillion (Q2 2022)[20]
Budget balance €35.2 billion deficit (2019)[21]

−2.8% of GDP (2019)[21]

Revenues 39.1% of GDP (2019)[21]

Expenses 41.9% of GDP (2019)[21]

Credit rating Standard & Poor's:[22]

A (Domestic)

A (Foreign)

AAA (T&C Assessment)

Outlook: Positive[23]

Moody's:[23]
 Baa1

Outlook: Stable

Fitch:[23]

A-

Outlook: Positive

Scope:[24]

A-

Outlook: Stable
Foreign reserves  $79.36 billion (November 2020 est.)[13]

All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

The economy of Spain is a highly developed social market economy.[25] It is the

world's sixteenth-largest by nominal GDP and the sixth-largest in Europe. Spain is a
member of the European Union and the eurozone, as well as the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade Organization. In 2021,
Spain was the twentieth-largest exporter in the world and the sixteenth-largest importer.
Spain is listed 27th in the United Nations Human Development Index and 37th in GDP
per capita by the World Bank. According to The Economist in 2005, Spain had the
world's 10th highest quality of life.[26] Some of the main areas of economic activity are
the automotive industry, medical technology, chemicals, shipbuilding, tourism, and
the textile industry.
Following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the Spanish economy plunged into
recession, entering a cycle of negative macroeconomic performance. Compared to the
EU's and US's average, the Spanish economy entered recession later (the economy
was still growing by 2008), but it stayed there longer. The economic boom of the 2000s
was reversed, leaving over a quarter of Spain's workforce unemployed by 2012. In
aggregated terms, the Spanish GDP contracted by almost 9% during the 2009–2013
period.[27] The economic situation started improving by 2013–2014. By then, the country
managed to reverse the record trade deficit which had built up during the boom years.
[28]
 It attained a trade surplus in 2013, after three decades of running a trade deficit. [28] The
surplus kept strengthening during 2014 and 2015. [29]
In 2015, the Spanish GDP grew by 3.2%, a rate not seen since 2007, the last year
before the world financial crisis struck.[30] This growth rate was the highest among the
larger EU economies that year.[31] In just two years (2014–2015), the Spanish economy
recovered 85% of the GDP lost during the 2009–2013 recession. [32] This success led
some international analysts to refer to Spain's current recovery as "the showcase for
structural reform efforts".[33] Strong GDP growth was registered also in 2016, with the
country growing twice as fast as the eurozone average. [34] In this regard, the Spanish
economy was forecast to remain the best-performing major economy in the eurozone in
2017.[35] Spain's unemployment rate fell substantially from 2013 to 2017. The real
unemployment rate is much lower, as there is an estimation of millions of people
working in the grey market, people who count as unemployed or inactive yet still
 perform jobs.[36] Although estimates of the hidden economy vary, the real Spanish GDP
may be around 20% bigger as it is estimated that the underground economy of Spain
moves annually 190 billion Euros (US$224 billion). [37] Among high
income European countries, only Italy and Greece are estimated to have larger
underground economies than Spain. Thus Spain may have higher purchasing power as
well as a smaller gini coefficient[38] than shown in official numbers. In 2012, the Spanish
government officially requested a credit from the European Stability Mechanism to
restructure its banking sector in the face of a financial crisis. [39] The ESM approved up to
€100 billion in assistance, although, in the end, Spain only drew €41.3 billion. The ESM
programme for Spain ended with the full repayment of the credit drawn, eighteen
months later.[40]

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Economic and financial crisis, 2008-2012
 1.1.1Property boom and bust, 2003–2014
 1.1.2Euro debt crisis, 2010-2012
 1.1.3Employment crisis (2008 - present)
 1.1.4Youth crisis
 1.1.4.1Employment recovery
 1.1.5Reduction of European Union funds
 1.1.6Economic recovery (2014–2020)
 2Data
 3Banking system
 4Prices
 5Economic strengths
o 5.1Infrastructure
o 5.2Export growth
 6Sectors
o 6.1External trade
o 6.2Tourism
o 6.3Automotive industry
o 6.4Energy
o 6.5Agribusiness
o 6.6Food retail
o 6.7Mining
 7Mergers and acquisitions
 8See also
 9References and notes
 10External links
o 10.1Statistical resources
o 10.2Further reading

History[edit]
Main article: Economic history of Spain

Real GDP per capita development Spain

During the first decades of the twentieth century, Spain experienced an accelerated
growth of its industrial labor force and urban population; the economy became less
agrarian as the process of urbanization spread after 1910. The largest sector was
still agriculture but saw declines, along with fishing, relative to the share of active
population engaged in the activity. The fastest growing sector at that time was services.
[41]

When Spain joined the EEC in 1986 its GDP per capita was about 72% of the average
of its members.[42]
At the second half of the 1990s, the conservative government of former prime
minister Jose María Aznar had worked successfully to gain admission to the group of
countries joining the euro in 1999.
By 2007, Spain had achieved a GDP per capita of 105% of European Union's average
due to its own economic development and the EU enlargements to 28 members, which
placed it slightly ahead of Italy (103%). Three regions were included in the leading EU
group exceeding 125% of the GDP per capita average level: the Basque
Country , Madrid, and Navarre.[43] According to calculations by the German
newspaper Die Welt in 2008, Spain's economy had been on course to overtake
countries like Germany in per capita income by 2011. [44] in October 2006, Unemployment
stood at 7.6% which compared favorably to many other European countries, and
especially with the early 1990s when it stood at over 20%. In the past,Spain's economy
had included high inflation [45] and it has always had a large underground economy.[46]
The turn to growth during the 1997-2007 period produced a real estate bubble fed by
historically low interest rates, massive rates of foreign investment (during that period
Spain had become a favorite of other European investment banks) and an immense
surge in immigration. At its peak in 2007, construction had expanded to 15% of the total
gross domestic product (GDP) of the country and 12% of total employment. During that
time Spain capital inflows –including short term speculative investment– financed a
large trade deficit.[42]
The downside of the real estate boom was a corresponding rise in the levels of private
debt, both of households and of businesses; as prospective homeowners had struggled
to meet asking prices, the average level of household debt tripled in less than a decade.
This placed especially great pressure upon lower to middle income groups; by 2005 the
median ratio of indebtedness to income had grown to 125%, due primarily to expensive
boom time mortgages that now often exceed the value of the property. [47]
Noticeable progress continued until early 2008, when the global financial crisis burst
Spain's property bubble.[48]
A European Commission forecast had predicted Spain would enter the world's late
2000s recession by the end of 2008.[49] At the time, Spain's Economy Minister was
quoted saying, "Spain is facing its deepest recession in half a century". [50] Spain's
government forecast the unemployment rate would rise to 16% in 2009.
The ESADE business school predicted 20%.[51] By 2017, Spain's GDP per capita had
fallen back to 95% of the European Union's average. [42]
Economic and financial crisis, 2008-2012[edit]
Main article: 2008–2012 Spanish financial crisis
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Spain had continued on the path of economic growth when the ruling party changed in
2004, maintaining robust GDP growth during the first term of prime minister José Luis
Rodríguez Zapatero, even though some problems in the Spanish economy were
becoming evident. According to the Financial Times, Spain's rapidly growing trade
deficit, had reached 10% of the country's GDP by the summer of 2008, [52] the "loss of
competitiveness against its main trading partners" and, also, as a part of the latter, an
inflation rate which had been traditionally higher than the one of its European partners,
back then especially affected by house price increases of 150% from 1998 and a
growing family indebtedness (115%) chiefly related to the Spanish Real Estate
boom and rocketing oil prices.[53]
In April 2008, the Spanish government official GDP growth forecast was 2.3% but was
revised down by the Spanish Ministry of Economy to 1.6. [54] Studies by most independent
forecasters estimated that the rate had actually dropped to 0.8% instead, [55] below the
strong 3% plus GDP annual growth rates during the 1997–2007 decade. During the
third quarter of 2008 the national GDP contracted for the first time in 15 years. In
February 2009, it was confirmed that Spain, along other European economies, had
officially entered recession.[56]
In July 2009, the IMF worsened the estimates for Spain's 2009 contraction, to minus 4%
of GDP for the year (close to the European average of minus 4.6%.) It estimated a
further 0.8% contraction of the Spanish economy for 2010. [57] In 2011, the deficit reached
a high of 8.5%. For 2016 the deficit objective of the government was around 4%, falling
to 2.9% for 2017. The European Commission has demanded 3.9% for 2016 and 2.5%
for 2017.[58]
Property boom and bust, 2003–2014[edit]
Main article: Spanish property bubble
The adoption of the Euro in 2002 had driven down long-term interest rates, prompting a
surge in mortgage lending that jumped more than fourfold from 2000 to its 2010 apex.
[59]
 The growth in the Spanish property market, which had begun in 1997, accelerated
and within a few years had developed into a property bubble, financed largely by
regional banks, known as "Cajas", which are regional savings banks under the oversight
of regional governments, and fed by the historically low interest rates and a massive
growth of immigration. Fueling this trend, the Spanish economy was being credited for
having avoided the virtual zero growth rate of some of its largest partners in the EU in
the months previous to the global Great Recession.[60]
Over the five years ending 2005, Spain's economy had created more than half of all the
new jobs in the European Union .[61][62] At the top of its property boom, Spain was building
more houses than Germany, France and the U.K. combined. [59] Home prices soared by
71% between 2003 and 2008, in tandem with the credit explosion. [59]
The bubble imploded in 2008, causing the collapse of Spain's large property related and
construction sectors, causing mass layoffs, and a collapsing domestic demand for
goods and services. Unemployment shot up.
At first, Spain's banks and financial services avoided the early crisis of their international
counterparts. However, as the recession deepened and property prices slid, the growing
bad debts of the smaller regional savings banks, the "cajas", forced the intervention of
Spain's central bank and government through a stabilization and consolidation program,
taking over or consolidating regional "cajas" and finally receiving a bank bailout from
the European Central Bank in 2012 aimed specifically for the banking business and
"cajas" in particular.[63][64][65]
Following the 2008 peak, home prices plunged by 31%, before bottoming out in late
2014.[59]
Euro debt crisis, 2010-2012[edit]

Spain bond rates during Spanish financial crisis

  20 year bond
  10 year bond
  2 year bond
  3 month bond

Main article: European sovereign debt crisis

In the first weeks of 2010, renewed anxiety about the excessive levels of debt in some
EU countries and, more generally, about the health of the euro has spread from Ireland
and Greece to Portugal, and to a lesser extent in Spain.
Spain is part of a monetary union, the Eurozone (dark blue), and of the EU single market.

Many economists recommended a battery of policies to control the surging public debt
caused by the recessionary collapse of tax revenues, combining drastic austerity
measures with higher taxes. Some senior German policy makers went as far as to say
that emergency bailouts should include harsh penalties to EU aid recipients such as
Greece.[66] It has been noted that the Spanish government budget was in surplus in the
years immediately before the global financial crisis and that its debt was not considered
excessive.
At the beginning of 2010, Spain's public debt as a percentage of GDP was still less than
those of Britain, France or Germany. However, commentators pointed out that Spain's
recovery was fragile, that the public debt was growing quickly, that troubled regional
banks may need large bailouts, growth prospects were poor and therefore limiting
revenue and that the central government has limited control over the spending of the
regional governments. Under the structure of shared governmental responsibilities that
has evolved since 1975, much responsibility for spending had been given back to the
regions. The central government found itself in the difficult position of trying to gain
support for unpopular spending cuts from the recalcitrant regional governments. [67]
On 23 May 2010, the government announced further austerity measures, consolidating
the ambitious plans announced in January.[68]
As of September 2011, Spanish banks hold a record high of €142 billion of Spanish
national bonds. December 2011 bond auctions are "very likely to be covered" according
to JPMorgan Chase.[69]
Till Q2 2012, Spanish banks were allowed to report real estate related assets in higher
non-market price by regulators. Investors who bought into such banks must be aware.
Spanish houses cannot be sold at land book value after being vacant over a period of
years.[citation needed]
Employment crisis (2008 - present) [edit]
Torres de la Casería de Ossio apartment buildings in San Fernando completed in 2007. The collapse of the
Spanish construction boom was a major contributor to the record unemployment. [70]

After having completed large improvements over the second half of the 1990s and
during the 2000s, Spain attained in 2007 its record low unemployment rate, at about
8%,[71] with a few regions on the brink of full employment. Then Spain suffered a severe
setback from October 2008, when it saw its unemployment rate surge to 1996 levels.
During the period October 2007 – October 2008 the unemployment surge exceeded
that of past economic crises, including that of 1993. In particular, during the month of
October 2008, Spain suffered its worst unemployment rise ever recorded. [72][73] Even
though the sheer size of Spain's underground economy masks to some extent the real
situation, employment has been a long term weakness of the Spanish economy. By
2014 the structural unemployment rate was estimated at 18%.[74] By July 2009, it had
shed 1.2 million jobs in one year.[75] The oversized building and housing related
industries were contributing greatly to the rising unemployment numbers. [70] From 2009
thousands of established immigrants began to leave, although some did maintain
residency in Spain due to poor conditions in their country of origin. [76] In all, by early 2013
Spain reached an unprecedented unemployment record at about 27%. [71]
In May 2012 a radical labor reform made for a more flexible labor market, facilitating
layoffs with a view to enhancing corporate's confidence. [77]
Youth crisis[edit]
During the early 1990s, Spain experienced a period of economic crisis as a result of a
larger, Europe-wide economic episode that led to a rise in unemployment rates. Many
young adults in Spain found themselves trapped in a cycle of temporary jobs, which
resulted in the creation of a secondary class of workers through reduced wages, job
stability and advancement opportunities.[78] As a result, many Spaniards, predominantly
unmarried young adults, emigrated to other countries in order to pursue job
opportunities and raise their standard of life,[79] which left only a small amount of young
adults living below the poverty line in Spain.[80] Spain experienced another economic
crisis during the 2000s, which also prompted a rise in Spanish citizens emigrating to
neighboring countries with more job stability and better economic standings. [81]
Youth unemployment remains a concern in Spain, prompting suggestions of labor
market programs and job-search assistance like matching youth skills with businesses.
This would improve Spain's weakened youth labor market, and their school to work
transition as youth have found it difficult to find long-term employment. [82]
Employment recovery[edit]
The labor market reform started a trend of setting successive positive employment
records. By the second quarter of 2014, the Spanish economy had reversed its negative
trend and started creating jobs for the first time since 2008. [77] The second quarter
reversal had been sudden and extraordinary considering that the number of jobs
created set an absolute positive record since such quarterly employment statistics are
maintained in 1964.[83] Labor reform did seem to play an important role; one piece of
evidence cited was that Spain had started creating jobs at lower rates of GDP growth
than before: in previous cycles, employment rose when growth hit 2%, this time the gain
came during a year when GDP had expanded by just 1.2%. [74]
Greater than expected GDP growth paved the way for further declines in the
unemployment rate. Since 2014 Spain has been registering steady annual fall in the
official jobless figure. During 2016, unemployment in Spain experienced the steepest
fall on record to date.[34] By the end of that year, Spain had recovered 1.7m of the more
than 3.5m jobs lost over the course of the recession. [34] By Q4 2016 Spanish
unemployment had fallen to 18.6%, the lowest rate in seven years. [84] In April 2017 the
country recorded its biggest drop in jobless claimants for a single month in the entire
historical series to date.[85] Job creation kept speeding up; in this regard, May 2017 was
the best May to date in terms of social security affiliations since this record was started
in 2001 and during that month jobless claims fell to the lowest figure since June 2009. [86]
In the second quarter 2017, unemployment fell to 17%, below 4 million for the first time
since 2008,[87] with the country experiencing its steepest quarterly decline in
unemployment on record to date (series starts in 1964). [88] In 2018, at 14.6% the
unemployment rate did not exceed the 15% threshold for the first time since 2008 when
the crisis began.[89]
As of 2017, trade unions, left, and center-left parties have criticized and wanted the
labor reform to be revoked, on grounds that it tilts the balance of power too far towards
employers.[34] Besides, most new contracts are temporary.[86]
In 2019, Pedro Sánchez's socialist government increased the minimum wage by 22% in
an attempt to boost hiring and encourage spending. Members of the opposition argued
that this increase from €858 to €1050 a month would negatively affect 1.2 million
workers due to their employers being unable to cover the aforementioned raise. [90]
Reduction of European Union funds[edit]
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Capital contributions from the EU, which had contributed significantly to the economic
empowerment of Spain since joining the EEC, have decreased considerably since 1990
due to the economic standardization in relation to other countries and the effects of the
EU's enlargement. On the one hand, agricultural funds from the Common Agricultural
Policy of the European Union (CAP) are now spread across more countries. On the
other hand, with 2004's and 2007's enlargement of the European Union, less developed
countries joined the EU, lowering the average income per capita (or GDP per capita), so
that Spanish regions which were considered to be relatively less developed, became in
the European average or even above it. Spain has gradually become a net contributor
of funds for less developed countries of the Union as opposed to receiving funds. [91]
Economic recovery (2014–2020)[edit]
During the economic downturn, Spain significantly reduced imports, increased exports
and kept attracting growing numbers of tourists; as a result, after three decades of
running a trade deficit the country attained in 2013 a trade surplus[28] which has
strengthened during 2014 and 2015. [29]
With a 3.2% increase in 2015, the Spanish GDP growth was the highest among larger
EU economies that year.[31] In just two years (2014–2015) the Spanish economy had
recovered 85% of the GDP lost during the 2009-2013 recession, [32] which got some
international analysts to refer to Spain's current recovery as "the showcase for structural
reform efforts".[33]
By Q2 2016 the Spanish economy had been accumulating 12 consecutive quarters of
growth, managing to consistently outperform the rest of the Euro area. [92] Such growth
had continued, with the Spanish economy outperforming expectations and growing 3.2
per cent in 2016, almost twice as fast as the Euro zone average. [93][34] One of the main
drivers of economic recovery was international trade, in turn sparked by dramatic gains
in labor productivity.[94] Exports have shot up, from around 25% (2008) to 33% of GDP
(2016) on the back of an internal devaluation (the country's wage bill halved in the
2008-2016 period), a search for new markets and a recent mild recovery of the
European economy.[93]
The Spanish economy was forecast to remain the best-performing major economy in
the Euro zone in 2017[35] and in the second quarter of 2017 Spain had recovered all the
GDP lost during the economic crisis, exceeding for the first time the output level that
had been reached in 2008.[94]
By 2017, following several months of prices picking up, homeowners who had been
renting during the economic slump had started to put their properties back on the sales
market.[95] In this regard, home sales are expected to return in 2017 to pre-crisis (2008)
level.[96] In all, the Spanish real estate market was experiencing a new boom, this time in
the rental sector.[95] Out of 50 provinces and compared to May 2007, the National
Statistics Institute has recorded higher rent levels in 48 provinces, with the 10 most
populated accumulating rent inflation between 5% and 15% since 2007. [95] The
phenomenon is most visible in big cities such as Barcelona or Madrid, which are seeing
new record average prices, partially fueled by short-term rentals to tourists. [95]

Data[edit]
The following table shows the main economic indicators in 1980–2021 (plus IMF
estimates for 2022–2027 in italics). Inflation below 5% is in green.[97]
GDP GDP GDP GDP Inflation Unemploymen Government
Year GDP per (in Bil.
per growth rate t debt
capita US$nominal) capita (real) (in (in Percent) (in % of GDP)
(in Bil. Percent)
US$PPP) (in US$ (in US$
 PPP) nominal)

1980 294.4 7,819.0 230.8 6,128.0 1.2% 15.6% 11.0% 16.6%

8,443. 5,381.
1981 321.0 204.6 -0.4% 14.5% 13.8% 20.0%
6 9
9,028. 5,171.
1982 345.0 197.6 1.2% 14.4% 15.8% 25.1%
1 5
9,492. 4,501.
1983 364.5 172.9 1.7% 12.2% 17.2% 30.4%
1 8
9,962. 4,471.
1984 384.0 172.4 1.7% 11.3% 19.9% 37.1%
0 7
10,482 4,694.
1985 405.5 181.6 2.4% 8.8% 21.3% 42.1%
.7 8
11,028 6,477.
1986 427.9 251.3 3.4% 8.8% 20.9% 43.3%
.9 3
11,919 8,187.
1987 463.5 318.4 5.7% 5.2% 20.2% 43.1%
.1 3
12,963 9,598.
1988 505.2 374.1 5.3% 4.8% 19.2% 39.6%
.9 7
14,118 10,566
1989 551.3 412.6 5.0% 6.8% 17.2% 41.0%
.3 .1
15,183 13,693
1990 593.9 535.7 3.8% 6.7% 16.2% 42.5%
.5 .6
16,050 14,697
1991 629.5 576.4 2.5% 5.9% 16.3% 43.1%
.8 .5
16,501 16,013
1992 649.3 630.1 0.9% 7.1% 18.4% 45.4%
.7 .2
16,619 13,409
1993 656.0 529.3 -1.3% 4.6% 22.6% 56.2%
.1 .7
17,323 13,419
1994 685.7 531.1 2.3% 4.7% 24.1% 58.7%
.7 .6
18,373 15,475
1995 728.9 613.9 4.1% 4.7% 22.9% 63.4%
.0 .6
19,118 16,095
1996 760.2 640.0 2.4% 3.6% 22.1% 67.5%
.2 .8
20,146 14,782
1997 803.2 589.4 3.9% 1.9% 20.6% 66.2%
.4 .9
21,209 15,457
1998 848.5 618.4 4.5% 1.8% 18.6% 64.2%
.3 .1
22,413 15,814
1999 901.3 636.0 4.7% 2.2% 15.6% 62.5%
.0 .2
 23,877 14,761
2000 968.3 598.6 5.1% 3.5% 13.9% 57.8%
.4 .1
1,029. 25,244 15,400
2001 627.8 3.9% 3.6% 10.5% 54.1%
1 .7 .9
1,073. 25,919 17,097
2002 708.3 2.7% 3.1% 11.5% 51.3%
7 .4 .9
1,127. 26,721 21,501
2003 907.3 3.0% 3.0% 11.5% 47.7%
5 .1 .1
1,193. 27,856 24,932
2004 1,068.6 3.1% 3.0% 11.0% 45.4%
9 .3 .1
1,276. 29,232 26,438
2005 1,154.4 3.7% 3.4% 9.2% 42.4%
4 .4 .0
1,369. 30,877 28,414
2006 1,260.5 4.1% 3.5% 8.5% 39.1%
7 .5 .1
1,457. 32,218 32,588
2007 1,474.2 3.6% 2.8% 8.2% 35.8%
4 .4 .6
1,498. 32,589 35,484
2008 1,631.7 0.9% 4.1% 11.2% 39.7%
6 .8 .4
1,451. 31,300 32,131
2009 1,489.9 -3.8% -0.3% 17.9% 53.3%
3 .8 .4
1,471. 31,597 30,566
2010 1,423.3 0.2% 1.8% 19.9% 60.5%
3 .3 .9
1,489. 31,872 31,676
2011 1,480.5 -0.8% 3.2% 21.4% 69.9%
6 .4 .7
1,483. 31,724 28,344
2012 1,325.6 -3.0% 2.4% 24.8% 90.0%
6 .6 .8
1,512. 32,452 29,085
2013 1,355.2 -1.4% 1.4% 26.1% 100.5%
1 .7 .0
1,558. 33,544 29,524
2014 1,371.6 1.4% -0.2% 24.4% 105.1%
3 .4 .8
1,621. 34,938 25,764
2015 1,195.7 3.8% -0.5% 22.1% 103.3%
5 .6 .2
1,733. 37,309 26,535
2016 1,232.6 3.0% -0.2% 19.6% 102.8%
0 .9 .5
1,843. 39,626 28,196
2017 1,312.1 3.0% 2.0% 17.2% 101.9%
9 .5 .8
1,931. 41,328 30,423
2018 1,421.6 2.3% 1.7% 15.3% 100.5%
2 .4 .2
2,006. 42,600 29,576
2019 1,393.2 2.1% 0.7% 14.1% 98.3%
7 .4 .3
2020 1,811. 38,244 1,280.5 27,039 - -0.3% 15.5% 120.0%
 1 .5 .2 10.8%
1,983. 41,838 30,089
2021 1,426.2 5.1% 3.1% 14.8% 118.6%
1 .2 .5
2,216. 46,551 29,198
2022 1,389.9 4.3% 8.8% 12.7% 113.6%
0 .2 .1
2,322. 48,594 29,729
2023 1,421.0 1.2% 4.9% 12.3% 112.1%
7 .5 .2
2,432. 50,704 31,447
2024 1,508.9 2.6% 3.5% 12.1% 110.1%
9 .0 .4
2,545. 52,866 33,080
2025 1,593.0 2.7% 2.3% 12.0% 109.0%
8 .7 .8
2,648. 54,813 34,533
2026 1,668.5 2.1% 1.9% 12.0% 109.0%
3 .2 .8
2,746. 56,672 35,869
2027 1,738.4 1.7% 1.7% 12.0% 109.6%
7 .6 .3

Banking system[edit]
Further information: Savings bank (Spain)
Spanish private commercial banks played a central role in Spain's economic
development, benefiting from their role as the state's creditor in the 19th century, from
their ability to monetize public debt, and from state-sanctioned oligopolistic
arrangements that lasted from the beginning of the 20th century until the late 1980s,
when European rules forced a liberalization of the sector. It has been argued that the
favorable treatment received by the main Spanish commercial banks and their close
relationship to the Bank of Spain (Banco de España) following the end of the Franco
regime allowed for a public-private partnership to restructure the large commercial
banks into two large banks (Santander and BBVA) with the purpose of preparing the
private institutions for international competition and external expansion once the
European banking market was integrated in 1992 [98] Alongside this financial mercantilism
benefiting the commercial banking sector, Spanish regulators also allowed for the vast
expansion of not for profit savings banks sponsored by regional governments who
became heavily exposed to the housing mortgage and real estate development sectors
during the Spanish economic boom of 1999–2007.
Prior to 2010, the Spanish banking system had been credited as one of the most solid
of all western banking systems in coping with the ongoing worldwide liquidity crisis,
thanks to the country's conservative banking rules and practices. Banks were required
to have high capital provisions and to demand various guarantees and securities from
intending borrowers. This allowed the banks, particularly the geographically and
industrially diversified large banks like BBVA and Santander, to weather the real estate
deflation better than expected. Indeed, Spain's large commercial banks have been able
to capitalize on their strong position to buy up distressed banking assets elsewhere in
Europe and in the United States.[99]
Nevertheless, with the unprecedented crisis of the country's real estate sector, smaller
local savings banks ("Cajas"), had been delaying the registering of bad loans, especially
those backed by houses and land, to avoid declaring losses. In June 2009 the Spanish
government set its banking bailout and reconstruction fund, the Fondo de
reestructuración ordenada bancaria (FROB), known in English as Fund for Orderly
Bank Restructuring. In the event, State intervention of local savings banks due to
default risk was less than feared. On 22 May 2010, the Banco de España took over
"CajaSur", as part of a national program to put the country's smaller banks on a firm
financial basis.[100] In December 2011, the Spanish central bank, Banco de
España (equivalent of the US Federal Reserve), forcibly took over "Caja Mediterraneo",
also known as CAM, (a regional savings bank) to prevent its financial collapse. [101][circular
reference]
 The international accounting firm, PriceWaterhouseCooper, estimated an
imbalance between CAM's assets and debts of €3,500 million, not counting the
industrial corporation. The troubled situation reached its peak with the partial
nationalization of Bankia in May 2012. By then it was becoming clear that the mounting
real estate losses of the savings banks were undermining confidence in the country's
government bonds, thus aggravating a sovereign debt crisis. [102]
In early June 2012, Spain requested European funding of €41 billion [102] "to recapitalize
Spanish banks that need it". It was not a sovereign bailout in that the funds were used
only for the restructuring of the banking sector a full-fledged bailout for an economy the
size of the Spanish would have reached ten or twelve times that amount). In return for
the credit line etended by the EMS, there were no tax or macroeconomic conditions.
As of 2017 the cost of restructuring Spain's bankrupt savings banks were estimated to
have been €60.7 billion, of which nearly €41.8 billion was put up by the state through
the FROB and the rest by the banking sector.[103] The total cost will not be fully
understood until those lenders still controlled by the State (Bankia and BMN) are newly
privatized.[103] In this regard, by early 2017 the Spanish government was considering a
merger of both banks before privatizing the combined bank to recoup an estimated 400
million euros of their bailout costs.[102] During the course of this transformation, most
regional savings banks such as the CAM, Catalunya Banc, Banco de Valencia,
Novagalicia Banco, Unnim Banc or Cajasur[103] have since been absorbed by the bigger,
more international, Spanish banks, which imposed better management practices.
As of 2022, Spanish banks have halved their number of branches to about 20,000 in the
decade since the financial crisis and the subsequent international bailout in 2012. The
remaining banks have reduced retail opening hours and pushed online banking. A
retired urologist with Parkinson's disease gathered more than 600,000 signatures in an
online petition "I'm Old, Not an Idiot" asking banks and other institutions to serve all
citizens, and not discriminate the oldest and most vulnerable members. [104]

Prices[edit]
Due to the lack of own resources, Spain has to import all of its fossil fuels. Besides, until
the 2008 crisis, Spain's recent performance had shown an inflationary tendency and an
inflationary gap compared to other EMU countries, affecting the country's overall
productivity.[105] Moreover, when Spain joined the euro zone, it lost the recourse of
resorting to competitive devaluations, risking a permanent and cumulative loss of
competitive due to inflation.[106] In a scenario of record oil prices by the mid 2000s this
meant much added pressure to the inflation rate. In June 2008 the inflation rate reached
a 13-year high at 5.00%.
Then, with the dramatic decrease of oil prices in the second half of 2008 plus the
manifest bursting of the real estate bubble, concerns quickly shifted over to the risk
of deflation, as Spain recorded in January 2009 its lowest inflation rate in 40 years,
followed shortly afterwards, in March 2009 by a negative inflation rate for the first time
since the gathering of these statistics started. [107][108] During the 2009−early 2016 period,
apart from temporary minor oil shocks, the Spanish economy has generally oscillated
between slightly negative to near-zero inflation rates. Analysts reckoned that this was
not synonymous with deflation, due to the fact that GDP had been growing since 2014,
domestic consumption had rebounded as well and, especially, because core
inflation remained slightly positive.[109]
In 2017, moderate inflation between 1-2%, still below the ECB's target, returned as the
impact of cheaper fuel prices faded and economic recovery took hold. [35]

Economic strengths[edit]

A map of Spanish export destinations in 2006

Since the 1990s some Spanish companies have gained multinational status, often
expanding their activities in culturally close Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia.
Spain is the second biggest foreign investor in Latin America, after the United States.
Spanish companies have also expanded into Asia, especially China and India. [110] This
early global expansion gave Spanish companies a competitive advantage over some of
Spain's competitors and European neighbors. Another contribution to the success of
Spanish firms may have to do with booming interest toward Spanish language and
culture in Asia and Africa, but also a corporate culture that learned to take risks in
unstable markets.
Spanish companies invested in fields like biotechnology and pharmaceuticals,
or renewable energy (Iberdrola is the world's largest renewable energy operator [111]),
technology companies like Telefónica, Abengoa, Mondragon
Corporation, Movistar, Gamesa, Hisdesat, Indra, train manufacturers
like CAF and Talgo, global corporations such as the textile company Inditex, petroleum
companies like Repsol and infrastructure firms. Six of the ten biggest international
construction firms specialising in transport are Spanish,
lincluding Ferrovial, Acciona, ACS, OHL and FCC.[112]
Spain is equipped with a solid banking system as well, including two global systemically
important banks, Banco Santander and BBVA.
Infrastructure[edit]
In the 2012–13 edition of the Global Competitiveness Report Spain was listed 10th in
the world in terms of first-class infrastructure. It is the 5th EU country with best
infrastructure and ahead of countries like Japan or the United States. [113] In particular, the
country is a leader in the field of high-speed rail, having developed the second longest
network in the world (only behind China) and leading high-speed projects with Spanish
technology around the world.[114][115]

Container ship in the port of Barcelona

The Spanish infrastructure concession companies, lead 262 transport infrastructure

worldwide, representing 36% of the total, according to the latest rankings compiled by
the publication Public Works Financing. The top three global occupy Spanish
companies: ACS, Global Vía and Abertis, according to the ranking of companies by
number of concessions for roads, railways, airports and ports in construction or
operation in October 2012. Considering the investment, the first world infrastructure
concessionaire is Ferrovial-Cintra, with 72,000 million euros, followed closely by ACS,
with 70,200 million. Among the top ten in the world are also the Spanish Sacyr (21,500
million), FCC and Global Vía (with 19,400 million) and OHL (17,870 million). [116]
During 2013 Spanish civil engineering companies signed contracts around the world for
a total of 40 billion euros, setting a new record for the national industry. [117]
The port of Valencia in Spain is the busiest seaport in the Mediterranean basin, 5th
busiest in Europe and 30th busiest in the world. [118] There are four other Spanish ports in
the ranking of the top 125 busiest world seaports (Algeciras, Barcelona, Las Palmas,
and Bilbao); as a result, Spain is tied with Japan in the third position of countries leading
this ranking.[118]
Export growth[edit]
Spain Export Treemap by Product (2014) from Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity

During the boom years, Spain had built up a trade deficit eventually amounting a record
equivalent to 10% of GDP (2007)[28] and the external debt ballooned to the equivalent of
170% of GDP, one of the highest among Western economies. [29] Then, during the
economic downturn, Spain reduced significantly imports due to domestic consumption
shrinking while – despite the global slowdown – it has been increasing exports and kept
attracting growing numbers of tourists. Spanish exports grew by 4.2% in 2013, the
highest rate in the European Union. As a result, after three decades of running a trade
deficit Spain attained in 2013 a trade surplus.[28] Export growth was driven by capital
goods and the automotive sector and the forecast was to reach a surplus equivalent to
2.5% of GDP in 2014.[119] Exports in 2014 were 34% of GDP, up from 24% in 2009.
[120]
 The trade surplus attained in 2013 has been consolidated in 2014 and 2015. [29]
Despite slightly declining exports from fellow EU countries in the same period, Spanish
exports continued to grow and in the first half of 2016 the country beat its own record to
date exporting goods for 128,041 million euros; from the total, almost 67% were
exported to other EU countries.[121] During this same period, from the 70 members of
the World Trade Organization (whose combined economies amount to 90% of global
GDP), Spain was the country whose exports had grown the most. [122]
In 2016, exports of goods hit historical highs despite a global slowdown in trade, making
up for 33% of the total GDP (by comparison, exports represent 12% of GDP in the
United States, 18% in Japan, 22% in China or 45% in Germany). [93]
In all, by 2017 foreign sales have been rising every year since 2010, with a degree of
unplanned import substitution -a rather unusual feat for Spain when in an expansive
phase- which points to structural competitive gains. [35] According to the most recent 2017
data, about 65% of the country's exports go to other EU members. [123]

Sectors[edit]
The Spanish benchmark stock market index is the IBEX 35, which as of 2016 is led by
banking (including Banco Santander and BBVA), clothing (Inditex), telecommunications
(Telefónica) and energy (Iberdrola).
External trade[edit]
Traditionally until 2008, most exports and imports from Spain were held with the
countries of the European Union: France, Germany, Italy, UK and Portugal.
In recent years foreign trade has taken refuge outside the European Union. Spain's
main customers are Latin America, Asia (Japan, China, India), Africa (Morocco, Algeria,
Egypt) and the United States. Principal trading partners in Asia are Japan, China, South
Korea, Taiwan. In Africa, countries producing oil (Nigeria, Algeria, Libya) are important
partners, as well as Morocco. Latin American countries are very important trading
partners, like Argentina, Mexico, Cuba (tourism), Colombia, Brazil, Chile (food products)
and Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina (petroleum). [2] Archived 17 November 2018 at
the Wayback Machine
After the crisis that began in 2008 and the fall of the domestic market, Spain (since
2010) it has turned outwards widely increasing the export supply and export amounts.
[124]
 It has diversified its traditional destinations and has grown significantly in product
sales of medium and high technology, including highly competitive markets like the US
and Asia. [3] Archived 17 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine

showTop trading partners for Spain in 2015[125]

Tourism[edit]
See also: Tourism in Spain

Beach swarmed by tourists, Benidorm

During the last four decades Spain's foreign tourist industry has grown into the second-
biggest in the world. A 2015 survey by the World Economic Forum proclaimed the
country's tourism industry as the world's most competitive. [126] The 2017 survey repeated
this finding.[127]
By 2018 the country was the second most visited country in the world, overtaking the
US and not far behind France.[128] With 83.7 million visitors, the country broke in 2019 its
own tourism record for the tenth year in a row.[129]
The size of the business has gone from approximately €40 billion in 2006 [16] to about €77
billion in 2016.[130] In 2015 the total value of foreign and domestic tourism came to nearly
5% of the country's GDP and provided employment for about 2 million people. [131]
The headquarters of the World Tourism Organization are located in Madrid.[132]
Automotive industry[edit]
Main article: Automotive industry in Spain
Automotive manufacturing in Valladolid

The automotive industry is one of the largest employers in the country. In 2015 Spain
was the 8th largest automobile producer country in the world and the 2nd largest car
manufacturer in Europe after Germany.[133]
By 2016, the automotive industry was generating 8.7 percent of Spain's gross domestic
product, employing about nine percent of the manufacturing industry. [133] By 2008 the
automobile industry was the 2nd most exported industry [134] while in 2015 about 80% of
the total production was for export.[133]
German companies poured €4.8 billion into Spain in 2015, making the country the
second-largest destination for German foreign direct investment behind only the U.S.
The lion's share of that investment —€4 billion— went to the country's auto industry. [133]
Energy[edit]
Further information: Energy in Spain and Electricity sector in Spain

PS10 solar power plant and PS20 solar power plant in Seville

In 2008, Spanish electricity consumption was an average of 6,523 kWh/person. Spanish

electricity usage constituted 88% of the EU15 average (EU15: 7,409 kWh/person), and
73% of the OECD average (8,991 kWh/person). [135]
Spain is one of the world leaders in renewable energies, both as a producer of
renewable energy itself and as an exporter of such technology. In 2013 it became the
first country ever in the world to have wind power as its main source of energy.[136]
Agribusiness[edit]
Olive harvest in Jaén

See also: Agriculture in Spain

Agribusiness has been another segment growing aggressively over the last few years.
At slightly over 40 billion euros, in 2015 agribusiness exports accounted for 3% of GDP
and over 15% of the total Spanish exports. [137]
The boom was shaped during the 2004-2014 period, when Spain's agribusiness exports
grew by 95% led by pork, wine and olive oil.[138] By 2012 Spain was by far the biggest
producer of olive oil in the world, accounting for 50% of the total production worldwide.
[139]
 By 2013 the country became the world's leading producer of wine; [140] in 2014[141] and
2015[142] Spain was the world's biggest wine exporter. However, poor marketing and low
margins remain an issue, as shown by the fact that the main importers of Spanish olive
oil and wine (Italy[120] and France,[142] respectively) buy bulk Spanish produce which is then
bottled and sold under Italian or French labels, often for a significant markup. [120][141]
Spain is the largest producer and exporter in the EU of citrus fruit (oranges, lemons and
small citrus fruits), peaches and apricots. [143] It is also the largest producer and exporter
of strawberries in the EU.[144]
Food retail[edit]
In 2020, the food distribution sector was dominated by Mercadona (24.5% market
share), followed
by Carrefour (8.4%), Lidl (6.1%), DIA (5.8), Eroski (4.8), Auchan (3.4%), regional
distributors (14.3%) and other (32.7%).[145]
Mining[edit]

Las Cruces copper mine in Gerena

In 2019, the country was the 7th largest producer of gypsum[146] and the 10th world's
largest producer of potash,[147] in addition to being the 15th largest world producer of salt.
[148]
Copper (of which the country is the second producer in Europe) is primarily extracted in
the Iberian Pyrite Belt.[149]
The province of Granada features two mines of Celestine, making the country a major
producer of strontium concentrates.[150]

Mergers and acquisitions[edit]

Between 1985 and 2018 around 23,201 deals have been announced where Spanish
companies participated either as the acquirer or the target. These deals cumulate to an
overall value of 1,935 bil. USD (1,571.8 bil. EUR). Here is a list of the top 10 deals with
Spanish participation:

Date Value of
Acquiror Acquiror mid- Acquiro Target Target mid- Target
announce transactio
name industry r nation name industry nation
d n ($mil)

United
10/31/200 Telefónic Telecommunicatio
Spain O2 PLC Wireless Kingdo 31,659.40
5 a SA ns Services
m

04/02/200 Investor Endesa

Other Financials Italy Power Spain 26,437.77
7 Group SA

Banco
05/09/201 Financier
FROB Other Financials Spain Banks Spain 23,785.68
2 o y de
Ahorros

Scottish United
11/28/200 Iberdrola
Power Spain Power Power Kingdo 22,210.00
6 SA
PLC m

Airport
Transportatio United
02/08/200 Dvlp & BAA
Other Financials Spain n& Kingdo 21,810.57
6 Invest PLC
Infrastructure m
Ltd

Imperial
United
03/14/200 Tobacco Altadis
Other Financials Kingdo Tobacco Spain 17,872.72
7 Overseas SA
m
Hldg
 Santander
Abbey United
07/23/200 Central
Banks Spain National Banks Kingdo 15,787.49
4 Hispano
PLC m
SA

Vodafone United
07/17/200 Other
AirTouch Wireless Kingdo Airtel SA Spain 14,364.85
0 Telecom
PLC m

Banco
12/26/201 Financier Bankia
Banks Spain Banks Spain 14,155.31
2 o y de SA
Ahorros

04/02/200 Endesa
Enel SpA Power Italy Power Spain 13,469.98
7 SA

See also[edit]
 List of largest Spanish companies
 Automotive industry in Spain
 Tourism in Spain
 Agriculture in Spain
 Spanish Miracle
 Economic history of Spain
 Asian immigrants and the economy of Spain