Europe (EU) | Rank #14 nominal, #15 PPP
GDP of Spain: $2.1T in 2026 (IMF Data)
The EU's fourth-largest economy, the world's second-largest tourism destination, and one of the fastest-growing major European economies in the post-pandemic recovery.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026 release) | Last verified June 2026
Spain 2026
$2.1T
Nominal GDP (USD)
+2.1%
Real GDP growth, 2026 IMF projection
$41,600
Per capita (nominal USD)
$3.0T
PPP GDP (international USD)
Population (2026)
48M
Currency
EUR
Capital
Madrid
Region
Europe (EU)
The Spain Economy in 2026
Spain hosts the world's second-largest tourism industry by international arrivals (around 85 million in 2025), behind only France. Tourism directly contributes around 12 percent of GDP and supports a further 1.5 million jobs indirectly. Barcelona, Madrid, the Costa del Sol, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands are the largest destinations.
Outside tourism, Spain has a substantial automotive industry (the EU's second-largest after Germany, hosting Stellantis, Volkswagen, Renault, and Mercedes plants), a globally competitive renewable-energy sector (Iberdrola is one of the world's largest utilities), and a fast-growing data-centre footprint as cheap renewable electricity attracts cloud providers.
Real GDP grew 2.5 percent in 2024 and 2.1 percent in 2025, faster than any other major EU economy. The IMF projects +2.1 percent for 2026. Strong tourism, NextGenerationEU recovery funds, and immigration-driven labour-supply growth have all contributed. Unemployment has fallen to 11 percent, the lowest since 2008, though still well above the EU average.
Sector Composition
How Spain's GDP breaks down by economic sector (approximate 2024 shares, source: World Bank national accounts).
Expenditure Components: C + I + G + (X-M)
Approximate shares of Spain's GDP by spending category. Net exports are positive (trade surplus).
Note: Shares are calculated on an absolute basis for visual proportionality. Negative net exports reduce GDP rather than adding to it.
Historical GDP Trajectory
| Year | Nominal GDP (USD) | Real Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $1.4T | +1.4% |
| 2020 | $1.3T | -11.2% |
| 2024 | $1.7T | +2.5% |
| 2025 | $1.9T | +2.1% |
| 2026 | $2.1T | +2.1% |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (2026 forecast) and World Bank Open Data (earlier-year actuals). Nominal GDP is shown in current US dollars and moves with exchange rates as well as real output, so dollar levels for recent years can shift between data vintages. Figures rounded to one decimal trillion; real growth is the inflation-adjusted annual change in GDP.
Top Exports
The goods and services Spain sells abroad in the largest volumes, contributing to the (X) term in the GDP formula.
Sources
- IMF Spain Country Page: primary source for nominal and PPP figures, WEO April 2026 dataset.
- World Bank Open Data: Spain: historical series, cross-check on sector shares.
- INE (National Statistics Institute): official national accounts.
- IMF World Economic Outlook: the headline biannual cross-country dataset.