History of Spain in Timeline

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is located in Southern and Western Europe, also possessing territories in North Africa. It is the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous EU member. Spain includes the majority of the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. It shares borders with France, Andorra, Portugal, the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. Madrid is Spain's capital and largest city; other significant urban centers include Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville.

1900: Spain's population

In 1900, Spain's population stood at 18.6 million.

1931: Castilian as the official language

Since 1931, Spanish (Castilian) has been the official language of the entire country.

1932: Local studios for sound films created

Local studios for sound films were created in Spain in 1932.

1936: Silver Age of Spanish Culture

In a broader definition encompassing the period from 1868 or 1874 to 1936, the so-called Silver Age of Spanish Culture ensued.

1941: Government imposition of dubbing of foreign films

In 1941, the government imposed the dubbing of foreign films, which accustomed Spanish audiences to watching dubbed films.

1960: Start of the Spanish Economic Miracle

In 1960, technocratic reforms were enacted to avert the crisis, laying the groundwork for the Spanish economic miracle, a period of rapid growth.

1964: Spain Wins UEFA European Championship

In 1964, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.

1970: Educational Laws

Since 1970 to 2014, Spain has had seven different educational laws (LGE, LOECE, LODE, LOGSE, LOPEG, LOE and LOMCE).

1974: End of the Spanish Economic Miracle

The Spanish economic miracle came to an end in 1974, following a period of rapid economic growth that began in 1960.

1975: Foreign Policy Priorities Post-Franco

Following the death of Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities included breaking diplomatic isolation, expanding relations, entering the European Community, and defining security relations with the West.

June 1976: Appointment of Adolfo Suárez as Prime Minister

In June 1976, King Juan Carlos dismissed Carlos Arias Navarro and appointed Adolfo Suárez as Prime Minister.

1977: Convening of the Constituent Cortes

In 1977, the general election convened the Constituent Cortes for drafting and approving the constitution.

December 1978: Approval of the New Constitution

On December 6, 1978, a national referendum resulted in 88% of voters approving the new Spanish Constitution.

1978: Implementation of the Constitution

After the 1978 constitution came into effect, the autonomous communities were created in recognition of the right to self-government.

1978: Spanish Constitution of 1978

In 1978, The Spanish Constitution of 1978 "protect all Spaniards and all the peoples of Spain in the exercise of human rights, their cultures and traditions, languages and institutions".

1982: Spain Joins NATO

Since becoming a member of NATO in 1982, Spain has participated in multilateral international security activities.

1986: Spain Joins the European Economic Community

In 1986, Spain joined the European Economic Community—now the European Union.

1990: Tripling of Foreign Direct Investment

Between 1990 and 2000, EU membership coincided with a tripling of foreign direct investment.

1992: Barcelona Hosts Summer Olympics and Paralympics

In 1992, Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, stimulating interest in sports in Spain.

1996: Immigrants

In 1996, the number of immigrants in Spain was 500,000.

1998: Immigrants in population

In 1998, immigrants were 1.6% of the Spanish population.

1999: Participation in the Euro Launch

In 1999, Spain implemented policies that allowed for its participation in the inaugural launch of the euro.

2000: Tripling of Foreign Direct Investment

Between 1990 and 2000, EU membership coincided with a tripling of foreign direct investment.

2000: Life expectancy in Spain

In 2000, life expectancy in Spain was 79.1 years.

2000: Multinational Spanish Companies

Since the 1990s, which saw a wave of privatisations, several Spanish companies have reached multinational status by 2000.

2001: End of Military Conscription

Military conscription ended in Spain in 2001.

2002: Spain Europe's top recipient of migrants

From 2002 to 2007, Spain was Europe's top recipient of migrants, with 2.5 million arrivals.

2002: Armed Incident over Perejil Island

In 2002, Perejil Island was the subject of an armed incident between Spain and Morocco.

2005: Spain immigration rate in European Union

In 2005, Spain had the second highest immigration rate in the European Union, after Cyprus, and the highest in absolute numbers.

2006: LOE Educational Law

The current education system in Spain is regulated by the 2006 educational law, LOE (Ley Orgánica de Educación).

2007: Spain Europe's top recipient of migrants

From 2002 to 2007, Spain was Europe's top recipient of migrants, with 2.5 million arrivals.

2007: Gender Equality Act

In 2007, the Cortes Generales approved the Gender Equality Act aimed at furthering equality between genders in Spanish political and economic life.

2008: Start of the Spanish Financial Crisis

In 2008, Spain was affected by the global financial crisis and subsequent European debt crisis, leading to the Spanish financial crisis.

2008: Spain Favoured Destination

In 2008, the Financial Times reported that Spain was the most favoured destination for Western Europeans considering a move from their own country and seeking jobs elsewhere in the EU.

2008: Gender Empowerment Measure

In 2008, the Gender Empowerment Measure of Spain in the United Nations Human Development Report was 0.794, 12th in the world.

2008: Spain Wins UEFA European Championship

In 2008, the Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.

2008: Immigrants

In 2008, the number of immigrants in Spain reached 5.2 million.

2008: Lowest Unemployment Rate Since 2008

In January 2026, Spain's unemployment rate stood at 9.93 percent, the lowest since 2008.

2009: Immigrants in population

By 2009, immigrants accounted for over 12% of Spain's population.

2009: Fossil fuels generate Spain's electricity

In 2009, fossil fuels generated 58% of Spain's electricity, slightly below the OECD mean of 61%.

November 2010: Wind power reaches historic peak

In November 2010, wind power in Spain reached a historic peak, covering 53% of mainland electricity demand and generating 14.2 GW of power, which is equivalent to that of 14 nuclear reactors.

2010: Spain Wins FIFA World Cup

In 2010, Spain's national men's football team won the FIFA World Cup.

2011: People left Spain

In 2011, more than half a million people left Spain.

2012: Spain Wins UEFA European Championship

In 2012, the Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.

2013: Acceptance of Homosexuality

According to Pew Research in 2013, Spain is rated first in acceptance of homosexuality, with 88% of those surveyed in agreement.

2013: Peak Unemployment

In 2013, Spain's unemployment rate hit a peak of 27%.

2014: Spain aims for one million electric cars

In 2014, Spain aimed to have one million electric cars on the road as part of the government's plan to save energy and boost energy efficiency.

2014: LOE was partially modified

In 2014, the LOE was partially modified by the newer LOMCE law (Ley Orgánica para la Mejora de la Calidad Educativa).

2014: End of the Spanish Financial Crisis

The 2008-2014 Spanish financial crisis ended in 2014.

2014: Number of immigrants decreased

Until 2014, the number of immigrants in Spain decreased due to the economic crisis.

2015: Net immigration increased

By 2015, net immigration in Spain had increased.

2015: Increase in Defence Budget

In 2015, the Spanish defence budget was 5.71 billion euros (US$7.2 billion), with a 1% increase due to security concerns.

October 2017: Catalan Independence Referendum and Declaration

In October 2017, Catalonia held an independence referendum and its parliament voted to unilaterally declare independence from Spain. Simultaneously, the Spanish Senate was discussing direct rule over Catalonia, requested by the Spanish Prime Minister. The Senate then granted the power to impose direct rule, leading to the dissolution of the Catalan parliament and the calling of a new election. No country recognized Catalonia as a separate state.

2017: Armed Forces Strength

In 2017, the Spanish armed forces had a strength of 121,900 active personnel and 4,770 reserve personnel.

June 2018: Motion of No-Confidence Against Rajoy

In June 2018, the Congress of Deputies passed a motion of no-confidence against Rajoy, replacing him with PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez.

September 2018: Women in Parliament

According to Inter-Parliamentary Union data for September 2018, 137 of the 350 members of the Congress were women (39.1%), while in the Senate, there were 101 women out of 266 (39.9%).

2018: CSIC ranks as top governmental scientific institution

In 2018, the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) ranked as the 5th top governmental scientific institution worldwide and 32nd overall.

2019: Forest Landscape Integrity Index

In 2019, Spain had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.23/10, ranking it 130th globally out of 172 countries.

2019: First Coalition Government Formed

In 2019, the first ever coalition government in Spain was formed, between PSOE and Unidas Podemos.

January 2020: COVID-19 Spreads to Spain

In January 2020, the COVID-19 virus was confirmed to have spread to Spain, causing life expectancy to drop by more than a year.

2020: Castile and Leon Leader in Rural Tourism

Since 2020, Castile and Leon has been the Spanish leader in rural tourism, linked to its environmental and architectural heritage.

March 2021: Euthanasia Legalized

In March 2021, Spain became the sixth nation in the world to make active euthanasia legal.

July 2021: Spaniards participate in religious worship

A July 2021 study shows that of the Spaniards who identify themselves as religious, 36% never attend Mass.

2021: Survey by National Statistics Institute

According to an official survey complementary to the 2021 census carried out by the National Statistics Institute, Spanish is considered as first language by 81.53%.

2021: Life expectancy in Spain

In 2021, life expectancy in Spain was 82.7 years.

2021: Festivals of San Sebastián and Málaga Ranked Among Top Cultural Initiatives

In 2021, the festivals of San Sebastián and Málaga were ranked among the top cultural initiatives in Spain.

July 2023: New Coalition Government Formed

Following the general election in July 2023, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez once again formed a coalition government, this time with Sumar.

2023: Fortune Global 500 Companies

As of 2023, Spain was home to eight of the 500 largest companies in the world by annual revenue, according to the Fortune Global 500, including Banco Santander, Iberdrola, and Telefónica.

2023: Automobile Production and Exports

In 2023, Spain produced 2.45 million automobiles and exported over 2.1 million of them, ranking eighth in the world and second in Europe. 89 percent of vehicles and 60% of auto-parts manufactured in Spain were exported worldwide in 2023.

2023: Spain Wins FIFA Women's World Cup

In 2023, Spain's women's national team were champions of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

2023: Spain's population lived in urban areas

In 2023, approximately 81.6% of Spain's population lived in urban areas.

2023: Madrid Airport is the 15th busiest worldwide

In 2023, the airport of Madrid (Barajas) was the world's 15th busiest airport with 60 million passengers.

2023: Tourism Contribution to GDP

In 2023, tourism in Spain contributed to 12.3% of Spain's GDP.

December 2024: Largest source of immigrants

As of December 2024, the largest source of immigrants was Morocco (over 1 million).

2024: Global Peace Index Ranking

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Spain is the 23rd most peaceful country in the world.

2024: Economic Growth and GDP

As of 2024, Spain is the fastest growing major advanced economy in the world, growing nearly four times higher than the eurozone average. It is also one of 19 countries with a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) exceeding $1 trillion per year.

2024: Renovation of the mandate of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ)

Between 2018 and 2024, Spain faced an institutional crisis surrounding the mandate of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), until finally the mandate got renovated.

2024: Election of Non-Independentist Catalan President

In 2024, Salvador Illa, the first non-independentist Catalan regional president in over a decade, was elected, normalising relations between the national and regional administrations.

2024: Tourism Statistics

In 2024, Spain was the second most visited country in the world, recording 94 million tourists, with an international tourist expenditure of around 126 billion euros.

2024: Spain's total fertility rate

In 2024, Spain's total fertility rate (TFR) stood at 1.10 children per woman, the second lowest in the European Union after Malta.

2024: Spain Wins UEFA European Championship

In 2024, the Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.

2024: Barcelona Airport is the 30th busiest worldwide

In 2024, the airport of Barcelona (El Prat) was the world's 30th-busiest airport with 50 million passengers.

2024: Increase in foreign residents acquiring Spanish nationality

In 2024, the number of foreign residents who acquired Spanish nationality increased by 5.1% to 252,476.

January 2025: High Youth Unemployment

As of January 2025, Spain's youth unemployment rate was 24.90 percent, the highest among EU members.

February 2025: Spanish high-speed rail network is the longest in Europe

As of February 2025, the Spanish high-speed rail network is the longest in Europe with 3,973 km.

April 2025: Spaniards identify as Catholics

As of April 2025, 55.4% of Spaniards identify themselves as Catholics.

2025: Spain ranked in Global Innovation Index

In 2025, Spain was ranked 29th in the Global Innovation Index.

January 2026: People in Spain were born abroad

As of January 2026, over 10 million people in Spain were born abroad, accounting for 20.3% of the total population.

January 2026: Spain population recorded

In January 2026, Spain had a population of 49,570,725 people.

January 2026: Lowest Unemployment Rate Since 2008

In January 2026, Spain's unemployment rate stood at 9.93 percent, the lowest since 2008.

2026: European Commission economic recovery package Next Generation EU

Between 2021–2026, The European Commission economic recovery package Next Generation EU was created to support the EU member states to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and will be in use in the period 2021–2026.