History of Spain in Timeline

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a large country in Southern and Western Europe, including territories in North Africa. It's the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous EU member. Its territory includes the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Spain is bordered by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay to the north; the Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar, and Morocco to the east and south; and Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Madrid is its capital and largest city, with other major cities including Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville.

1900: Spain's population in 1900

In 1900, the population of Spain was 18.6 million.

1923: Crown-supported dictatorship

From 1923, Spain was under a period of Crown-supported dictatorship.

April 1931: Municipal Elections and Proclamation of the Republic

In April 1931, municipal elections resulted in a Republican-Socialist victory in major cities, leading to the King's departure and the proclamation of the Republic on April 14.

June 1931: Constituent General Election

In June 1931, the Constituent general election took place.

October 1931: Constitution Passed

In October 1931, a new constitution was passed for the country.

1931: Spanish is the official language

Spanish has effectively been the official language of the entire country since 1931.

1932: Failed Coup d'état led by José Sanjurjo

In 1932, a failed coup d'état was led by José Sanjurjo.

1932: Creation of local studios

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

1933: Triumph of the Right

In 1933, the right-wing political parties triumphed in the elections.

1934: Revolution of 1934

In 1934, the Revolution of 1934 occurred.

October 1936: Franco Sworn in as Leader

On October 1, 1936, General Francisco Franco was sworn in as the supreme leader of the rebel faction in Spain.

1936: Spanish Civil War

In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began, a conflict that deeply divided the nation.

1936: Triumph of the Left

In 1936, the left-wing political parties triumphed in the elections.

1936: End of Silver Age

The Silver Age of Spanish Culture ensued, ending in 1936.

1937: Formation of FET y de las JONS

In 1937, the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS (FET y de las JONS) was formed, becoming the only legal party under Franco's dictatorship.

April 1939: End of Spanish Civil War and Franco's Victory

On April 1, 1939, the Spanish Civil War ended with Franco's rebel side victorious, leading to a dictatorship over the entire country.

1939: Francoist dictatorship

In 1939, the Spanish Civil War concluded, leading to the establishment of the Francoist dictatorship.

1941: Government imposition of dubbing of foreign films

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

1955: Spain Joins the United Nations

In 1955, Spain joined the United Nations.

1959: Formation of ETA

In 1959, during Franco's rule, the armed organization ETA was formed.

1960: Start of Spanish economic miracle

In 1960, technocratic reforms led to the Spanish economic miracle.

1962: Congress of the European Movement

In 1962, politicians from inside Spain and in exile met in Munich at the congress of the European Movement and made a resolution in favour of democracy.

1964: UEFA European Championship

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

1970: Educational laws

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

1974: End of Spanish economic miracle

The Spanish economic miracle, a period of rapid growth that started in 1960, ended in 1974.

November 1975: Juan Carlos Becomes King

In November 1975, following Franco's death, Juan Carlos succeeded to the position of King of Spain.

1975: Death of Franco

After the death of Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years.

1975: End of Francoist Dictatorship

In 1975, the Francoist dictatorship came to an end.

March 1976: Massacre of 3 March in Vitoria

The Massacre of 3 March 1976 in Vitoria, one of the crimes during the transition to democracy, took place.

June 1976: King Juan Carlos appointed Adolfo Suárez as Prime Minister

In June 1976, Spain's new King Juan Carlos dismissed Carlos Arias Navarro and appointed the reformer Adolfo Suárez as Prime Minister.

1977: Spanish Amnesty Law

In 1977, the Spanish Amnesty Law allowed members of Franco's regime to remain in institutions without facing consequences.

1977: Convening of the Constituent Cortes

In 1977, the general election convened the Constituent Cortes for drafting and approving the 1978 constitution.

December 1978: Approval of new constitution

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

1978: Constitution came into effect

In 1978, the constitution came into effect in recognition of the right to self-government of the "nationalities and regions of Spain".

1978: Approval of the Spanish Constitution

In 1978, the new Spanish Constitution was approved, restoring democracy and devolving authority to the regions.

1978: Spanish Constitution

Spanish is featured in the 1978 Spanish Constitution as castellano ('Castilian').

February 1981: Coup Attempt

On 23 February 1981, rebel elements of the security forces attempted a coup, but King Juan Carlos successfully ordered their surrender via national television.

May 1982: Spain Joins NATO

In May 1982, Spain joined NATO.

1982: Spain became a member of NATO

In 1982, Spain became a member of NATO.

1986: Spain Joins the European Economic Community

In 1986, Spain joined the European Economic Community, which later became the European Union.

1990: Tripling of foreign direct investment

From 1990 to 2000 EU membership also coincided with a tripling of foreign direct investment.

1992: Summer Olympics and Paralympics hosted in Barcelona

The 1992 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were hosted in Barcelona, stimulating interest in sports in the country.

1996: Partido Popular (PP) Comes to Power

In 1996, the Partido Popular (PP) replaced the PSOE in government.

1996: Immigration population

In 1996, there was 500,000 immigrants in Spain.

1998: Immigration increase to Spain

In 1998 immigration was 1.6% of the population in Spain.

1999: Participation in the launch of the euro

In 1999, Spain participated in the inaugural launch of the euro.

2000: Tripling of foreign direct investment

From 1990 to 2000 EU membership also coincided with a tripling of foreign direct investment.

2000: Life expectancy in Spain

Life expectancy in Spain was 79.1 years in 2000.

2000: Spanish companies in Latin America

Since the 1990s, which saw a wave of privatisations, several Spanish companies have reached multinational status; they maintain a strong and leading presence in Latin America—where Spain is the second largest foreign investor after the United States

2001: End of Military conscription

Military conscription ended in Spain in 2001.

January 2002: Spain Adopts the Euro

On 1 January 2002, Spain fully adopted the euro.

2002: Spain was Europe's top recipient of migrants

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

2002: Armed incident over Perejil Island

In 2002, Spain and Morocco had an armed incident over the Perejil Island.

2002: Prestige Oil Spill

In 2002, the Prestige oil spill occurred, causing significant ecological damage along Spain's Atlantic coastline.

2003: Spain Supports the Iraq War

In 2003, José María Aznar supported US president George W. Bush in the Iraq War.

March 2004: Madrid Train Bombings

In March 2004, a local Islamist terrorist group carried out the Madrid train bombings, killing 191 people and wounding over 1,800.

2005: Immigration Rate

In 2005, Spain had the second highest immigration rate in the European Union, after Cyprus, and the highest in absolute numbers, with an amnesty programme increasing the legal immigrant population by 700,000.

2005: Legalization of Same Sex Marriage

In 2005, the Spanish government legalized same sex marriage.

2006: Educational law

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

2007: Spain was Europe's top recipient of migrants

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

2007: Gender Equality Act approved

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

2008: UEFA European Championship

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

2008: Spain favored destination for Western Europeans

In 2008, prior to the onset of the economic crisis, 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: Spanish Financial Crisis

In 2008, the Spanish property bubble burst, leading to the 2008-2014 Spanish financial crisis.

2008: Immigration population

In 2008, there was 5.2 million immigrants in Spain.

2008: Lowest unemployment rate since 2026

In January 2026, the unemployment stood at 9.93 percent, the lowest since 2008.

2008: Start of the Spanish financial crisis

Spain was among the countries affected most by the 2008 financial crisis.

2009: Immigration increase to Spain

By 2009 immigration rose to over 12% of the population in Spain.

2009: Fossil fuels generate electricity

In 2009, fossil fuels together generated 58% of Spain's electricity, just below the OECD mean of 61%. Nuclear power generated another 19%, and wind and hydro about 12% each.

November 2010: Wind power reaches historic peak

On 9 November 2010, wind power reached a historic peak in Spain, covering 53% of mainland electricity demand and generating 14.2 GW of power, equivalent to that of 14 nuclear reactors.

2010: ETA Announces Permanent Cease of Violence

In 2010, ETA announced its permanent cease of violence.

2010: FIFA World Cup

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

2011: Net migration rate

In 2011 alone, more than half a million people left Spain—the first net migration rate in decades.

2011: People's Party Victory

In 2011, Mariano Rajoy's conservative People's Party won the election.

2012: UEFA European Championship

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

2013: Acceptance of homosexuality

In 2013, Spain was rated first in acceptance of homosexuality, with 88% of those surveyed saying that homosexuality should be accepted, according to Pew Research.

2013: Peak unemployment rate

In 2013, unemployment in Spain hit a peak of 27%.

June 2014: Abdication of Juan Carlos

On 19 June 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated in favor of his son, who became Felipe VI.

2014: Spain aims for one million electric cars

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

2014: LOE partially modified

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

2014: End of the Spanish financial crisis

Spain was among the countries affected most by the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent European debt crisis, leading to the 2008–2014 Spanish financial crisis.

2014: Decreased number of immigrants

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

2015: Net immigration rate increased

By 2015, net immigration had increased, and Spain has again become a major immigration destination, backed by government policies to increase the labor force and promote integration.

2015: Increase in defence budget

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

October 2017: Catalan Independence Referendum and Declaration

In October 2017, a Catalan independence referendum was held, and the Catalan parliament voted to unilaterally declare independence, though 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.

May 2018: Dissolution of ETA

In May 2018, the armed organization ETA dissolved.

June 2018: Motion of no-confidence against Rajoy

In June 2018, the Congress of Deputies passed a motion of no-confidence against Rajoy, leading to his replacement with PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez.

September 2018: Women in Congress

According to Inter-Parliamentary Union data for September 2018, 137 of the 350 members of the Congress were women (39.1%).

2018: CSIC ranked among top scientific institutions

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

2019: Inhabitants of Muslim background

A study demonstrated that there were more than 2,100,000 inhabitants of Muslim background living in Spain as of 2019, accounting for 4–5% of the total population of Spain.

2019: Forest Landscape Integrity Index

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

2019: Formation of first coalition government

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

January 2020: COVID-19 virus confirmed to have spread to Spain

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

2020: Leader in rural tourism

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

March 2021: Euthanasia Legalization

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

2021: Spanish speakers

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

2021: Top cultural initiatives

As of 2021, the festivals of San Sebastián and Málaga are ranked among the top cultural initiatives in the country.

2021: Life expectancy in Spain

Life expectancy in Spain was 82.7 years in 2021.

July 2023: Formation of coalition government with Sumar

Following the general election on 23 July 2023, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez once again formed a coalition government, this time with Sumar.

2023: Spain's urban population

According to data from the World Bank, approximately 81.6% of Spain's population lived in urban areas as of 2023.

2023: Spanish companies in Fortune Global 500

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.

2023: Automobile production

In 2023, Spain produced 2.45 million automobiles, ranking eighth in the world and second in Europe.

2023: FIFA Women's World Cup

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

2023: Tourism contribution to GDP

In 2023, foreign and domestic tourism contributed to 12.3% of Spain's GDP.

2023: Madrid (Barajas) airport passengers

In 2023, the airport of Madrid (Barajas) had 60 million passengers, being the world's 15th busiest airport, as well as the European Union's third busiest.

December 2024: Largest sources of immigrants

As of December 2024, the largest source of immigrants to Spain was Morocco (over 1 million), followed by Colombia (856,616), Venezuela (599,769), Romania (532,456), and Ecuador (448,643).

2024: Global Peace Index Ranking

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

2024: Fastest Growing Major Advanced Economy

As of 2024, Spain is the fastest growing major advanced economy in the world, growing nearly four times higher than the eurozone average.

2024: Election of Salvador Illa

In 2024, Salvador Illa, was elected, normalising the constitutional and institutional relations between the national and the regional administrations.

2024: Institutional crisis surrounding the mandate of the CGPJ got renovated

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

2024: Tourism in Spain

In 2024, Spain was the second most visited country in the world only behind France, recording 94 million tourists.

2024: UEFA European Championship

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

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 and among the lowest worldwide.

2024: Barcelona (El Prat) airport passengers

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

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: Youth unemployment rate

As of January 2025, the youth unemployment rate is at 24.90 percent.

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 HSR network in Europe with 3,973 km and the second longest in the world, after China's.

2025: Spain's Global Innovation Index Ranking

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

January 2026: Number of people born abroad in Spain

According to official statistics from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE), 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

In January 2026, Spain had a population of 49,570,725 people as recorded by Spain's Instituto Nacional de Estadística.

January 2026: Unemployment rate

In January 2026, the unemployment stood at 9.93 percent, the lowest since 2008.

March 2026: Launch of HODIO

On March 2026, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that the government will launch HODIO, a tool to track hate speech online.

2026: European Commission economic recovery package in use

In 2026, The European Commission economic recovery package Next Generation EU will be in use to support the EU member states to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.