Spain and Germany
Spain and Germany maintain industrial ties, business investment and substantial human mobility. European political coordination rests on their own bilateral mechanisms, while businesses, universities and tourism sustain the relationship beyond each government.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Industry
Automotive manufacturing, machinery, chemicals and aerospace form part of business cooperation.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
The flows and their sum use Spanish reporting. The approximate volume cited by the German source in the article uses different reporting; it is not mixed with these flows.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 89,909 M EUR | 2025 · Spain Foreign Affairs |
| Goods: Spain to Germany | 39,477 M EUR | 2025 · Spain Foreign Affairs |
| Goods: Germany to Spain | 50,432 M EUR | 2025 · Spain Foreign Affairs |
| Services trade | 34,209 M EURprovisional | 2025 · Eurostat |
| Export share: Spain to Germany | 10.2 % | 2025 · Spanish trade |
| Export share: Germany to Spain | 3.78 % | 2025 · Destatis |
| Investment stock: Spain in Germany | 21,515 M EUR | 2024 · Spain Foreign Affairs |
| Investment stock: Germany in Spain | 73,871 M EUR | 2024 · Spain Foreign Affairs |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Economic and Commercial Office · Goods, Spanish reporting; millions of EUR. The total is calculated by adding both directions from the same table and year. Excludes services. The German profile cites a different approximate volume; that total is not mixed with flows from Spanish reporting.
- Goods: Spain to Germany
- 2025 · Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Economic and Commercial Office · Goods, Spanish reporting; millions of EUR. The total is calculated by adding both directions from the same table and year. Excludes services. The German profile cites a different approximate volume; that total is not mixed with flows from Spanish reporting.
- Goods: Germany to Spain
- 2025 · Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Economic and Commercial Office · Goods, Spanish reporting; millions of EUR. The total is calculated by adding both directions from the same table and year. Excludes services. The German profile cites a different approximate volume; that total is not mixed with flows from Spanish reporting.
- Services trade
- 2025 · Eurostat / national statistical agency · Services exports and imports under BPM6, Spanish reporting. Credits 23715 + debits 10494 M EUR. This is neither the balance nor the sales of local affiliates. Source flags: p, p.
- Export share: Spain to Germany
- 2025 · Spain's State Secretariat for Trade / Customs · Published share, rounded to one decimal place, of Spanish goods exports for January–December 2025. Spanish reporting. This is not the partner's share of imports. Its year may differ from other trade rows.
- Export share: Germany to Spain
- 2025 · Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · Share calculated using German exports to the partner and to the world for the same year and reporter, in thousands of euros. Does not use mirror imports or combine the Spanish/US bilateral figure with the German total.
- Investment stock: Spain in Germany
- 2024 · Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Economic and Commercial Office · Accumulated Spanish investment position in the partner; not an annual flow.
- Investment stock: Germany in Spain
- 2024 · Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Economic and Commercial Office · Accumulated investment position of the partner in Spain; not an annual flow.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Spain | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.91 trillion USD2025 · WB | 5.05 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 38,627.25 USD2025 · WB | 60,496.44 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.82 %2025 · WB | 0.24 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.7 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 2.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 4.9 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · INE | 3.3 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · Destatis |
| Unemployment | 10.38 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 3.71 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 100.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 62.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 2.94 %2025 · WB | 4.51 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 49,355,1432025 · WB | 83,491,2492025 · WB |
| Area | 505,976 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 357,680 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDSpain: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSpain: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Spain: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Spain: 2026-09-16 · ECB deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central BankGermany: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central Bank
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Spain: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World BankGermany: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedSpain: 2026-09 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE) · Published: 2026-09-29 · provisional · Provisional · Advance indicator of headline CPI; final results pending. Not HICP (5.0%) or core inflation (3.1%). Provisional data or an official advance release; subject to revision.Germany: 2026-09 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Destatis · Published: 2026-09-30 · provisional · Provisional · National headline CPI, year-on-year, not monthly inflation or an annual average. Provisional data or an official advance release; subject to revision.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSpain: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Germany: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Spain: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Spain: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSpain: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleSpain: 2025 · World BankGermany: 2025 · World Bank
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceSpain: 2023 · Total area, including inland waters; territorial coverage as defined by the source · World Bank · FAOGermany: 2023 · Area according to the series' coverage; does not determine sovereignty or effective control · World Bank
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
Bilateral trade
≈98,200 M EUR2025
Volume reported by Germany's Federal Foreign Office; not broken down here by direction. [1]
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Spain to Germany
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Automotive manufacturing | |
| Machinery | |
| Chemicals and aerospace |
Germany to Spain
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Automotive manufacturing | |
| Machinery | |
| Chemicals and aerospace |
Connections between people
The resident comparison retains the source's nationality criterion and rounding; it does not represent migration movements within a year. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
Comparable travel figures: the same series, definition and year in both directions. Residents aged 15 or over; main destination; at least one overnight stay.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Spain living in GermanySpanish nationality; rounded figure | ≈ 201.000 | 2025 · Germany's Federal Foreign Office |
| Residents from Germany living in SpainGerman nationality; rounded figure | ≈ 132.000 | 2025 · Germany's Federal Foreign Office |
| Study and training: Spain in GermanyInternational students; tertiary education (levels 5–8) | 7,855 | Academic year ending in 2024 · Eurostat |
| Study and training: Germany in SpainInternational students; tertiary education (levels 5–8) | 2,616 | Academic year ending in 2024 · Eurostat |
| Academic stays: Spain in Germany | ||
| Academic stays: Germany in Spain | ||
| Travel: Spain to GermanyResidents aged 15+; main destination; overnight stays | 984,535tripsestimate | 2025 · Eurostat |
| Travel: Germany to SpainResidents aged 15+; main destination; overnight stays | 11,693,845tripsestimate | 2025 · Eurostat |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
- Residents from Spain living in Germany
- Germany's Federal Foreign Office cites Eurostat. Not birthplace or annual immigration. 2025 · Germany's Federal Foreign Office
- Residents from Germany living in Spain
- Germany's Federal Foreign Office cites Eurostat. Not birthplace or annual immigration. 2025 · Germany's Federal Foreign Office
- Study and training: Spain in Germany
- Enrolment of internationally mobile students, classified by country of origin under the reporting country's UOE definition. Not a general passport-based count; excludes short-term credit mobility. Does not include OPT. Source flag: no flag. Academic year ending in 2024 · Eurostat
- Study and training: Germany in Spain
- Enrolment of internationally mobile students, classified by country of origin under the reporting country's UOE definition. Not a general passport-based count; excludes short-term credit mobility. Does not include OPT. Source flag: no flag. Academic year ending in 2024 · Eurostat
- Travel: Spain to Germany
- Tourism demand survey: trips, not unique individuals. Includes personal and business purposes; a multi-destination trip is assigned to its main destination. Excludes children under 15 and same-day trips. 2025 · Eurostat
- Travel: Germany to Spain
- Tourism demand survey: trips, not unique individuals. Includes personal and business purposes; a multi-destination trip is assigned to its main destination. Excludes children under 15 and same-day trips. 2025 · Eurostat
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
European coordination and bilateral consultations
The A Coruña summit of October 2022 approved a joint declaration and an action plan. Consultations between governments help organise initiatives in different areas, not merely maintain contacts between leaders. The bilateral framework facilitates coordination, but should not be confused with an automatic joint position in every European negotiation. Specific commitments need their own follow-up and may advance at different speeds. [2]
Businesses and production chains
The Spain–Germany economic forum of 2022 identified automotive manufacturing, machinery, chemicals and aerospace as areas of collaboration between businesses. Those connections encompass suppliers and industrial activity, not just sales of finished products. A list of sectors explains where economic ties exist, but does not indicate their share of current trade. Nor does it by itself establish that every project mentioned has been implemented. [3]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Trade and business presence
Germany's Federal Foreign Office reports bilateral trade of approximately 98,200 million euros in 2025. The profile also describes around 1,720 German businesses in Spain, with approximately 329,000 employees and 140,000 million euros in turnover, citing the Bundesbank. These are measures of business activity, not exports or investment stock, and the text gives no separate year for those three business figures. [1]
Residents and mobility
The profile cites Eurostat: around 201,000 Spanish nationals in Germany and 132,000 German nationals in Spain in 2025. These are residents, not annual immigration. Nationality, birthplace and tourist visits are distinct measures and are not added together. [1]
A relationship with social continuity
Spanish participation in the 2025 Berlinale and educational networks complement the business relationship. These contacts are not limited to meetings between governments. [1]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
The trade total comes from an official German overview and retains its rounding. Directional flows are not inferred from that total. Residents are classified by nationality. The sectors cited are areas of cooperation from 2022, not a quantified trade composition for 2025.
- Germany and Spain: Bilateral relations
Germany's Federal Foreign Office · Institutional source · Document: 2026-03-16 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Spain–Germany summit in A Coruña
La Moncloa · Institutional source · Document: 2022-10-05 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Spain–Germany forum and industrial cooperation
La Moncloa / Ministry of Industry · Institutional source · Document: 2022-10-18 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- La Moncloa / Ministry of Industry
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07.