Spain and Canada
Spain and Canada connect trade, education and cooperation as allies. University and business exchanges sustain relations beyond political meetings.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07History and institutional framework
More than a hundred agreements between universities structure academic contacts.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Spain and Canada totalled 5,722.8 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, machinery and mechanical appliances stands out in shipments from Spain to Canada, at 323.4 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 5,722.82 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / ESP |
| Goods: Spain to Canada | 2,440.25 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / ESP |
| Goods: Canada to Spain | 3,282.57 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / ESP |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Spain to Canada | 0.56 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / ESP |
| Export share: Canada to Spain | ||
| Investment stock: Spain in Canada | ||
| Investment stock: Canada in Spain |
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 · UN Comtrade / ESP · Goods; full year; ESP reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Spain to Canada
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / ESP · Goods; full year; ESP reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Canada to Spain
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / ESP · Goods; full year; ESP reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: Spain to Canada
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / ESP · Goods share: ESP exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Year-on-year inflation: different periods or frequencies; the two figures are not directly comparable.
| Indicator | Spain | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.91 trillion USD2025 · WB | 2.32 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 38,627.25 USD2025 · WB | 55,697.66 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.82 %2025 · WB | 1.74 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | 2.25 %2026-09-02 · BoC |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.7 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 2.07 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 4.9 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · INE | 3 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · StatCan |
| Unemployment | 10.38 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 6.91 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 100.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 113.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 2.94 %2025 · WB | -0.95 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 49,355,1432025 · WB | 41,651,6532025 · WB |
| Area | 505,976 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 9,984,670 km²2012 · StatCan |
| 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 BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSpain: 2025 · World BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Spain: 2025 · World BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Spain: 2026-09-16 · ECB deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central BankCanada: 2026-09-02 · Overnight rate target · Bank of Canada
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Spain: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World BankCanada: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · 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.Canada: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · Statistics Canada · Published: 2026-09-14 · National headline year-on-year CPI, not monthly inflation or an annual average.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSpain: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Canada: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Spain: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Canada: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Spain: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Canada: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSpain: 2025 · World BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleSpain: 2025 · World BankCanada: 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 · FAOCanada: 2012 · Total area of Canada, land and water; archived official geographic reference from 2012 · Statistics Canada · Not an annual measurement for 2025. Replaces an API observation that does not match the national reference.
- 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
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 Canada
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 323.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 301.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 129.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 97.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 40.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 20.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 7.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 0 M USD2025 · Source |
Canada to Spain
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 1,263.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 342.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 325.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 181.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 69 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 12.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 1.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 0 M USD2025 · Source |
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Spain to Canada | Canada to Spain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,767 | 2,398.5 | 2,368.5 |
| 2022 | 5,600.2 | 2,476.5 | 3,123.7 |
| 2023 | 5,390.6 | 2,322.7 | 3,067.9 |
| 2024 | 4,688.9 | 2,279.5 | 2,409.4 |
| 2025 | 5,722.8 | 2,440.2 | 3,282.6 |
Connections between people
More than a hundred agreements between universities structure academic contacts. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Spain living in Canada | ||
| Residents from Canada living in Spain | ||
| Study and training: Spain in Canada | ||
| Study and training: Canada in Spain | ||
| Academic stays: Spain in Canada | ||
| Academic stays: Canada in Spain | ||
| Travel: Spain to Canada | ||
| Travel: Canada to Spain |
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.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
History and institutional framework
More than a hundred agreements between universities structure academic contacts. The European trade framework and cooperation on rights and diversity accompany exchanges of minerals, cereals and machinery. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Spain is 1,906.5 billion USD (2025), compared with 2,319.9 for Canada (2025). The reference populations are 49.36 and 41.65 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Spain was 0.82 times that of Canada in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Areas of the relationship
University and business exchanges sustain relations beyond political meetings. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Spain and Canada) totalled 5,722.8 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 2,440.2 million; those in the opposite direction, 3,282.6 million. The difference between the two flows was 842.3 million, in favour of Canada. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Spain to the partner represented 0.56% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 4,767 million USD in 2021 and 5,722.8 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was +20.1 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2025, at 5,722.8 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [3]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, machinery and mechanical appliances stands out in shipments from Spain to Canada, at 323.4 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, mineral fuels and oils stands out in shipments from Canada to Spain, at 1,263.9 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [4]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — CAN-ESP
Global Affairs Canada · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 724; partners 0,124,36
UN Comtrade / ESP · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade / ESP · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Selected HS2 chapters; reporter 724; annual 2025; same partner/flow/coverage as total
UN Comtrade / ESP · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / ESP
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · Selected HS2 chapters; reporter 724; annual 2025; same partner/flow/coverage as total.