Spain and Palestine
Spain recognized the State of Palestine in May 2024 and maintains cooperation focused on institutions, rights and humanitarian assistance. The war in Gaza has altered economic exchanges and numerous educational, cultural and development programs.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Spain and Palestine totalled 19.7 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from Spain to Palestine, at 14.1 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 19.72 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Spain to Palestine | 18.14 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Palestine to Spain | 1.59 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Spain to Palestine | 0.00419 % | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Export share: Palestine to Spain | ||
| Investment stock: Spain in Palestine | ||
| Investment stock: Palestine 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 · Goods; full calendar year; reporter ESP. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Spain to Palestine
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter ESP. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Palestine to Spain
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter ESP. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: Spain to Palestine
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
The aggregate Palestinian CPI reflects large differences between Gaza and the West Bank; its decline does not mean prices have fallen uniformly or living standards have recovered. Fiscal data cover central government.
Year-on-year inflation: different periods or frequencies; the two figures are not directly comparable.
| Indicator | Spain | Palestine |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.91 trillion USD2025 · WB | 17.17 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 38,627.25 USD2025 · WB | 3,171.11 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.82 %2025 · WB | 4.34 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | Not comparable · ITA |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.7 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 9.81 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 4.9 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · INE | -34.25 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · PCBS |
| Unemployment | 10.38 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 48.5 %PCBS est.2025 · PCBS |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -0.6 %provisionalprovisional2025 · PCBSCentral government · after grants |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 100.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 27.9 %provisionalprovisional2025 · PCBSCentral government |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 2.94 %2025 · WB | -15.82 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 49,355,1432025 · WB | 5,413,5962025 · WB |
| Area | 505,976 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 6,025 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 BankPalestine: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSpain: 2025 · World BankPalestine: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Spain: 2025 · World BankPalestine: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Spain: 2026-09-16 · ECB deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central BankPalestine: There is no national currency of its own or single directly comparable rate for this row. Lending and deposit rates by currency are not monetary policy rates; Israel's rate is not automatically inherited. · International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Spain: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World BankPalestine: 2025 · Annual average change in 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.Palestine: 2026-08 · Change in headline CPI against the same month of the previous year (%) · Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics · Published: 2026-09-14 · Palestinian aggregate published by PCBS in NIS. The result reflects very different situations: Gaza −58.39%, the West Bank +3.27% and Jerusalem J1 +3.30%. It does not mean prices have fallen uniformly or living standards have recovered; PCBS territorial coverage is retained.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSpain: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Palestine: 2025 · PCBS annual estimate of aggregate unemployment in Palestine (aged 15 or over); excludes parts of Jerusalem as specified in the report. · Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics · PCBS est. · Table 3: Palestine 48.5%, the West Bank 30.9%, Gaza 77.9%. PCBS states that the Palestinian aggregate and Gaza are estimates for 2023–2025; this is not a complete survey of Gaza in 2025.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Spain: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Palestine: 2025 · Overall central government balance after grants, on a commitment basis, as % of GDP; not a current or cash balance. · Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics · provisional · Provisional · PCBS publishes a deficit of 0.6% of GDP. Table 5: −94.9 M USD and preliminary GDP of 17,167.1 M USD. Not the consolidated general-government WEO coverage used for other countries.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Spain: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Palestine: 2025 · Central government public debt at the end of 2025 divided by annual GDP, according to PCBS. · Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics · provisional · Provisional · PCBS publishes 27.9% (debt 4,788.8 M USD). The debt and GDP scope of the same publication is retained; no inference is made to include every liability or arrear outside the source's coverage.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSpain: 2025 · World BankPalestine: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleSpain: 2025 · World BankPalestine: 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 · FAOPalestine: 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
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 Palestine
Palestine to Spain
How trade has changed
Millions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Spain to Palestine | Palestine to Spain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17.3 | 17.3 | 0.0301 |
| 2022 | 22.8 | 22.7 | 0.109 |
| 2023 | 24.9 | 24.6 | 0.347 |
| 2024 | 9 | 8.4 | 0.577 |
| 2025 | 19.7 | 18.1 | 1.6 |
Connections between people
Movement restrictions and Gaza's devastation interrupted cultural activities and in-person Spanish scholarships. The lectureship program and collaboration with Palestinian universities constitute another dimension of a relationship not limited to emergency assistance. [1] [2]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Spain living in Palestine | ||
| Residents from Palestine living in Spain | ||
| Study and training: Spain in Palestine | ||
| Study and training: Palestine in Spain | ||
| Academic stays: Spain in Palestine | ||
| Academic stays: Palestine in Spain | ||
| Travel: Spain to Palestine | ||
| Travel: Palestine 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.
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Spain is 1,906.5 billion USD (2025), compared with 17.2 for Palestine (2025). The reference populations are 49.36 and 5.41 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Spain was 111.05 times that of Palestine 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. [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Bilateral context
Spain recognized the State of Palestine on May 28, 2024. The Country Partnership Framework 2020-2024 had prioritized gender equality, innovation and infrastructure, and institutional strengthening, with cooperation commitments for that five-year period. [1] [2]
Cooperation and bilateral issues
Assistance after the start of the Gaza war incorporated contributions to UNRWA, humanitarian organizations and protection, food, water and health programs. Spain also participates in PEGASE, the European support mechanism for vulnerable Palestinian families. Heritage cooperation includes rehabilitation of Hebron's historic center and activities in Jenin and Bethlehem. Movement restrictions and Gaza's devastation interrupted cultural activities and in-person Spanish scholarships. The lectureship program and collaboration with Palestinian universities constitute another dimension of a relationship not limited to emergency assistance. [1] [2]
Cultural cooperation in 2026
In January 2026, the Culture Ministry announced it was working with the Palestinian National Authority on a congress to protect and restore heritage and the cultural sector. The note also records the approved contribution of 200,000 euros to UNESCO's fund for Gaza and support for Palestinian artists' residencies through TEJA. [2]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Spain and Palestine) totalled 19.7 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 18.1 million; those in the opposite direction, 1.6 million. The difference between the two flows was 16.6 million, in favour of Spain. 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. [3]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Spain to the partner represented 0.00419% 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. [3]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 17.3 million USD in 2021 and 19.7 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was +13.8 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2023, at 24.9 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. [4]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from Spain to Palestine, at 14.1 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, machinery and mechanical appliances stands out in shipments from Palestine to Spain, at 0.00307 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. [5]
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.
- Country profile — Palestinian Territories
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation — Diplomatic Information Office · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bilateral relations — ESP-PSE
www.lamoncloa.gob.es · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- 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
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.