Living in Spain: Key facts & stats for your 2026 move

Are you one of many people around the world thinking of moving to Spain in 2026? As one of the leading English language teacher training schools in the country, at TEFL Iberia, we help people realise their dream of moving to Spain every year.

Here are the important statistics and facts about life in Spain to inspire your move in 2026.

Money, health and well-being

• Life in Spain is very affordable. The average cost of living in Spain is 24.8% lower than in the United States.
• Spain has a very high quality of life. It’s consistently ranked among the top 10 best countries to live in.
• Life expectancy in Spain is 83.8 years. That’s one of the highest in the world.
• Spain is Europe’s fastest-growing major economy.
• Residents in Spain benefit from a free healthcare system.

Geography and population

• Spain’s population is 49 million. The majority of people live in towns and cities. 
• Madrid and Barcelona are the most populated cities, followed by Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza and Malaga. 
• Spain is the second largest country in the EU in terms of land area. 
• The country is divided into 17 autonomous regions. These include the Community of Madrid, Catalonia, Galicia, Cantabria and Andalusia.
• To live in Spain, you need an identity card known as a NIE (for EU residents) or TIE for (non-EU residents).  
• A visa is required for those coming from outside the EU to study or work in Spain. The easiest type to get is a student visa. 

Society, politics and history

• In an increasingly right-leaning continent, Spain is somewhat of an outlier with its socialist-led government. The current Spanish Prime Minister is Pedro Sánchez. He is the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).
• There are four official languages in Spain. They are Spanish, Catalan, Galician and Basque. Interestingly, Basque is what’s known as a language isolate, meaning it has no connection to any other language in the world.
• Civilisations have settled in Spain since ancient times. The Phoenicians arrived 10,000 years ago, the Romans over 2,000 years ago, the Moors 1,300 years ago and the country became Christian following the Reconquista in the 15th Century.

Technology and business

• Spain has one of the fastest-growing startup ecosystems in Europe.
• An estimated 37% of Spain’s entrepreneurial population is female. And women entrepreneurs are growing at more than twice the rate of male entrepreneurs. 
• Three Spanish business schools are ranked inside the top 25 in the world. They are IE Business School in Segovia (11), IESE Business School in Barcelona (15) and Esade Business School in Barcelona (21).
• Spain is the fourth highest country in the world for growth potential for renewable energy over the next five years.

Culture and tourism

• Spain attracts more tourists than any other country in the world, except France. 
• Summer 2025 saw record numbers of tourists in Spain.
• Spain is home to 49 Unesco Heritage Sites – the third-largest number in the world. These include the famous Moorish palace, the Alhambra, and Antoní Gaudí’s world-renowned Sagrada Família.
• There are also more Blue Flag beaches in Spain than in any country in the world (642 and counting) 
• Spain is one of the sunniest countries in Europe, with 320 days of sun a year on average.

Food

• Spain is the 5th ranked country in the world for the most Michelin Star restaurants (285 and counting).
• It’s also the largest supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables in Europe.
• Many people think paella is Spain's national dish. It’s actually tortilla española, or tortilla de patatas, which is a huge omellete made from eggs, potatoes and sometimes onion. 
• The world’s oldest restaurant is in Spain. Madrid’s ‘Restaurante Sobrino de Botin’ first opened in 1725.
• Spain is home to Europe’s largest largest fresh produce market – Mercat Central in Valencia – which has more than 1200 stalls