Updated
Overview
Spain has about 80% more people than Australia: 49.36 million against 27.61 million (2025).
Their economies are close in size: $1.91T for Spain and $1.80T for Australia.
Per person, Australia is the wealthier of the two: $65,130 against $38,627 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Spain | Australia | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $1.91T | $1.80T | 2025 | $1.72T / $1.75T |
| GDP per capita | $38,627 | Higher: $65,130 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | Higher: 2.8% | 1.4% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | Lower: 2.7% | 2.9% | 2025 | 2.8% / 3.2% |
| Unemployment | 10.4% | Lower: 4.1% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 65 | 90 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $3,574 | Higher: $4,436 | 2025 / 2021 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $1,561 | Higher: $2,655 | 2025 / 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | — | $5.95 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 49.36 million | 27.61 million | 2025 | 47.28 million / 27.49 million |
| Population growth | 1.0% | 1.5% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 45.9 yrs | 38.3 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.23 | 1.64 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 83.9 yrs | 83.1 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 81% | 88% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | 96% | Higher: 96% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 505,992 km² | 7,692,024 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 97.5/km² | 3.6/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 220 Mt | 387 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 4.6 t | 14.5 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $24.62B | $33.82B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.4% | 1.9% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 199,000 | 60,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Spain is growing faster: 2.8% annual GDP growth versus 1.4%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 2.7% in Spain and 2.9% in Australia.
Day-to-day prices are noticeably lower in Spain: a price level of 65 versus 90 on a US=100 scale.
Average monthly earnings favour Australia: $4,436 against $3,574 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Australia is the younger society: median age 38.3 versus 45.9 years.
Geography
By land area, Spain is only about 1/15 the size of Australia: 505,992 km² versus 7,692,024 km².
Spain is far more densely settled: 98 people per km² against 4.
Military
Australia spends about 35% more on defence than Spain: $33.82B versus $24.62B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Spain fields the larger armed forces: 199,000 personnel against 60,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Spain bigger than Australia?
- Australia is larger by land area. Spain covers 505,992 km² while Australia covers 7,692,024 km², so Australia is 15 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Spain or Australia?
- Spain has the larger population: 49.36 million versus 27.61 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Spain richer than Australia?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Australia is richer: $65,130 against $38,627. Total GDP tells a different story: $1.91T for Spain versus $1.80T for Australia.
- Who spends more on their military, Spain or Australia?
- Australia spends more: $33.82B versus $24.62B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).