Updated
Overview
Spain has 18% more people than Canada: 49.36 million against 41.65 million (2025).
Canada's economy is 22% larger than Spain's, at $2.32T versus $1.91T.
Per person, Canada is the wealthier of the two: $55,698 against $38,627 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Spain | Canada | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | $1.91T | Higher: $2.32T | 2025 | $1.72T / $2.24T |
| GDP per capita | $38,627 | Higher: $55,698 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | Higher: 2.8% | 1.7% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 2.7% | Lower: 2.1% | 2025 | 2.8% / 2.4% |
| Unemployment | 10.4% | Lower: 6.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 65 | 83 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $3,574 | Higher: $4,121 | 2025 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $1,561 | Higher: $2,106 | 2025 / 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | — | $5.81 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 49.36 million | 41.65 million | 2025 | 47.28 million / 39.19 million |
| Population growth | 1.0% | 0.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 45.9 yrs | 40.6 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.23 | 1.33 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 83.9 yrs | 82.1 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 81% | 83% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 96% | 94% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 505,992 km² | 9,984,670 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 97.5/km² | 4.2/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 220 Mt | 533 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 4.6 t | 13.4 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $24.62B | $29.35B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.4% | 1.3% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 199,000 | 72,000 | 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 1.7%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 2.7% in Spain and 2.1% in Canada.
Day-to-day prices are noticeably lower in Spain: a price level of 65 versus 83 on a US=100 scale.
Average monthly earnings favour Canada: $4,121 against $3,574 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Canada is the younger society: median age 40.6 versus 45.9 years.
Life expectancy is 1.8 years longer in Spain (83.9 vs 82.1).
Geography
By land area, Spain is only about 1/20 the size of Canada: 505,992 km² versus 9,984,670 km².
Spain is far more densely settled: 98 people per km² against 4.
Military
Defence budgets are of similar magnitude: $24.62B (Spain) and $29.35B (Canada).
Spain fields the larger armed forces: 199,000 personnel against 72,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Spain bigger than Canada?
- Canada is larger by land area. Spain covers 505,992 km² while Canada covers 9,984,670 km², so Canada is 20 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Spain or Canada?
- Spain has the larger population: 49.36 million versus 41.65 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Spain richer than Canada?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Canada is richer: $55,698 against $38,627. Total GDP tells the same story: $1.91T for Spain versus $2.32T for Canada.
- Who spends more on their military, Spain or Canada?
- Canada spends more: $29.35B versus $24.62B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).