Updated
Overview
Spain has 2.1 times the population of Taiwan: 49.36 million people against 23.30 million (2025).
Spain's economy is 2.1 times the size of Taiwan's, at $1.91T versus $920.05B.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Spain | Taiwan | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $1.91T | $920.05B | 2025 | $1.72T / $611.39B |
| GDP per capita | $38,627 | Higher: $39,489 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 2.8% | Higher: 8.7% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 2.7% | Lower: 1.7% | 2025 | 2.8% / 2.2% |
| Unemployment | 10.4% | Lower: 3.4% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 65 | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $3,574 | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $1,561 | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | — | $2.42 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 49.36 million | 23.30 million | 2025 | 47.28 million / 23.60 million |
| Population growth | 1.0% | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 45.9 yrs | 44.8 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.23 | 0.86 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | 83.9 yrs | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 81% | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | 96% | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 505,992 km² | 36,193 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 97.5/km² | 643.7/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 220 Mt | 262 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 4.6 t | 11.3 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $24.62B | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.4% | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 199,000 | — | 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
Taiwan is growing much faster: 8.7% annual GDP growth versus 2.8%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 2.7% in Spain and 1.7% in Taiwan.
People and society
Demographically the two are similar, with median ages of 45.9 (Spain) and 44.8 (Taiwan).
Geography
By land area, Spain is 14 times the size of Taiwan: 505,992 km² versus 36,193 km².
Taiwan is far more densely settled: 644 people per km² against 98.
Frequently asked
- Is Spain bigger than Taiwan?
- Spain is larger by land area. Spain covers 505,992 km² while Taiwan covers 36,193 km², so Spain is 14 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Spain or Taiwan?
- Spain has the larger population: 49.36 million versus 23.30 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Spain richer than Taiwan?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Taiwan is richer: $39,489 against $38,627. Total GDP tells a different story: $1.91T for Spain versus $920.05B for Taiwan.