UK vs Spain: economic growth, GDP and life expectancy compared
In 2025 the IMF gives 1.2% for the UK's GDP growth rate and 2.6% for Spain. IMF figures for 2025 put the UK's GDP at $4.01 trillion, higher than Spain's $1.91 trillion. On World Bank figures, the UK's life expectancy in 2024 was 81.4 years; Spain's was 83.9 years.
Real GDP growth
In 2025 the IMF gives 1.2% for the UK's GDP growth rate and 2.6% for Spain. From 2015 to 2025 the UK's figure was the higher of the two in 3 of 11 years.
| Year | UK | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.2% | 2.6% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | 3.7% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | 2.4% |
| 2022 | 5.0% | 6.4% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | 6.7% |
| 2020 | minus 10.0% | minus 10.9% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | 2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | 2.4% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | 2.9% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | 2.9% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | 4.1% |
The IMF's real GDP growth is the percentage change in gross domestic product at constant prices, for a calendar year compared with the year before.
GDP, current prices
IMF figures for 2025 put the UK's GDP at $4.01 trillion, higher than Spain's $1.91 trillion. The UK's figure was higher than Spain's in every year from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | UK | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4.01 trillion | $1.91 trillion |
| 2024 | $3.71 trillion | $1.73 trillion |
| 2023 | $3.44 trillion | $1.62 trillion |
| 2022 | $3.20 trillion | $1.45 trillion |
| 2021 | $3.21 trillion | $1.46 trillion |
| 2020 | $2.73 trillion | $1.29 trillion |
| 2019 | $2.89 trillion | $1.40 trillion |
| 2018 | $2.91 trillion | $1.43 trillion |
| 2017 | $2.71 trillion | $1.32 trillion |
| 2016 | $2.72 trillion | $1.24 trillion |
| 2015 | $2.95 trillion | $1.21 trillion |
The IMF's GDP in US dollars is the value of all goods and services produced in a country in a calendar year, at that year's prices, converted from the national currency into US dollars at market exchange rates.
Life expectancy at birth
On World Bank figures, the UK's life expectancy in 2024 was 81.4 years; Spain's was 83.9 years. The UK's figure was not higher than Spain's in any year from 2014 to 2024.
| Year | UK | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 81.4 years | 83.9 years |
| 2023 | 81.2 years | 83.9 years |
| 2022 | 81.0 years | 83.1 years |
| 2021 | 80.6 years | 83.2 years |
| 2020 | 80.3 years | 82.2 years |
| 2019 | 81.4 years | 83.8 years |
| 2018 | 81.3 years | 83.4 years |
| 2017 | 81.3 years | 83.3 years |
| 2016 | 81.2 years | 83.3 years |
| 2015 | 81.0 years | 82.8 years |
| 2014 | 81.3 years | 83.2 years |
The World Bank's life expectancy at birth is the number of years a newborn baby would live if the death rates of the year it was born applied throughout its life.
More figures for the UK and Spain
| Figure | UK | Spain | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP per head, purchasing power parity | $65,758 | $57,282 | 2025 | IMF |
| Inflation in household energy prices | 1.6% | 10.7% | 2025 | OECD |
| Inflation, average consumer prices | 3.4% | 2.7% | 2025 | IMF |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 10.5% | 2025 | IMF |
| General government gross debt | 102.1% of GDP | 100.5% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Total tax revenue | 34.4% of GDP | 36.7% of GDP | 2024 | OECD |
| Current health expenditure | 11.4% of GDP | 8.9% of GDP | 2025 | OECD |
| General government expenditure | 43.5% of GDP | 45.3% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Employment rate, ages 15 to 64 | 75.1% | 67.0% | 2025 | OECD |
| Real minimum wage per hour | $17.13 an hour | $15.23 an hour | 2025 | OECD |
| Core defence expenditure | 2.56% of GDP | 2.00% of GDP | 2026 | NATO |
| Gross domestic spending on research and development | 2.8% of GDP | 1.5% of GDP | 2023 | OECD |
| Price-to-income ratio, standardised | 115.7 (100 = long-term average) | 120.5 (100 = long-term average) | 2025 | OECD |
Both values in each row are for the same year. Because international bodies standardise national statistics, their UK figures may not match the ONS's own.
Ranked tables with the UK and Spain
- UK GDP growth compared with EU countries
- UK GDP compared with other countries
- UK life expectancy compared with other countries
More about Spain: Spain in figures. Compare any two countries with the country comparison tool.
Sources and receipts
- International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
5200170b0f19f025…· publisher's page - International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
7294ac0b3013e39b…· publisher's page - World Bank: World Development Indicatorsread 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
c23c4fa421ef9984…· publisher's page
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