Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Spain fits inside the United States 19 times.
Spain: 505,976 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 4 times as long as Spain’s.
Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 2,472 m above Spain’s.
Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 6.9 times as many people as Spain.
Spain: 49.4 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Spain is 2.6 times as densely populated as the United States.
Spain: 99 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
The United States and Spain are practically level.
Spain: 176.1 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United States are 1.3 cm taller than in Spain.
Spain: 162 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Spain is 6.9 years older than in the United States.
Spain: 44.9 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.5 more children on average than in Spain.
Spain: 1.1 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
22% of people in Spain are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States.
Spain: 21.6% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United States has produced 8.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Spain 1.4.
Spain: 1.4 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Spain and the United States are practically level.
Spain: 1 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 16 times the size of Spain’s.
Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 50% more per person than Spain.
Spain: Int$59,868 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in Spain (Gini 8.4 points higher).
Spain: 33.4 (2023) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 10% in Spain, versus 4.2% in the United States.
Spain: 10.4% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, Spain 1.4%.
Spain: 1.4% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Spain’s.
Spain: 65% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 4.3 times as much on health per person as Spain.
Spain: $3,107 (2023) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Spain live 5 years longer than in the United States.
Spain: 83.9 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 2.1 times as likely to die before turning one as in Spain.
Spain: 2.6 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Spain has 17% more doctors per person than the United States.
Spain: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 19% in Spain.
Spain: 18.9% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
28% of adults in Spain smoke, versus 16% in the United States.
Spain: 27.6% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United States rate their lives 0.28 points higher than in Spain.
Spain: 6.54 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Spain drink 26% more alcohol than in the United States.
Spain: 12.1 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 21% more meat per person than Spain.
Spain: 100.8 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 570 kcal more food per person per day than Spain.
Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 151 more hours a year than in Spain.
Spain: 1,638 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 3.2 years longer than in Spain.
Spain: 10.8 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Spain welcomed 9 times as many tourists per resident as the United States (2019).
Spain: 1.92 (2024) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Spain are online, versus 95% in the United States.
Spain: 96% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Spain and the United States are practically level.
Spain: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
Spain and the United States are practically level.
Spain: 81% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Spain has 130 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
Spain: 130 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 9.3 times as long as Spain’s.
Spain: 15,963 km (2021) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 44% more passengers per resident than those from Spain.
Spain: 1.91 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 37% of Spain, but only 34% of the United States.
Spain: 37.2% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 3.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in Spain.
Spain: 4.6 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Spain’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in the United States.
Spain: 55.9% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Spain carries 33% more fine dust than in the United States.
Spain: 10 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 8.3 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in Spain.
Spain: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 4.1 times as deadly as in Spain.
Spain: 3.5 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Spain is on average 4.5 °C warmer than the United States.
Spain: 14.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United States gets 28% more rain than Spain.
Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Spain bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. Spain fits inside the United States 19 times.
Which has more people, Spain or the United States?
The United States has 6.9 times as many people as Spain (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Spain or the United States?
People in Spain live 5 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 83.9 years in Spain and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Spain or the United States?
The United States and Spain are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
