Italy vs Spain
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Italy and Spain are the eurozone's third and fourth largest economies with Mediterranean economic structures: strong tourism, significant agriculture, and manufacturing concentrated in specific regions. Italy's economy is about 40% larger, with a stronger industrial base in northern Italy (automotive, fashion, machinery). Spain has recovered more strongly from the 2008 financial crisis, achieving faster GDP growth through labor market reforms. Both struggle with high youth unemployment, though Spain's rate is higher. Spain has become Europe's solar energy leader, while Italy leads in luxury manufacturing.
Italy has a GDP of $2.74T compared to Spain's $2.09T, making it 1.3x larger. Italy's population is 58.9M vs Spain's 49.4M. Across 12 key indicators, Italy leads in 8 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Italy |  Spain |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2.74T✓ | $2.09T |
| GDP per Capita | $46,505✓ | $41,563 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 0.5% | 2.1%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $65,761✓ | $59,187 |
| Population | 58.9M✓ | 49.4M |
| Life Expectancy | 84.0 years✓ | 83.9 years |
| Inflation (%) | 2.6%✓ | 3.0% |
| Unemployment (%) | 6.0%✓ | 9.8% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 138.4% | 98.2%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.2✓ | 1.1 |
| Gini Index | 34.3 | 33.4✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 5.1 | 4.5✓ |
Summary
Italy has a GDP of $2.74T compared to Spain's $2.09T, making the former economy 1.3x larger. In terms of population, Italy has 58.9M people while Spain has 49.4M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Italy leads in 8 and Spain leads in 4.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Italy | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $2.74T2026 | $2.09T2026 |
| World Bank | $2.55T2025 | $1.91T2025 |
| United Nations | $2.38T2024 | $1.72T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Italy spans about 15% across 2 years; Spain spans about 21% across 2 years.
| Source | Italy | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $46,5052026 | $41,5632026 |
| World Bank | $43,3092025 | $38,6272025 |
| United Nations | $40,1202024 | $35,9582024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Italy spans about 16% across 2 years; Spain spans about 16% across 2 years.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.