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 $2.70T compared to Spain's $2.04T, making it 1.3x larger. Italy's population is 59.0M vs Spain's 48.8M. Across 12 key indicators, Italy leads in 6 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Italy |  Spain |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2.70T✓ | $2.04T |
| GDP per Capita | $45,883✓ | $40,582 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 0.8% | 2.0%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $64,809✓ | $58,348 |
| Population | 59.0M✓ | 48.8M |
| Life Expectancy | 83.7 years | 83.9 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Unemployment (%) | 6.7%✓ | 10.7% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 138.3% | 98.7%✓ |
| 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 $2.70T compared to Spain's $2.04T, making the former economy 1.3x larger. In terms of population, Italy has 59.0M people while Spain has 48.8M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Italy leads in 6 and Spain leads in 5.