23 October 2026
Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE) published the electoral roll for the general election of 29 November 2026. The roll carries 38,728,356 voters in all. Of these, 35,958,711 live in Spain and 2,769,645 are registered abroad in the CERA roll of Spaniards resident overseas. A total of 1,615,127 people in Spain are first-time voters, having turned 18 since the previous general election of 23 July 2023. Madrid is the largest constituency with 5,536,913 voters, followed by Barcelona with 4,398,757. Among the overseas rolls, Argentina is the largest with 524,852 voters, ahead of France with 267,387 and the United States with 213,007.
Total voters:
38,728,356
Voters resident in Spain:
35,958,711
Voters abroad (CERA):
2,769,645
First-time voters in Spain:
1,615,127
Largest constituency:
Madrid, 5,536,913
Why it matters for exams: Exact roll sizes and the CERA overseas-voter mechanism are the kind of hard figures an examiner lifts straight from a statistics release.
UPSCSSCBank
In plain words
CERA Censo Electoral de Residentes Ausentes — Spain's separate electoral roll of citizens who live outside the country.
INE Instituto Nacional de Estadistica — Spain's National Statistics Institute, which compiles the electoral roll.
23 October 2026
Spain's National Statistics Institute reported that the annual rate of the Consumer Price Index reached 4.9 per cent in September 2026, six tenths above the August figure of 4.3 per cent. That is the highest annual rate since February 2023. The monthly change was 0.3 per cent. Core inflation, which strips out unprocessed food and energy, rose two tenths to 3.1 per cent. The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, the comparable European measure, showed an annual rate of 5.0 per cent and a monthly rate of 0.6 per cent. Transport rose 10.5 per cent over the year, driven by vehicle fuels and air passenger transport. Prices rose year on year in every autonomous community, with Castilla-La Mancha and Galicia highest at 5.5 per cent and the Canary Islands and Aragon lowest at 4.4 per cent.
Annual CPI:
4.9 per cent
Monthly CPI:
0.3 per cent
Core inflation:
3.1 per cent
Annual HICP:
5.0 per cent
Transport, annual:
10.5 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Euro-area inflation prints are routine bank and UPSC economy questions, and the gap between CPI and HICP is a favourite distinction.
UPSCSSCBank
In plain words
HICP Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices — A price index built to one common method so inflation can be compared across European countries.
Core inflation Core inflation — Inflation measured after leaving out unprocessed food and energy prices, which swing sharply.
23 October 2026
The National Statistics Institute of Spain released the 2026 edition of its Urban Indicators, covering 432 municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants and the neighbourhoods and districts of the 17 cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants. Calvia recorded the highest average house sale price at 981,485 euros, ahead of Pozuelo de Alarcon at 907,270 euros. Puertollano had the lowest at 57,698 euros. By price per square metre, Madrid held the 14 most expensive neighbourhoods, with Recoletos highest at 10,952 euros. Madrid's El Viso neighbourhood had the highest net average annual income per inhabitant at 49,654 euros. Mieres had the highest median age at 58.1 years and Melilla the lowest at 33.4 years. The Barri Gotic in Barcelona had the largest share of foreign residents at 66.9 per cent.
Municipalities covered:
432
Highest average house price:
Calvia, 981,485 euros
Highest income neighbourhood:
El Viso, Madrid, 49,654 euros
Highest median age:
Mieres, 58.1 years
Highest foreign resident share:
Barri Gotic, Barcelona, 66.9 per cent
Why it matters for exams: A national statistics office's urban dataset gives clean superlative facts: highest price, highest income, highest median age.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Median age Median age — The age that splits a population into two halves of equal size.
23 October 2026
Spain's National Statistics Institute reported that the Harmonised Business Confidence Index fell 1.8 per cent for the fourth quarter of 2026 compared with the third quarter, after a rise of 3.2 per cent in the previous quarter. For the fourth quarter, 20.5 per cent of managers expected a favourable quarter and 14.8 per cent an unfavourable one, a balance of plus 5.7 points. Looking back at the third quarter, 21.1 per cent rated it favourable and 15.5 per cent unfavourable, a balance of plus 5.6 points. Confidence fell in all five sectors studied, with Trade down 3.3 per cent and Other services down 0.9 per cent. Among the autonomous communities, confidence fell in 15 and rose in 2. Murcia fell most at 5.1 per cent, while the Canary Islands rose 2.3 per cent and Galicia 0.5 per cent.
Index change:
down 1.8 per cent
Balance of expectations:
plus 5.7 points
Largest sector fall:
Trade, down 3.3 per cent
Only gains:
Canary Islands 2.3 per cent, Galicia 0.5 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Sentiment indices and their balance-of-expectations method are commonly tested in banking and economy papers.
UPSCBank
In plain words
Harmonised Business Confidence Index Harmonised Business Confidence Index — An index built from managers' own ratings of the quarter just ended and the one ahead.
23 October 2026
The National Statistics Institute of Spain published the Spain Health Survey for 2025. It found that 68.3 per cent of the population rated their own health as good or very good, 5.8 points lower than in 2023. The figure was 73.6 per cent among men and 63.1 per cent among women. Obesity among adults aged 18 and over rose to 17.2 per cent from 15.2 per cent, while 7.6 per cent of minors were obese. Daily smoking among people aged 15 and over fell 1.2 points to 15.4 per cent, with 56.3 per cent having never smoked. Heavy episodic drinking at least once a month was reported by 10.2 per cent, up 2.4 points. A depressive episode in the two weeks before the interview was reported by 16.2 per cent, up 1.6 points, of whom 7.2 per cent had a severe episode.
Self-rated good or very good health:
68.3 per cent
Adult obesity:
17.2 per cent
Obesity among minors:
7.6 per cent
Daily smoking:
15.4 per cent
Depressive episode in previous two weeks:
16.2 per cent
Why it matters for exams: National health survey figures on obesity, smoking and mental health are standard public-health data questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Heavy episodic drinking Heavy episodic drinking — Drinking a large quantity of alcohol on a single occasion.
23 October 2026
Spain's elections to the Cortes Generales have been called under Real Decreto 806/2026, de 5 de octubre, which dissolves the Congress of Deputies and the Senate and calls the general election. The decree was published in the Boletin Oficial del Estado on 6 October. Polling is set for 29 November 2026, and the electoral period runs from 6 October to 29 November 2026. The election is administered under Ley Organica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Regimen Electoral General, known as LOREG, which is the law that defines the functions of the Electoral Census Office. The Electoral Census Office sits within Spain's National Statistics Institute, which also issues ballot material for voters living abroad.
Decree of dissolution:
Real Decreto 806/2026, de 5 de octubre
Published in the Official State Gazette:
6 October
Polling day:
29 November 2026
Electoral period:
6 October to 29 November 2026
Governing law:
Ley Organica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Regimen Electoral General
Why it matters for exams: The decree number, the dissolution of both chambers and the name of Spain's general electoral law are precise, examinable facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
LOREG Ley Organica del Regimen Electoral General — Spain's general electoral law, which governs how elections are called and run.
Cortes Generales Cortes Generales — Spain's two-chamber parliament, made up of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
23 October 2026
Spain's National Statistics Institute published its household income distribution map for 2024. Average net income per person rose 6.1 per cent to 15,948 euros, from 15,036 euros in 2023. Average household net income rose 5.9 per cent to 40,605 euros, from 38,326 euros. Average income by unit of consumption rose 5.9 per cent to 23,643 euros and the median by unit of consumption rose 3.6 per cent to 19,950 euros. Among municipalities of more than 2,000 inhabitants, Pozuelo de Alarcon in Madrid had the highest average net annual income per inhabitant at 32,612 euros, followed by Matadepera in Barcelona at 28,607 euros and Boadilla del Monte in Madrid at 28,382 euros. The lowest were Iznalloz in Granada at 9,153 euros, El Palmar de Troya in Sevilla at 9,321 euros and Albunol in Granada at 9,343 euros. By province, incomes were highest in Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia and Madrid and lowest in Almeria, Huelva and Jaen.
Average net income per person:
15,948 euros
Average household net income:
40,605 euros
Highest municipality:
Pozuelo de Alarcon, 32,612 euros
Lowest municipality:
Iznalloz, 9,153 euros
Why it matters for exams: Per-person and per-household income figures from a national statistics office, with the richest and poorest municipalities named, are clean data questions.
UPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Unit of consumption Unit of consumption — A weighting that adjusts household income for the number and ages of the people sharing it.
Background
The European Union's own country page for Spain gives Madrid as the capital. Spain has been an EU member since 1 January 1986, has been in the euro area since 1 January 1999 and in the Schengen area since 26 March 1995. Its currency is the euro. Spanish is listed as its official EU language. Spain holds 61 seats in the European Parliament. Its area is 505,983 square kilometres and its population 49,590,099, both Eurostat figures for 2026. Spain accounts for 9.0 per cent of the European Union's total gross domestic product, and its GDP per capita of 38,100 euros is below the EU average of 41,600 euros.
Capital:
Madrid
EU member since:
1 January 1986
Euro area since:
1 January 1999
Schengen since:
26 March 1995
Seats in the European Parliament:
61
Area:
505,983 square kilometres
Why it matters for exams: Capital, currency, EU and Schengen entry and parliamentary seats are the first facts asked about any European country.
UPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Schengen area Schengen area — A group of European states that have abolished checks at their common borders.
Euro area Euro area — The group of European Union states that use the euro as their currency.
Background
NATO's own membership page records that Spain joined the Alliance on 30 May 1982, the only country to accede in that enlargement. NATO's list of member countries, which names Spain among them, runs to 32 states, from the twelve founding members of 1949 to Sweden. The United Nations list of member states gives Spain's date of admission as 14-12-1955. Spain is therefore not an original member of the United Nations but joined a decade after the Organization was founded. Its Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, deals directly with NATO's strategic commands, and Spanish contingents serve in Alliance operations.
Date Spain joined NATO:
30 May 1982
NATO member countries:
32
Spain's date of admission to the United Nations:
14-12-1955
Why it matters for exams: Whether a country is an original UN member, and which NATO enlargement it belongs to, are frequently set as one-mark questions.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization — A military alliance of European and North American states with its political headquarters in Brussels.
Background
The Consulate General of India in Barcelona records that Spain and India established diplomatic relations in 1956. Bilateral trade stood at US$9.9 billion in 2023, made up of India's exports to Spain of US$7.17 billion and imports from Spain of US$2.74 billion. The Indian community in Spain numbers about 75,000, concentrated in Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid and the Canary Islands. On defence, Spain's Airbus contract for 56 C295 transport aircraft is worth US$2.5 billion, of which 40 are to be built in India by Tata Advanced Systems, the first Make in India project in defence aircraft. The first aircraft was handed over on 13 September 2023 in Seville. The fourth India-Spain Defence Joint Working Group met in Madrid in June 2022, and Indian Navy ships make regular port calls in Spain.
Diplomatic relations established:
1956
Bilateral trade, 2023:
US$9.9 billion
Indian community in Spain:
about 75,000
C295 aircraft ordered:
56, of which 40 to be built in India
Value of the C295 contract:
US$2.5 billion
Why it matters for exams: The C295 order and the size of the Indian community in Spain are the two India-Spain facts most often set in bilateral-relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
C295 Airbus C295 — A medium transport aircraft, 40 of which are to be built in India by Tata Advanced Systems.
Background
The World Heritage property called Pyrenees - Mont Perdu straddles the border between Spain and France, and is centred on the calcareous massif of Mount Perdu, whose height the UNESCO description gives as 3,352 metres. The property covers 30,639 hectares. An extension covering a small part of the French territory was later adopted. Because the property lies in two countries, it is one of the transboundary sites on the World Heritage List, and the Pyrenees themselves form the mountain frontier between Spain and France.
Countries sharing the property:
Spain and France
Height of Mount Perdu:
3,352 metres
Area of the property:
30,639 hectares
Why it matters for exams: The Pyrenees as the Spain-France mountain frontier, and a transboundary World Heritage property shared by the two, are standard map and heritage questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Transboundary property Transboundary property — A World Heritage site whose area lies in more than one country.
Calcareous Calcareous — Made largely of limestone or other calcium carbonate rock.