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Economic Statistics - unemployment, inflation, etc..The EconomyThe Spanish economy has been up and down over the past decade. At one time the growth of Spain seemed to be an economic miracle, until it became clear that rising house prices would finally price out the only people still homeless, in the main the very people who were building the homes. With the credit crunch Spain suddenly appeared as one of the weakest countries in Europe. Here you can read more about the figures. GrowthGrowth (GNP) in the first quarter of 2012 was -0.4%. This was the second negative quarter, confirming return to recession. The outlook for 2012 is bleak. InflationThe CPI figure for May 2012 is 1.9%, with core inflation 1.1%. Sales, Savings and House pricesHousehold savings fell to 10% in Q1 '10, while in June car sales rose 25% ahead of the July 2% VAT hike... unsurprisingly falling by the same amount in July. more >> DebtDespite alarm bells in the press during 2011, the state of Spanish national debt is in fact rather better than the average in the EU, although it last year (2010) breached the 60% official limit for the Euro Zone. The worry has mainly been about the state of the current account, with spending falling more slowly than tax receipts. as a result, borrowing cannot come so easily under control. Employment Unemployment in Spain (The Economist) more >> SalariesAverage salary in 2005 was 22,418 Euros. In 2003 it was 19,808.06 Euros. Women received an average of 36% less than men. The 2007 minimum wage is €570.60, a rise of 5.5%. For 2005 it was 513 Euros per month. The government has promised 600€ for 2008, the next election year. During 2005 20% were considered below the relative poverty line, while 40% could not afford a week's holiday. more >> MoreMuch more can be found using the following links to the various ministries and in particular the National Statistics Institute. For starters, this table lists up to date economic figures. more >> |