IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Spain

Kingdom of Spain

47,778,340
Population (as of Jan. 1, 2022)

35,140,881
Registered Voters (as of July 24, 2023)

69.98%
Average Turnout

19
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.829
Regimes of the World Classification: Liberal Democracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: July 17, 1980
Ratified Date: Jan. 5, 1984

SIGI* Score: 9.0
Level of Discrimination: Very Low
*Social Institutions and Gender Index (2023)

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: March 30, 2007
Ratified Date: Dec. 3, 2007

HDI* Score: 0.918
Category: Very High
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Spanish Senate	Senado	Upper House
Spanish Congress of Deputies	Congreso de los Diputados	Lower House

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Pedro SÁNCHEZ Pérez-Castejón (since 1 June 2018)
Assembly: bicameral General Courts (Cortes Generales) including a 265-seat Senate (Senado) and a 348-seat Congress of Deputies (Congresso de los Diputados)

Description of electoral system:

The King is a hereditary monarch.
The President, typically the leader of the largest congressional party or coalition, is nominated by the King and elected by the Congress of Deputies.
In the Senate, 208 members are directly elected by plurality vote in multi-seat constituencies. The remaining 57 members are indirectly elected by autonomous community legislatures. All members serve 4-year terms.
In the Congress of Deputies, 348 members are directly elected via closed-list proportional representation vote in multi-seat constituencies, and lists much receive at least 3% of the vote to win a seat. 2 members are elected from Ceuta and Melilla by plurality vote. All members serve 4-year terms.

Elections

2023-07-23 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 24,413,924
Registered 35,140,881
Turnout 69.47

2023-07-23 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 24,743,612
Registered 35,140,881
Turnout 70.41

2019-11-10 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 24,831,865
Registered 35,338,068
Turnout 70.27

2019-11-10 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 25,199,906
Registered 35,789,402
Turnout 70.41

2019-04-28 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 26,055,457
Registered 34,551,765
Turnout 75.41

2019-04-28 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 26,361,051
Registered 34,798,204
Turnout 75.75

2016-06-26 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 24,161,083
Registered 34,597,038
Turnout 69.84

2016-06-26 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 23,799,958
Registered 34,476,802
Turnout 69.03

2015-12-20 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 24,869,217
Registered 34,631,086
Turnout 71.81

2015-12-20 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 25,350,447
Registered 34,631,086
Turnout 73.2

2011-11-20 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 24,483,672
Registered 35,779,491
Turnout 68.43

2011-11-20 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 24,666,441
Registered 35,779,491
Turnout 68.94

2008-03-09 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 25,900,442
Registered 35,073,179
Turnout 73.85

2008-03-09 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 25,752,839
Registered 33,875,268
Turnout 76.02

2005-02-20 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 14,204,663
Registered 33,563,680
Turnout 42.32

2004-03-14 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 26,155,436
Registered 34,571,831
Turnout 75.66

2004-03-14 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 23,382,667
Registered 33,969,640
Turnout 68.83

2000-03-12 | Status: Held
Spanish Senate
Votes 23,125,773
Registered 33,045,318
Turnout 69.98

2000-03-12 | Status: Held
Spanish Congress of Deputies
Votes 23,125,773
Registered 33,045,318
Turnout 69.98

Election For	Date	Status	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Spanish Senate	2023-07-23	Held	24,413,924	35,140,881	69.47
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2023-07-23	Held	24,743,612	35,140,881	70.41
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2019-11-10	Held	24,831,865	35,338,068	70.27
Spanish Senate	2019-11-10	Held	25,199,906	35,789,402	70.41
Spanish Senate	2019-04-28	Held	26,055,457	34,551,765	75.41
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2019-04-28	Held	26,361,051	34,798,204	75.75
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2016-06-26	Held	24,161,083	34,597,038	69.84
Spanish Senate	2016-06-26	Held	23,799,958	34,476,802	69.03
Spanish Senate	2015-12-20	Held	24,869,217	34,631,086	71.81
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2015-12-20	Held	25,350,447	34,631,086	73.2
Spanish Senate	2011-11-20	Held	24,483,672	35,779,491	68.43
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2011-11-20	Held	24,666,441	35,779,491	68.94
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2008-03-09	Held	25,900,442	35,073,179	73.85
Spanish Senate	2008-03-09	Held	25,752,839	33,875,268	76.02
Referendum	2005-02-20	Held	14,204,663	33,563,680	42.32
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2004-03-14	Held	26,155,436	34,571,831	75.66
Spanish Senate	2004-03-14	Held	23,382,667	33,969,640	68.83
Spanish Senate	2000-03-12	Held	23,125,773	33,045,318	69.98
Spanish Congress of Deputies	2000-03-12	Held	23,125,773	33,045,318	69.98

Voter Turnout

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