Business & Economy of Spain
Playa de Levante is a 2 km long urban beach in Benidorm, a holiday resort in the province of Alicante on the Mediterranean coast (Costa Blanca). The contribution of the hotel industry and tourism amounted to 147.9 million euros in 2018, which represents more than 12% of the Spanish GDP. [2]
Image: Diego Delso
Economy of Spain
The economy of Spain is based on the automotive industry, agricultural production, energy, financial services, telecommunication, pharmaceuticals, textiles and apparel, and tourism.
Banco de España
The Spanish Central Bank.
Bolsa de Madrid
Madrid Stock Exchange is Spain's largest and most international exchange.
Invest in Spain (ICEX)
Official website of ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, Spain's Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.
Cámara de Madrid
Madrid's Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the business association was founded in 1887.
Top-Rated Spanish Companies
Automotive
Spain is the second largest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany. The leading manufacturers are multinational corporations with subsidiaries and production facilities in the country. The largest companies are the German Daimler AG with a production plant in Vitoria. Ford, USA, has its car assembly plant in Almussafes (Valencia). General Motors, USA, has plants in Figueruelas and Zaragoza. IVECO, Italy, operates plants in Madrid and Valladolid. PSA Peugeot Citroen operates a car manufacturing and assembly plant in Vigo. Renault, France, has plants in Valladolid, Palencia, and Seville. The Japanese car manufacturer Nissan is about to close its plant in Barcelona.
SEAT
The only Spanish automobile manufacturer is headquartered in Martorell near Barcelona. Since 1986 the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group.
Gestamp Automoción
Spanish multinational engineering and car components company.
Grupo Antolin
Multinational automotive supplier, who develops and manufactures interior components for the vehicle industry. Its headquarters is in Burgos.
Banks/Financial Services
Santander (Banco Santander, S.A.)
The Spanish banking group has its headquarters in Santander; the group operates in Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia.
BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.)
The second-largest bank in Spain is a multinational banking group formed in 1999, after the merger of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya and Argentaria, itself a former fusion of Spanish public banks.
La Caixa
Spain's number three in the financial service sector, a not for profit and charitable financial institution with over 5,800 branches, based in Barcelona.
MAPFRE
Leading Spanish insurance company, based in the outskirts of Madrid.
Energy
Iberdrola
Spain's largest energy group is a multinational electric utility company based in Bilbao, in Basque Country. Subsidiaries amongst others are Scottish Power (Scotland), Avangrid (United States), and Elektro (Brazil).
Endesa
One of the largest electric utility company in the country, it is a majority-owned subsidiary of the Italian utility company Enel. Endesa has its headquarters in Madrid.
Naturgy Energy Group S.A.
Naturgy, formerly Gas Natural Fenosa, is a public distributor of natural gas in Spain, Italy, and Latin America, the company is headquartered in Barcelona.
Department Stores
El Corte Inglés
Spain's only remaining department store chain, which ranks fourth in the world. El Corte Inglés is the largest department store group in Europe; it has its headquarters in Madrid.
Fashion
Inditex
Inditex is one of the largest textile companies in the world, headquartered in Arteixo, A Coruña, Galicia. Its flagship store is
Zara (ZARA), the clothing and accessories retailer. Other chains owned by Inditex are the clothes manufacturing company
Massimo Dutti, the fashion stores of
Bershka, the clothing brand
Stradivarius, the clothing and accessories retailer
Pull and Bear, the undergarments company
Oysho, and
Uterqüe, a manufacturer of fashion accessories and garments.
Supermarkets
Mercadona
Mercadona S.A. is the largest supermarket chain in Spain, with headquarters in Valencia.
Telecommunication
Telefónica (Telefónica, S.A.)
Multinational broadband and telecommunications provider and one of the largest private telecommunications companies in the world with operations in Europe, Asia, and North, Central, and South America.
Movistar
A major Spanish mobile phone operator and cable TV provider owned by Telefónica S.A.
Transportation
Airlines
Iberia
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España (Iberia) is the flag carrier and the largest Spanish airline. The company is based in Madrid; its hub is at Madrid-Barajas airport.
Vueling
A Spanish low-cost airline with hubs in Barcelona–El Prat Airport and Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport in
Rome,
Italy.
Airports
Major airports of Spain are:
Madrid Barajas International Airport,
Barcelona El Prat International Airport,
Palma airport on the Balearic island of Mallorca (Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca), and Málaga Airport (Aeropuerto de Málaga)
Aena.es
Official website of airports of Spain. Aena is a Spanish public limited company that is majority-owned by the State and is responsible for the operation of domestic airports.
Railroad
RENFE
Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE) is the state-owned rail transport company which operates freight and passenger trains.
Spanish passenger trains at Santa Justa station in Seville.
Image: Iantomferry