Year over year, the overall cost of products imported into Spain increased by 15.8% from $426.1 billion in 2021.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, Spain uses the euro which depreciated by -12.1% against the US dollar since 2018 and fell by -12.3% from 2021 to 2022. The weaker European Union currency made Spain’s imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the weaker euro.
Domestically, Spain’s inflation rate was 8.833% in 2022 in terms of average consumer prices. Spain’s inflation rate was 3.093% for 2021.
Spanish imports represent approximately 2.2% of total global imports which totaled an estimated $22.432 trillion one year prior in 2021.
Spain’s Best Suppliers of Imported Products
The latest available country-specific data shows that 70.8% of products imported into Spain were supplied by exporters in: Germany (35.6% of the Spanish total), France (7.5%), mainland China (5.2%), Italy (5.1%), United States of America (4%), Netherlands (2.8%), Portugal (2.7%), Belgium (2.2%), United Kingdom (also 2.2%), Türkiye (1.8%), Nigeria (1.7%) and Brazil (1.3%).
Applying a continental lens, 56.9% of Spain’s total imports by value in 2022 were purchased from fellow European countries. Trade partners in Asia supplied 21.1% of import purchases by Spain. Another 8.9% worth originated from providers in Africa, with 8.2% coming from North America.
Smaller percentages were furnished by sellers in Latin America (4.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.3%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Spain ‘s population of 47.6 million people, its total $493.4 billion in 2022 imports translates to roughly $10,400 in yearly product demand from every person in the European country. That per-capita dollar amount eclipses the average $8,900 one year earlier in 2021.
Spain’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Spain’s import purchases during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Spain.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$95.4 billion (19.3% of total imports)
- Vehicles: $42.9 billion (8.7%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $40.4 billion (8.2%)
- Machinery including computers: $40.2 billion (8.2%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $23.9 billion (4.9%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $17.7 billion (3.6%)
- Iron, steel: $14.8 billion (3%)
- Organic chemicals: $14.7 billion (3%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $11.8 billion (2.4%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $11 billion (2.2%)
Spain’s top 10 imports accounted for 63.4% of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Mineral fuels including oil posted the fastest increase in purchases among the top 10 import categories, up 73.2% from 2021 to 2022. In second place for improving import sales was the knitted or crocheted clothing and accessories product category, up 23.6%. Spanish imports of non-knitted and non-crocheted clothing and accessories placed close behind via a 23% gain.
The sole decline among the top 10 Spanish imports was the -3% drop for the pharmaceuticals product category.
At the more detailed 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, the 5 biggest products imported into Spain were crude oil, automobile parts or accessories, cars, medication mixes in dosage, and blood fractions including antisera. Combined, that quintet of most valuable Spanish imported goods represent over one-fifth (20.9%) of Spain’s total imports in 2022.
Information presented under the sections below are also at the more granular 4-digit level.
Spain’s Imports of Mineral Fuels and Related Products
In 2022, Spanish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Crude oil: US$47.7 billion (up 61.1% from 2021)
- Petroleum gases: $27.6 billion (up 143.2%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $11.5 billion (up 28.8%)
- Electrical energy: $3.6 billion (up 28.3%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $2.9 billion (up 251%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $924 million (up 56.4%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $627 million (up 28.4%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $230.4 million (up 13.1%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $133.6 million (up 32.3%)
- Peat: $55.3 million (down -14.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Spanish purchases of coal including solid fuels made from coal (up 251%), petroleum gases (up 143.2%) then crude oil (up 61.1%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imports related to mineral fuels among Spanish businesses and consumers.
Spain’s Imports of Vehicles
In 2022, Spanish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$17.3 billion (up 13% from 2021)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $16.1 billion (down -0.2%)
- Trucks: $2.3 billion (up 16.2%)
- Tractors: $1.5 billion (up 4.4%)
- Motorcycles: $1.3 billion (up 1.7%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $907.5 million (up 16.6%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $662.1 million (up 34.8%)
- Trailers: $579.1 million (up 5.9%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $327.1 million (up 36%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $277.4 million (down -7%)
Among these import subcategories, Spanish purchases of special purpose vehicles (up 36%), public-transport vehicles (up 34.8%) then motorcycle parts or accessories (up 16.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Spanish businesses and consumers.
Spain’s Imports of Machinery Including Computers
In 2022, Spanish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machines including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$5.1 billion (up 9.8% from 2021)
- Turbo-jets: $2.6 billion (up 41.4%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $2.2 billion (up 8.5%)
- Piston engines: $1.9 billion (up 9.5%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.7 billion (up 1.8%)
- Engines (diesel): $1.55 billion (up 1.3%)
- Air conditioners: $1.51 billion (down -0.4%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $1.46 billion (up 0.7%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $1.21 billion (down -6.5%)
- Piston engine parts: $1.2 billion (down -2%)
Among these import subcategories, Spanish purchases of turbo-jets (up 41.4%), computers including optical readers (up 9.8%) then piston engines (up 9.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Spanish businesses and consumers.
Spain’s Imports of Electronics
In 2022, Spanish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronic equipment including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$7.3 billion (up 2.7% from 2021)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $4.3 billion (up 113.8%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $3.3 billion (up 10.6%)
- Electric storage batteries: $3.2 billion (up 42.8%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $2.8 billion (up 32.6%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $2 billion (down -4.7%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $1.9 billion (down -2.7%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $1.6 billion (down -2.2%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $1.2 billion (up 10.6%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $1.1 billion (up 19%)
Among these import subcategories, Spanish purchases of solar power diodes and semi-conductors (up 113.8%), electric storage batteries (up 42.8%) then electrical converters or power units (up 32.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among Spanish businesses and consumers.
See also Spain’s Top 10 Exports, Spain’s Top Trading Partners and Top EU Export Countries
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on April 7, 2023
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on April 7, 2023
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on April 7, 2023
