Spain imported US$471.9 billion worth of products from around the world in 2024.

That dollar amount reflects a 43.1% expansion compared to $329.7 billion five years prior during 2020.

Year over year, the overall cost of products imported into Spain slowed to a 0.6% gain from $469 billion in 2023.

Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, Spain uses the euro which flatlined to a 0.02% gain against the US dollar from 2023 to 2024. The slightly stronger European Union currency made Spain’s imports paid for in stronger US dollars modestly less expensive when converted starting from the somewhat stronger euro.

Domestically, Spain’s inflation rate was 3.493% in 2024 in terms of average consumer prices. Spain’s inflation rate was much higher at 8.323% for 2023.

Spanish imports represent approximately 2% of total global imports which totaled an estimated $23.968 trillion one year prior in 2023. That percentage is higher than the 1.9% benchmark calculated for the prior period.

Spain’s Best Suppliers of Imported Products

The latest available country-specific data shows that 67.6% of products imported into Spain was furnished by exporters in: Germany (12.7% of the Spanish total), France (9.8%), mainland China (8.5%), Italy (7.7%), Netherlands (7%), United States of America (5.5%), Portugal (4.2%), Belgium (3.7%), Morocco (2.2%), Poland (2.18%), United Kingdom (2.17%) and Türkiye (2%).

Applying a continental lens, 60.6% of Spain’s total imports by value in 2024 was purchased from fellow European countries. Trade partners in Asia supplied 19.5% of import purchases by Spain. Another 7.8% worth originated from providers in Africa, with 7.3% coming from North America.

Spain joined the European Union on January 1, 1986. Fellow EU members satisfied 55.7% of Spain’s imported product demand in 2024.

Smaller percentages were furnished by sellers in Latin America (4.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.2%) led by Australia and New Zealand.

Given Spain ‘s population of 48.4 million people, its total $471.9 billion in 2024 imports translates to roughly $9,750 in yearly product demand from every person in the European country. That per-capita dollar amount lags the average $9,800 in spending one year earlier in 2023.

Spain’s Top 10 Imports

The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Spain’s import purchases during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Spain.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$63.4 billion (13.4% of total imports)
2. Vehicles: $51.4 billion (10.9%)
3. Machinery including computers: $45 billion (9.5%)
4. Electrical machinery, equipment: $42.5 billion (9%)
5. Pharmaceuticals: $23.8 billion (5%)
6. Plastics, plastic articles: $16.9 billion (3.6%)
7. Organic chemicals: $12.4 billion (2.6%)
8. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $12.2 billion (2.6%)
9. Iron, steel: $12.1 billion (2.6%)
10. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $11.3 billion (2.4%)

Spain’s top 10 import product categories accounted for 61.7% of the overall value of Spanish product buys from other countries.

Machinery including computers posted the fastest increase in purchases among the top 10 import categories, up by 12.7% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for improving import sales was the product category encompassing plastics, both as materials and items made from plastics, thanks to its 9.6% advance.

Spanish imports optical, technical and medical apparatus placed third via a 7.9% gain.

Declines among the top 10 Spanish imports were recorded for mineral fuels including oil (down -7% from 2023), metals iron and steel (down -2.5%), then organic chemicals (down -0.9%).

At the more detailed 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, the biggest products imported into Spain were crude oil (8.1% of Spain’s import purchases), cars (5.1%), automobile parts or accessories (3.3%), medication mixes in dosage (3.2%), petroleum gases (2.2%), processed petroleum oils (also 2.2%), phone devices including smartphones (1.7%), blood fractions including antisera (1.5%), computers including optical readers (1.1%), then insulated wire or cable (1%).

Combined, that cohort of most valuable Spanish imported goods represent almost three-tenths (29.3%) of Spain’s total imports in 2024.

Information presented under the sections below is also at the more granular 4-digit level.

Spain’s Imports of Mineral Fuels and Related Products

In 2024, Spanish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.

1. Crude oil: US$38 billion (up 2.1% from 2023)
2. Petroleum gases: $10.6 billion (down -28.9%)
3. Processed petroleum oils: $10.4 billion (down -9.9%)
4. Electrical energy: $1.7 billion (down -13.4%)
5. Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $1 billion (up 88%)
6. Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $826.7 million (down -45.6%)
7. Petroleum oil residues: $281.9 million (down -21.2%)
8. Coke, semi-coke: $134.6 million (up 27%)
9. Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $106.4 million (up 39.2%)
10. Peat: $62.9 million (up 18.1%)

Among these import subcategories, Spanish purchases of high-temperature distilled coal tar oils (up 88%), petroleum jelly and mineral waxes (up 39.2%) then coke and semi-coke (up 27%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.

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 2024, Spanish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.

1. Cars: US$24.2 billion (up 2.7% from 2023)
2. Automobile parts/accessories: $15.4 billion (down -1.1%)
3. Trucks: $3.6 billion (up 1.5%)
4. Tractors: $1.9 billion (up 0.5%)
5. Motorcycles: $1.4 billion (up 0.3%)
6. Public-transport vehicles: $1.1 billion (down -2%)
7. Special purpose vehicles: $700.8 million (up 25.3%)
8. Motorcycle parts/accessories: $641 million (down -11.1%)
9. Trailers: $547.5 million (down -3.4%)
10. Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $241.9 million (up 21.3%)

Among these import subcategories, Spanish purchases of special purpose vehicles (up 25.3%), bicycles plus other non-motorized cycles (up 21.3%) then cars: (up 2.7%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.

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 2024, Spanish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machines including computers.

1. Computers, optical readers: US$5.1 billion (up 9.7% from 2023)
2. Turbo-jets: $3.2 billion (up 18.1%)
3. Piston engines: $2.9 billion (up 10%)
4. Engines (diesel): $2 billion (up 9.8%)
5. Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $2 billion (down -12.8%)
6. Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.86 billion (up 8.1%)
7. Air or vacuum pumps: $1.75 billion (up 14%)
8. Air conditioners: $1.74 billion (up 2.4%)
9. Miscellaneous machinery: $1.5 billion (up 20.7%)
10. Refrigerators, freezers: $1.3 billion (up 6%)

Among these import subcategories, Spanish purchases of miscellaneous machinery (up 20.7%), turbo-jets (up 18.1%) then air or vacuum pumps (up 14%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.

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 2024, Spanish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronic equipment including consumer electronics.

1. Phone devices including smartphones: US$8.2 billion (up 7.5% from 2023)
2. Insulated wire/cable: $4.5 billion (up 6.9%)
3. Electrical converters/power units: $2.9 billion (up 0.3%)
4. Electric storage batteries: $2.7 billion (down -27.2%)
5. Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $2.3 billion (down -32.1%)
6. Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $2.1 billion (up 1.9%)
7. TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $2 billion (up 12%)
8. Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $1.6 billion (up 3.2%)
9. Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $1.5 billion (up 2.7%)
10. Electric motors, generators: $1.4 billion (up 6%)

Among these import subcategories, Spanish purchases of television receivers, monitors and projectors (up 12%), phone devices including smartphones (up 7.5%) then insulated wire or cable (up 6.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.

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 11, 2025

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on April 11, 2025

Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on April 11, 2025

X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Euro to US Dollar (monthly average 2024). Accessed on April 11, 2025