Argentina and Spain Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

In comparing Argentina and Spain, we see distinct differences across key indicators. Spain’s population is slightly larger, while Argentina boasts a surface area over five times greater. Economically, Argentina’s GDP is less than half of Spain’s, with lower GDP per capita and a higher income inequality. Military spending is notably lower in Argentina, and its imports and exports are much smaller, focusing on basic commodities compared to Spain’s advanced goods.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Argentina	Spain	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	46.23 million (32nd)	47.78 million (29th)	Argentina’s population is slightly smaller than Spain’s, with Spain’s population being approximately 1.03 times larger than Argentina’s.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	2.78 million sq. km (8th)	0.51 million sq. km (52nd)	Argentina is 5.45 times larger than Spain.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	631.13B USD (22nd)	1,417.80B USD (15th)	Argentina’s total GDP is approximately 0.45 times that of Spain.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$13,651 (64th)	29,675 USD (39th)	Argentina’s GDP per capita is roughly 54% lower than Spain’s, with Argentinians producing about $16,024 less per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Argentina	Spain	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.849 (48th)	0.911 (27th)	Argentina’s HDI is 0.849 (high), while Spain’s is 0.911 (very high). Spain’s score is 0.062 higher, indicating significantly better human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	49.9 (132nd)	63.3 (52nd)	Argentina’s Index of Economic Freedom is 21.3% lower than Spain’s, 13.4 points less.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	42 (2021 est.)	34.9 (2020 est.)	With a 20% higher Gini coefficient, Argentina has a higher degree of income inequality than Spain.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Argentina	Spain
Total imports	92.57B USD	550.58B
Imports % of GDP	15.35%	39.66%
Main import partners	China 21%, Brazil 20%, US 14%, Germany 3%, Paraguay 2%	Germany 11%, China 10%, France 10%, Italy 7%, US 6%
Main import items	refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas, fertilizers, cars	crude petroleum, natural gas, garments, cars, vehicle parts/accessories
Total exports	83.36B USD	615.83B
Exports % of GDP	16.30%	40.87%
Main export Partners	Brazil 15%, China 9%, US 8%, Chile 6%, India 5%	France 17%, Germany 10%, Portugal 9%, Italy 8%, UK 6%
Main export items	soybean meal, corn, soybean oil, wheat, trucks	cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, vehicle parts/accessories

Argentina’s imports are about 17% of Spain’s, and Argentina imports 61% less of its GDP compared to Spain’s imports. Argentina’s exports are just 13.5% of Spain’s, focusing on basic commodities like soybeans, while Spain exports advanced goods like cars.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Argentina	Spain
Military expenditure	3.1B USD	23.7B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	0.41%	1.47%
Active military	72k	120k
Active military per 1,000 capita	2.3	4.4

Argentina’s military expenditure is significantly lower at $3.12 billion, accounting for only 0.41% of its GDP, while Spain spends $23.7 billion, dedicating a larger portion of its economy at 1.47% to defense.