Spain vs Luxembourg development indicators, 2024

Demography and Health

Spain has a total population of approximately 48.8 million in 2024, significantly larger than Luxembourg's 677,717. The birth rate in Spain stands at 6.7 per 1,000 people, lower than Luxembourg's 9.5, which places Spain at rank 79 and Luxembourg at rank 28 respectively. Despite the difference in birth rates, Spain also has a higher death rate of 9 per 1,000 compared to Luxembourg's 6.6, ranking Spain at 66 and Luxembourg at 80. In terms of health outcomes, Spain boasts a higher life expectancy at birth of 83.9 years, ranking first globally, while Luxembourg's life expectancy is slightly lower at 83.4 years, placing it fourth. Spain's under-5 mortality rate is 3.1 per 1,000 live births, whereas Luxembourg's is better at 2.3, ranking 72nd worldwide against Spain's 56th. Hospital beds-per-1,000 people also reveal disparities, with Spain having 2.9 beds compared to Luxembourg's 4.2 beds, ranking Spain 4th in the world for this metric.

Economy

Looking at the economic figures for 2024, Spain's GDP per capita is estimated to be $35,297, ranked 51st globally, while Luxembourg leads with a substantial GDP per capita of $137,517, ranked 1st. In terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), Spain also trails with $56,926 compared to Luxembourg's $150,772, again at rank 45. Spain's unemployment rate is notably higher at 12.2%, ranking fifth, while Luxembourg enjoys a low unemployment rate of 5.2%, which is much more favorable, placing it at 51. Import and export dynamics further illustrate the economic picture; Spain's exports of goods and services represent 37.3% of its GDP, whereas Luxembourg’s exports are exceptionally high at 216% of GDP, marking an impressive rank of 4. Imports in Spain are at 33% of GDP, compared to Luxembourg's 183%, ranking Luxembourg 3rd in this category.

Trade and Investment

When examining high-technology exports, Spain produces $25.8 billion, ranking 27th, in stark contrast to Luxembourg's $801.2 million, which ranks significantly lower at 79th. This discrepancy may highlight Spain's broader manufacturing and technological capabilities. In terms of research and development expenditure as a percentage of GDP, Spain allocates 1.4%, while Luxembourg’s investment is lower at 1%, which still ranks Luxembourg at 42nd globally. The current account balance shows Spain with a 3% surplus, ranking 30th, compared to Luxembourg’s impressive 13.8% surplus, placing it at the top (rank 1).

Governance and Institutions

Governance indicators tell a compelling story about the effectiveness and stability of institutions in both countries. Spain ranks 50th in control of corruption with a score of 0.6, while Luxembourg scores a much higher 1.9, securing the 11th position. Similar disparities are seen in government effectiveness where Spain ranks 51st with a score of 0.8, in contrast to Luxembourg's 1.9 placing it at rank 5. Political stability also favors Luxembourg significantly, with a score of 1.1, which ranks it 3rd, compared to Spain's low score of 0.3, ranking 78th. Furthermore, regulatory quality and rule of law metrics indicate a higher level of governance in Luxembourg, with scores of 1.9 (rank 1) and 1.8 (rank 8) compared to Spain's 0.7 (rank 60) and 0.8 (rank 51) respectively.

Infrastructure and Technology

In terms of infrastructure, the logistics performance index indicates that Spain scores 3.8, placing it 8th globally, while Luxembourg scores lower at 3.6, ranking 13th. This difference showcases Spain’s relatively superior trade and transport-related infrastructure. However, the patent application data reveals Spain's innovation capacity with 1,308 patent applications ranking 9th in the world, compared to Luxembourg’s 112, which ranks it at 20.

Environment and Sustainability

Spain's renewable energy consumption is at 19% of total energy, ranking 15th, whereas Luxembourg's renewable energy consumption is slightly higher at 20.5% (rank 13). Notably, both countries show a prevalence of undernourishment rate at 2.5% of the population, indicating stable food security. Notably, Spain faces higher water stress, with freshwater withdrawal at 43.3% of available resources, ranking 3rd, while Luxembourg enjoys a healthy level of 4%, ranking 22nd. The environmental impact is further illustrated in greenhouse gas emissions per capita; Spain emits 5.9 tons of CO2e per capita (67th), compared to Luxembourg's 11.8 tons (4th). Lastly, the suicide mortality rate is comparable, with Spain at 8.7 per 100,000 population and Luxembourg slightly better at 8.2, ranking 21st and 23rd respectively.