Spain: Net secondary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Spain's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$3.52 billion on 2024 (from −US$12.61 billion to −US$16.12 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$462.84 million and a typical year strayed about US$2.28 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$3.25 billion in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was US$5.52 billion in 1999. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$316.04 million a year. A straight line explains 42% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Spain had the 127th highest value of the 136 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Spain in the 2025 ranking

• Switzerland — 124th of 136: −US$11.17 billion
• Qatar — 125th of 136: −US$12.48 billion
• Sweden — 126th of 136: −US$12.58 billion
• Netherlands — 128th of 136: −US$16.32 billion
• Kuwait — 129th of 136: −US$16.96 billion
• Italy — 130th of 136: −US$22.01 billion

What this measures

Net secondary income (from abroad) comprises transfers of income between residents of the reporting country and the rest of the world that carry no provisions for repayment. Net secondary income is equal to the unrequited transfers of income from nonresidents to residents minus the unrequited transfers from residents to nonresidents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 51 values

Net secondary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Albania — US$1.54 billion (2025)
• Armenia — US$507.37 million (2025)
• Austria — −US$4.26 billion (2025)
• Azerbaijan — US$742.14 million (2025)
• Belarus — US$971.67 million (2025)
• Belgium — −US$7.37 billion (2025)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — US$3.22 billion (2025)
• Bulgaria — US$1.53 billion (2025)
• Croatia — US$2.64 billion (2025)
• Cyprus — −US$386.29 million (2025)

More economic policy & debt data for Spain

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$128.59 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$89.05 billion (2025)
• GDP (current US$) — US$1.91 trillion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 1.69 trillion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$1.47 trillion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 1.4 trillion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$38,627 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 34,184 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$29,763 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 28,299 (2025)
• GNI (current US$)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Spain's net secondary income (current US$, BoP)?

−US$16.12 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is down 2,197% from US$768.81 million in 1975. The highest value was US$4.62 billion in 1989 and the lowest −US$20.81 billion in 2008.

How does Spain rank?

127th highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in net secondary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for Spain?

In 2025, Spain's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$3.52 billion on 2024 (from −US$12.61 billion to −US$16.12 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$462.84 million and a typical year strayed about US$2.28 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.TRF.CURR.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.