Of course, many things in Spain have changed over the last few decades. Spaniards are no longer as religious, traditional gender roles aren't as prevalent, they have become very open-minded regarding certain issues such as LGBTQ rights, and there has been a big jump in wealth and development since the days of Franco's dictatorship.
But, there is still a lot that remains the same. Here are just a few things that never change in Spain.
It still takes a long time to get anything official done
Unfortunately, while many processes have moved online in recent years and certain things have become easier to do, it still takes a long time to get anything official done in Spain and there is still a lot of red tape.
For example, getting a ‘cita previa’ for anything from residency cards to driving licenses and padrón certificates can take months. In cities such as Barcelona it has become so difficult to get a prior appointment for processes such as these, that companies are now selling appointments instead. But it’s not just official documents that take a long time, it’s likely in Spain that you’ll also have to wait months for other things such as planning permission for your property or years to get your foreign qualifications verified.
READ ALSO: Spain to scrap hated 'cita previa' appointment system
Job insecurity
High unemployment and job insecurity have always been a big issue in Spain and continue to be so. In 1980, the unemployment rate was 12.4 percent, in 1990 it was 11.8 percent.
Statistics from 2026 show a slight improvement, as for the first time in 18 year Spain's has unemployment rate has fallen below 10 percent (9.9 percent), but it's still the highest in the EU.
This, along with a lot of short-term and temporary job contracts, leads to a high level of job insecurity in Spain.
Close-knit families
Family ties have long been extremely important to Spaniards. Many Spanish people choose to live relatively close to their families, meaning that they spend a lot of time together. It’s not uncommon for extended Spanish families to get together for meals at weekends, go on holidays together, or even for grandparents to provide childcare while the parents are working.
One reason that Spanish families are so close could be the fact that Spaniards often still live with their parents well into their 30s. According to Eurostat data, Spain is the sixth country in Europe with more young people between 25 and 34 years old still living with their parents. The average age of emancipation in Spain is 29.5, compared to 26.2 years on average in the rest of Europe.
Spaniards generally don’t speak great English
While there are obvious exceptions, it is generally considered that Spaniards don’t speak very good English, compared with their European counterparts. A report in 2023 by the foreign language company Education First, for example, which judged proficiency in English, placed Spaniards at the bottom of the table compared to the rest of the EU.
Unlike other countries, the number of Spaniards who can speak English has hardly changed in the last 10 years. Spaniards aged between 25 and 34 have been left far behind their peers in Portugal, Greece and Italy, which had similarly low rates of English speakers 10 years ago.
This means that while you may be able to get away with not knowing much Spanish if you do things that tourists do such as ordering in a restaurant, when it comes to more complicated things such as visiting the doctor or dealing with officials, your language skills had better be up to scratch.
READ ALSO: Ten things Spaniards hate about the English language
August is still holiday time
August traditionally has been the month when everything closes down in Spain and everyone goes on holiday, and this is still true today. Don’t even think about trying to get anything official done in August or get any work done on your house, because it will be impossible. Even in major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, many businesses and offices will close completely throughout August.
There’s no point fighting against it, just embrace the August spirit and join the Spanish at the beach. Let’s face it, in most of Spain, it’s really too hot to do anything else.
Separatist sentiments persist
While separatist movements in Spain have both waned and gained in popularity over the last few decades, it’s true that these sentiments remain in particular regions of Spain. This is most notable in Catalonia and the Basque Country. While the Basque separatist group ETA finally dissolved in 2018 and the latest survey from 2021 shows that support for independence falls to historical lows at 21 percent, there are still many Basques who have separatist sentiments.
In Catalonia on the other hand, the latest survey in recent years shows that support for independence has dropped under 40 percent, meaning that there is still a strong movement for it but it has been wavering.
The economy is still largely service-based
Spain’s economy is largely based on services such as tourism, hospitality and retail, and is still way behind other EU countries such as France and Germany when it comes to diversifying.
The tourism industry really kicked off in the 1960s and by the turn of the century the 40 million international visitors the country received annually meant it was already more important to the Spanish economy than the waning manufacturing industry. In 1975, industrial production represented 30 percent of Spain's GDP, nowadays it's 16 percent.
Official statistics show that during the last 10 years, over 60 percent of Spain’s GDP came from services, while around 20 percent was from industry and only around 2-3 percent from agriculture.
Crazy traditions live on
Spain still loves its crazy festivals and traditions which began decades or centuries ago, no matter how silly, absurd or dangerous they might be. In Catalonia, pitchfork-wielding devils still spray fire through the streets, in La Rioja they soak each other with wine, in Burgos people jump over babies and in Valencia, they set fire to large paper mâché sculptures. Yes, festivals are just as popular as ever in Spain and traditions remain strong, with the younger generations always getting involved.
Unfortunately, one of these crazy traditions is bullfighting, which sadly remains popular across much of the country. While the sport was abolished in Catalonia in 2012, it is still a strong tradition in places such as Andalusia and Navarra. According to official government figures, however, the annual rate of attendance at bullfights declines more and more every year, especially among young Spaniards. In 2018 the number of bullfighting events held in the country fell to a historic low of 1,521.
Good weather is almost guaranteed
While Spain does get its fair share of storms, flash flooding and even snow, most of Spain generally enjoys good weather. Winters can be cold, but are generally sunny with blue skies, and in the summer, you can almost guarantee that the weather will be good enough to go to the beach for at least a couple of months. According to Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET, the country enjoys around 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. In most of Spain, the summer months are the hottest and driest. Daytime temperatures, particularly in July and August can often reach over 30°C.
There are some exceptions, particularly in the northern regions, such as Galicia, where the average summer temperatures are around 22-23°C.
READ ALSO: Five reasons why Galicia is Spain’s version of Ireland
Food is still very important
Food remains a very important thing in Spanish life. Family celebrations, festivals and social occasions almost always involve a good meal.
In fact, a 2019 study by Spanish TV channel Antena 3, showed that Spaniards spend an average of €800 per year on eating out and that the Spanish go out to eat a lot more than in other Western European countries, but spend a lot less than nearby European countries such as France and Germany.
It also showed that Spaniards visit bars 161 times a year, more than the French and Germans who visit bars about 150 times, but less than the Italians who visit 258 times per year.
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