How much do Spain's king and royal family make?
Spain's King Felipe VI is receiving a salary increase in 2023. Here's how much he and the rest of the Spanish royal family earn every year from taxpayers' money.
Spain's King Felipe VI will be paid €269,296 gross in 2023, divided into twelve monthly payments, an increase of €10,369 more than in 2022.
His estate amounted to approximately €2.57 million in 2022 according to the Royal Household of Spain (La Casa Real), €300,000 derived from antiques and jewellery, and the rest held in current and savings accounts.
Queens Letizia and her predecessor Sofía also see their salaries, paid for by the public, increased by 4 percent compared to 2022, taking their annual incomes to €148,105 and €121,186 respectively. In 2022, these figures were €142,402 and €116,525 .
These increases come despite budgets for Spain's Casa Real being frozen for the three previous years.
The Casa Real has published a breakdown of its budget on its official website, which amounts to €8.43 million in total.
Disgraced former King Juan Carlos had his salary withdrawn in 2014 following his abdication, while Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía (Felipe's daughters), do not receive any income from the Spanish state.
Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, the king's sisters, are not paid a salary derived from public funds either as they are not technically part of Spain's Royal Family.
They do however hold important positions for non-profit organisations for which they are reportedly very well remunerated. Cristina splits her time between running the Aga Khan Foundation in Geneva and as a director for the Caixa Foundation in Spain, whereas Elena has earned an estimated €200,000 a year working for the Mapfre Foundation.
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Budget breakdown
2023's boosted royal salaries, which total €538,587 between them, are taken from the €4.7 million put aside for 'personnel expenses' (€4.5 million in 2022) according to the Casa Real's published budget breakdown. This makes up the bulk of the money, representing 56 percent of the total.
The salaries of senior officials add up to €849,000, and expenses on goods and services €2.7 million, 0.83 percent more than in 2022.
Of the €2.7 million, €1.8 million are for office supplies, communications, insurance and contracts with service companies and another €605,000 for protocol and representative services.
Other expenses include repairs, maintenance and conservation, as well of the leases of computer equipment and data transmission, means of transport and the royal family's internet domains.
The money allocated for travel and accommodation has also increased, from €26,000 to €50,000.
€746,000 is put aside for 'investments', a figure that was €965,348 in 2022.
The Royal Household of Spain's contingency fund has stayed frozen at €168,000, since it is always set at 2 percent of the budget.
The Spanish Constitution establishes that the head of state be given money "for the support of his family and his House every year," and the King himself "freely distributes it."
The Casa Real has justified the salary bumps due to the a "significant increase in institutional activity [that] entails an increase in the budget for protocol and representation expenses, in addition to the amounts destined for travel, which is compensated by a reduction, mainly, in advice and ICT work compared to the previous year."
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Spain's King Felipe VI will be paid €269,296 gross in 2023, divided into twelve monthly payments, an increase of €10,369 more than in 2022.
His estate amounted to approximately €2.57 million in 2022 according to the Royal Household of Spain (La Casa Real), €300,000 derived from antiques and jewellery, and the rest held in current and savings accounts.
Queens Letizia and her predecessor Sofía also see their salaries, paid for by the public, increased by 4 percent compared to 2022, taking their annual incomes to €148,105 and €121,186 respectively. In 2022, these figures were €142,402 and €116,525 .
These increases come despite budgets for Spain's Casa Real being frozen for the three previous years.
The Casa Real has published a breakdown of its budget on its official website, which amounts to €8.43 million in total.
Disgraced former King Juan Carlos had his salary withdrawn in 2014 following his abdication, while Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía (Felipe's daughters), do not receive any income from the Spanish state.
Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, the king's sisters, are not paid a salary derived from public funds either as they are not technically part of Spain's Royal Family.
They do however hold important positions for non-profit organisations for which they are reportedly very well remunerated. Cristina splits her time between running the Aga Khan Foundation in Geneva and as a director for the Caixa Foundation in Spain, whereas Elena has earned an estimated €200,000 a year working for the Mapfre Foundation.
READ ALSO:
- What do Spaniards think of their royal family?
- Spain’s former king wins partial victory in UK harassment case
Budget breakdown
2023's boosted royal salaries, which total €538,587 between them, are taken from the €4.7 million put aside for 'personnel expenses' (€4.5 million in 2022) according to the Casa Real's published budget breakdown. This makes up the bulk of the money, representing 56 percent of the total.
The salaries of senior officials add up to €849,000, and expenses on goods and services €2.7 million, 0.83 percent more than in 2022.
Of the €2.7 million, €1.8 million are for office supplies, communications, insurance and contracts with service companies and another €605,000 for protocol and representative services.
Other expenses include repairs, maintenance and conservation, as well of the leases of computer equipment and data transmission, means of transport and the royal family's internet domains.
The money allocated for travel and accommodation has also increased, from €26,000 to €50,000.
€746,000 is put aside for 'investments', a figure that was €965,348 in 2022.
The Royal Household of Spain's contingency fund has stayed frozen at €168,000, since it is always set at 2 percent of the budget.
The Spanish Constitution establishes that the head of state be given money "for the support of his family and his House every year," and the King himself "freely distributes it."
The Casa Real has justified the salary bumps due to the a "significant increase in institutional activity [that] entails an increase in the budget for protocol and representation expenses, in addition to the amounts destined for travel, which is compensated by a reduction, mainly, in advice and ICT work compared to the previous year."
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