The economy of Spain has gone through a significant change in recent decades. After a period of stable growth, it has been greatly affected by the global economic crisis of recent years. It is now the fifth largest economy in Europe. However, this growth has been largely attributed to foreign investment. As the Spanish economy faces the imminent restructuring of the world’s economic order, the country will be affected in the coming years.

A prolonged economic crisis has highlighted the disparities between the economic status of countries. This has prompted governments of various advanced economies to launch large stimulus packages. Among these, Spain’s government has launched a 16 percent stimulus package.

Although this economic stimulus will help the Spanish economy to recover, there are some key challenges to be addressed. First, the country is facing a high jobless rate. In fact, the unemployment rate is nearly double the euro zone average. There are also labour shortages in the agricultural and hospitality industries. Moreover, the country has a number of antiquated labour laws, which the government needs to reform.

Another major challenge for the Spanish economy is the high level of private sector debt. Since the beginning of the economic crisis, the public deficit has worsened.

The Spanish public sector lacks the room to maneuver as other European countries. However, it can still support the reinvention of the economy through projects such as digitization. Additionally, the public sector can help to build the infrastructure of the future.

The Spanish automotive industry is one of the country’s largest employers. It employs almost 9% of the total workforce. Furthermore, it contributed 3.3% of the country’s GDP in 2008. Automotive production has expanded substantially over the past few years, thereby increasing the exports from Spain.

Tourism has become increasingly important, and has accounted for about 10 percent of the Spanish GDP in the past few years. Approximately 2.5 million people work in tourism. In fact, the country ranks second internationally in terms of the amount of money spent per visitor.

Other major sectors include the food and beverages industry, property development and electronics. These sectors are likely to experience robust growth in the next few years. Despite these factors, the financial sector has regained stability, and nonperforming loans continue to decline.

Spain’s most important trading partners are Germany and France. Although the country has limited dependence on Russian gas, it will be subject to rising energy prices. Nevertheless, the government is working to increase the availability of natural gas and other alternative sources of fuel.

The country is also reliant on foreign investments, especially in the manufacturing sector. As the Spanish economy has evolved, the country has been able to diversify its traditional tourist destinations. Some of the most important companies are Gambesa, Inditex and Movistar. Several multinationals are operating in Spain, including Telefónica, Zara Fashion, and Vodafone.

Even with these challenges, Spain has made considerable improvements in its manufacturing competitiveness. It has also diversified its business model and has become an important source of high-tech products.