Curriculum Spain's Economy
Spain's Economy
How Spain went from dictatorship to a modern European economy: the 1959 stabilisation plan, EU entry, the housing bubble and bust, youth unemployment, tourism, labour reforms, Zara and Inditex, renewable energy, regional autonomy and Catalonia, and a recap.
- Spain at a Glance An overview of Spain, the eurozone's fourth largest economy with about 48 million people, its strengths in tourism, services and renewables, and its unemployment problem. 📄 Read-aloud
- From Franco to the Spanish Miracle How Spain's 1959 Stabilisation Plan ended Franco-era isolation and triggered rapid growth in the 1960s, and the transition to democracy after 1975. 📄 Read-aloud
- Joining Europe How Spain's entry into the European Community in 1986 brought funds, investment and modernisation, and how it adopted the euro in 1999. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Housing Bubble and Bust How cheap euro credit fuelled a massive construction boom in Spain until 2007, and how the bust caused a banking crisis and mass unemployment. 📄 Read-aloud
- Youth Unemployment Why Spain's unemployment rose above 26% in 2013 with youth unemployment over 50%, and why Spain's labour market has been so prone to high joblessness. 📄 Read-aloud
- The 2021 Labour Reform How Spain's 2021 labour reform restricted temporary contracts and promoted permanent discontinuous contracts, sharply reducing the share of temporary workers. 📄 Read-aloud
- Spain's Economy: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on Spain's economy, the 1959 plan, EU entry, the housing bubble and unemployment. 5 questions
- Tourism and Its Backlash How Spain hosts over 90 million international tourists a year, the jobs and income tourism brings, and protests over housing and overcrowding in Barcelona and elsewhere. 📄 Read-aloud
- Zara and Inditex How Amancio Ortega built Inditex, owner of Zara, into the world's largest fashion retailer using fast fashion and nearby production in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. 📄 Read-aloud
- Spain's Renewable Energy Boom How Spain became a leader in solar and wind power, lowering electricity prices, and what the April 2025 Iberian blackout revealed about grid stability. 📄 Read-aloud
- Regional Autonomy and Catalonia How Spain's autonomous communities have wide powers, why the Basque Country and Navarre collect their own taxes, and the economics of Catalonia's independence push. 📄 Read-aloud
- Immigration and Growth How immigration from Latin America, Morocco and elsewhere has boosted Spain's workforce and growth, and its role in an ageing society. 📄 Read-aloud
- Spain's Economy: Recap A recap of Spain's economic journey from isolation to European integration, crisis and recovery. 📄 Read-aloud