🇪🇸 Spain
Parliamentary constitutional monarchyLiberal democracy
Pedro Sánchez
Prime Minister · 3,012 days in office · 356 days remaining
How the political system works in Spain
Spaniards vote for a parliament, and its lower house then confirms the prime minister. There is no limit on how long a prime minister can stay in the job. Spain's King is the head of state, a symbolic role.
Next election: 2027 — Next Spanish general election must be held by August 2027.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Felipe González
4,902 days
Shortest-serving
Fernando de Santiago y Díaz
3 days
Average tenure
1,031 days
Pedro Sánchez: 192% above average
Recent prime ministers by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Spain?
Across 18 completed terms, the average prime minister of Spain has served 1,031 days (about 2.8 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 796 days. The last leader to beat the average was Pedro Sánchez, who left office in 2023.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All prime ministers of Spain
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 |  Pedro Sánchez | Nov 17, 2023 | Incumbent | 1,018 |
| 18 | Pedro Sánchez | Jan 8, 2020 | Jul 25, 2023 | 1,294 |
| 17 | Pedro Sánchez | Jun 2, 2018 | Apr 30, 2019 | 332 |
| 16 |  Mariano Rajoy | Oct 30, 2016 | Jun 1, 2018 | 579 |
| 15 | Mariano Rajoy | Dec 21, 2015 | Oct 30, 2016 | 314 |
| 14 | Mariano Rajoy | Dec 20, 2011 | Dec 21, 2015 | 1,462 |
| 13 |  José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero | Apr 16, 2004 | Dec 21, 2011 | 2,805 |
| 12 |  José María Aznar | May 4, 1996 | Apr 17, 2004 | 2,905 |
| 11 |  Felipe González | Dec 2, 1982 | May 4, 1996 | 4,902 |
| 10 |  Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo | Feb 26, 1981 | Dec 2, 1982 | 644 |
| 9 |  Adolfo Suárez | Jul 5, 1976 | Feb 26, 1981 | 1,697 |
| 8 |  Fernando de Santiago y Díaz | Jul 2, 1976 | Jul 5, 1976 | 3 |
| 7 |  Carlos Arias Navarro | Dec 31, 1973 | Jul 1, 1976 | 913 |
| 6 |  Torcuato Fernández-Miranda | Dec 20, 1973 | Dec 31, 1973 | 11 |
| 5 |  Luis Carrero Blanco | Jun 9, 1973 | Dec 20, 1973 | 194 |
| 4 |  Santiago Casares Quiroga | May 10, 1936 | Jul 19, 1936 | 70 |
| 3 |  Joaquín Chapaprieta | Sep 25, 1935 | Dec 14, 1935 | 80 |
| 2 |  José Sánchez Guerra | Mar 8, 1922 | Dec 7, 1922 | 274 |
| 1 |  Joaquín Jovellar y Soler | Sep 12, 1875 | Dec 2, 1875 | 81 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the Prime Minister of Spain?
- Pedro Sánchez has been Prime Minister of Spain since Jun 2, 2018.
- How is the leader of Spain chosen?
- Spaniards vote for a parliament, and its lower house then confirms the prime minister. There is no limit on how long a prime minister can stay in the job. Spain's King is the head of state, a symbolic role.
- Who is the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain?
- Felipe González, with 4,902 days in office.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Spain?
- Across 18 completed terms, the average prime minister of Spain has served 1,031 days (about 2.8 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 796 days. The last leader to beat the average was Pedro Sánchez, who left office in 2023.