At stake in this election:

• 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King JUAN CARLOS I
• Head of Government: President of the Governme Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez
• Assembly: Spain has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate (Senado) with 259 seats and the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados) with 350 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The King is a hereditary monarch.
• In the Senate (Senado), 208 members are elected by direct popular vote to serve 4-year terms and 51 members are appointed by regional legislatures. In the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados) 350 members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Popular Party (PP)
  • Leader: Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
  • Seats won in this Congress of Deputies election: 183
  • Seats won in last Congress of Deputies election: 159
• Party: The Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE)
  • Leader: Joaquin Almunia
  • Seats won in this Congress of Deputies election: 125
  • Seats won in last Congress of Deputies election: 141
• Party: Convergence and Union (CiU)
  • Leader: Jordi PUJOL i Solex
  • Seats won in this Congress of Deputies election: 15
  • Seats won in last Congress of Deputies election: 16
• Party: United Left Coalition (IU)
  • Leader: Francisco Frutos
  • Seats won in this Congress of Deputies election: 8
  • Seats won in last Congress of Deputies election: 21
• Party: Basque Nationalist Party
  • Leader: Xabier ARZALLUS Antia
  • Seats won in this Congress of Deputies election: 7
  • Seats won in last Congress of Deputies election: 5
• Party: Canary Coalition (CC)
  • Leader: José Carlos Mauricio Rodr
  • Seats won in this Congress of Deputies election: 4
  • Seats won in last Congress of Deputies election: 4

Population and Registered Voters:

• Population: 40,263,216 (2000)
• Registered Voters: 33,969,640 (2000)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population:20,501,632 (2000)

·         Is Spain a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Spain ratified CEDAW: Yes (5 January 1984)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 99 (Congress of Deputies);63 (Senate) following the 2000 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 26 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low 

Disability Data:

·         Is Spain a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Spain ratified CRPD: Yes (3 December 2007)

·         Population with a disability: 6,039,482 (est.)