Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Key facts and a structured country profile. 🧾 Change log 📐 True Size
Locator 🗺️ Map
29,733 (2025 est.)
7 sq km
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
🧭 Background
Spain reluctantly ceded the strategically important Gibraltar to Great Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, and the British garrison at Gibraltar was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. After the UK granted Gibraltar autonomy in 1969, Spain closed the border and severed all communication links. Between 1997 and 2002, the UK and Spain held a series of talks on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against sharing sovereignty with Spain. Since 2004, Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar have held tripartite talks to resolve problems that affect the local population, and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services, communications and maritime security, legal and customs services, environmental protection, and education and visa services. A new noncolonial constitution came into force in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in 2008. The UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability. Spain and the UK continue to spar over the territory. In 2009, for example, a dispute over Gibraltar's claim to territorial waters extending out three miles gave rise to periodic non-violent maritime confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols. Spain renewed its demands for an eventual return of Gibraltar to Spanish control after the UK’s 2016 vote to leave the EU, but London has dismissed any connection between the vote and its sovereignty over Gibraltar.
🗺️ Geography
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
36 08 N, 5 21 W
Europe
7 sq km
6.5 sq km
0 sq km
More than 10 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
1.2 km
Spain 1.2 km
12 km
3 nm
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
A narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
None
0% (2022 est.)
0% (2022 est.)
100% (2022 est.)
NA
Occasional droughts; no streams or large bodies of water on the peninsula (all potable water comes from desalination)
Strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
👥 People and Society⬆️ Top
29,733 (2025 est.)
14,923
14,810
Gibraltarian(s)
Gibraltar
Gibraltarian 79%, other British 13.2%, Spanish 2.1%, Moroccan 1.6%, other EU 2.4%, other 1.6% (2012 est.)
English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Roman Catholic 72.1%, Church of England 7.7%, other Christian 3.8%, Muslim 3.6%, Jewish 2.4%, Hindu 2%, other 1.1%, none 7.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2012 est.)
20% (male 3,045/female 2,895)
62.5% (male 9,383/female 9,179)
17.5% (2024 est.) (male 2,491/female 2,690)
60 (2025 est.)
32.1 (2025 est.)
28 (2025 est.)
3.6 (2025 est.)
37.1 years (2025 est.)
36.2 years
37.5 years
0.16% (2025 est.)
13.55 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
-3.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
100% of total population (2023)
0.45% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
35,000 GIBRALTAR (capital) (2018)
1.05 male(s)/female
1.05 male(s)/female
1.02 male(s)/female
0.93 male(s)/female
1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
5.2 deaths/1,000 live births
80.9 years (2024 est.)
78.1 years
83.8 years
1.88 children born/woman (2025 est.)
0.92 (2025 est.)
Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
8.6% national budget (2025 est.)
🌿 Environment⬆️ Top
Limited natural freshwater resources
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
0% (2022 est.)
0% (2022 est.)
100% (2022 est.)
100% of total population (2023)
0.45% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
15.608 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
15.458 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
150,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
17,000 tons (2024 est.)
🏛️ Government⬆️ Top
None
Gibraltar
From the Spanish derivation of the Arabic jabal tariq, which means "Mountain of Tariq" and refers to the Berber chief who captured the peninsula in A.D. 711
Parliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Overseas territory of the UK
Gibraltar
36 08 N, 5 21 W
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
From the Spanish derivation of the Arabic jabal tariq, which means "Mountain of Tariq" and refers to the Berber chief who captured the peninsula in A.D. 711
The laws of the UK apply
Previous 1969; latest passed by referendum 30 November 2006, entered into effect 14 December 2006, entered into force 2 January 2007
Proposed by Parliament and requires prior consent of the British monarch (through the Secretary of State); passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote in Parliament followed by simple majority vote in a referendum; note – only sections 1 through 15 in Chapter 1 (Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms) can be amended by Parliament
See United Kingdom
18 years of age; universal; and British citizens with six months residence or more
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Sir David STEEL (since 11 June 2020)
Chief Minister Fabian PICARDO (since 9 December 2011)
Council of Ministers appointed from among the 17 elected members of Parliament by the governor, in consultation with the chief minister
The monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as chief minister
Parliament
Unicameral
18 (17 directly elected, 1 appointed)
Plurality/majority
Full renewal
4 years
10/12/2023
GSLP-Liberal Alliance (9) (GSLP 7, LPG 2); GSD (8)
38.5%
October 2027
Court of Appeal (consists of at least 3 judges, including the court president); Supreme Court of Gibraltar (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges)
Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judges appointed by the governor upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 7-member body of judges and appointees of the governor; tenure of the Court of Appeal president based on terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice and judges normally appointed until retirement at age 67, but tenure can be extended 3 years
Court of First Instance; Magistrates' Court; specialized tribunals for issues relating to social security, taxes, and employment
Gibraltar Liberal Party or Liberal Party of Gibraltar or LPG Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP GSLP-Liberal Alliance Together Gibraltar or TG
None (overseas territory of the UK)
None (overseas territory of the UK)
ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), UPU
None (overseas territory of the UK)
National Day, 10 September (1967)
Description: two horizontal bands of white (top, double-width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; a gold key hangs from the castle gate and is centered in the red band meaning: the castle symbolizes Gibraltar as a fortress, and the key represents Gibraltar's strategic importance -- the key to the Mediterranean history: the design comes from Gibraltar's coat of arms, which King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted on 10 July 1502
Barbary partridge
Red, white, yellow
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted this coat of arms to Gibraltar in 1502; the castle in the center of the shield represents Gibraltar as a fortress, and the gold key represents its strategic position as the gateway to the Mediterranean; below the shield is the national motto, Montis Insignia Calpe (“Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar”); the coat of arms uses the national colors of red, white, and yellow
"God Save the King"
Unknown
Official anthem, as an overseas UK territory
💹 Economy⬆️ Top
British territorial high-income economy; Brexit caused significant economic disruption to longstanding financial services, shipping, and tourism industries; ongoing negotiations to rejoin EU Schengen Area; independent taxation authority
$2.044 billion (2014 est.)
None
Tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco
Netherlands 38%, France 26%, Cyprus 7%, Poland 7%, Sweden 6% (2023)
Refined petroleum, natural gas, ships, cars, scrap iron (2023)
Italy 26%, Greece 12%, Spain 10%, Netherlands 9%, India 9% (2023)
Refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal tar oil, natural gas, ships (2023)
Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar -
0.782 (2024 est.)
0.805 (2023 est.)
0.811 (2022 est.)
0.727 (2021 est.)
0.78 (2020 est.)
⚡ Energy⬆️ Top
100% (2022 est.)
50,000 kW (2023 est.)
213.744 million kWh (2023 est.)
6.256 million kWh (2023 est.)
100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
91,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
77.196 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
77.196 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
📡 Communications⬆️ Top
17,200 (2022 est.)
46 (2022 est.)
36,700 (2022 est.)
98 (2022 est.)
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides TV and radio services via 1 TV station and 4 radio stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1 radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are accessible
.gi
94% (2016 est.)
23,000 (2022 est.)
61 (2022 est.)
🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top
VP-G
1 (2025)
129 (2023)
Bulk carrier 8, container ship 5, general cargo 31, oil tanker 16, other 69
1 (2024)
0
1
0
0
1
Europa Point
🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top
Royal Gibraltar Regiment (UK) (2025)
Defense is the responsibility of the UK
Source: Factbook JSON archive.