Spain: Unrecognisable From Forty Years Ago

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I read an article recently which highlighted just how much Spain has changed since the death of Franco in 1975 and the adoption of the new constitution in 1978. Whilst many countries have experienced significant change in this period, Spain's transition from a dictatorship, under which industries producing poor quality goods were protected, to a modern democracy with an open economy, has seen a seismic shift. Entry into the European Union in 1986 has undoubtedly been one of the motors behind this change. Spain is still a net beneficiary of EU funds, although to a lesser extent than in the past, and this, together with a desire for political stability, explains why the Spanish are such enthusiastic Europeans. The table below shows just how great the change has been in the past forty years.