The Spanish language generates 15 percent GDP in Spain

The Spanish language and culture are generating increasing amounts of jobs, income for the state and a certain special attachment to the country for the thousands of people from other countries who learn it.

The economic value of the Spanish language – that is to say, the contribution of the Spanish language to GDP – is, according to previous studies, 15 per cent, defined by everything that revolves around the cultural and linguistic industry in Spain, for example: books, music or cinema. Those who govern our country should perhaps reflect upon this fact to lavish some more attention upon a treasure that belongs to us all. Those in Latin American should also take note in order to promote this industry that is rich across all areas: economy, culture, sentimental and the exchange of ideas.

Instituto Cervantes, Spain´s cultural body for the promotion of Spanish, is hoping to publish a second large and updated report around the start of summer, to find out by exactly how much this contribution has increased.

The Director of the Instituto Cervantes points out that Spain receives the highest amount of applications for Erasmus grants, to a large extent because the demand for learners of Spanish continues to grow. This growing demand is influenced by many factors, such as music, cinema, the proliferation of Spanish in the US and the number of Spanish speakers there.

It is important not to forget that Spanish is spoken by approximately 500 million people around the world. This growing phenomenon is particularly visible in English-speaking countries like the United States, where it has been calculated that by the year 2040, there will be more Spanish speakers than in the whole country of Mexico. Today, Mexico currently has a population of 100 million, and currently occupies first place in terms of Spanish speakers. It is interesting to note the fact quoted by the Director of the Institute Cervantes that “in the United States, those who speak English and Spanish to a high level, earn approximately $8,000 dollars more per year, according to statistics from various American companies.”

She also states that Spanish is no longer a language just exclusive to Spanish-speaking countries, “but to the whole American continent and, furthermore, it is the second most-studied language of international communication in the world, the second largest mother tongue after Chinese and the third most common language on the internet, all of which demonstrate that it is one of the most exportable and best known products abroad.”

The Director of Instituto Cervantes also emphasises the large amount of applications that her organisation receives to open new seats in some of the most remote areas in the world. “These are requests that we cannot agree to, not on account of the economic situation, but simply because opening and inaugurating a new Instituto Cervantes is not easy. This is why we are committing ourselves to the Internet so much, so then all you really need in order to learn Spanish is an Internet connection.” However, the Director is of the opinion that more work will have to be done within the Asia-Pacific zone, since “we are not very present in this enormous zone.” She also adds that she wants to work harder on the United States because “there are lots of Spanish-speakers and we would like to be able to work with the universities, with the libraries and with the rich cultural tapestry of America.”