Chapter 710 - 329: Good Economic News

In fact, from the growth in the export scale of wine and various agricultural products, it can be seen that Spain’s economic situation has been getting better and better, one might say it is experiencing a relatively prosperous era.

For this reason, the per capita income in Spain is constantly rising, and the living standards and quality of life for residents are no longer among the lowest in Europe.

The improvement in living standards and quality has significantly increased Spain’s attractiveness to immigrants, leading to many immigrants and tourists coming to Spain each year.

They may be attracted by Spain’s landscapes, or perhaps they see more good opportunities to make money in Spain. In any case, many people choose to stay in Spain, giving up their original nationality.

These continuously arriving people not only stimulate population growth in Spain itself but also promote economic enhancement in Spain.

A few days after hearing Steward Loren’s report on the development of royal enterprises, Carlo attended a Cabinet Government meeting to listen to reports on various government developments in 1885.

Although Spain deployed tens of thousands of troops to launch an attack on the Sokoto Caliphate in 1885, such a small-scale action did not affect Spain’s economy and industrial production.

According to rough estimates by the Cabinet Government, the gross national product of Spain for the entire year of 1885 could reach the exaggerated level of 15.767 billion Pesseta, an increase of about 7% compared to last year.

In such a high-growth economic environment, according to statistics from the livelihood department, Spain’s per capita annual income has also grown to 212.17 Pesseta.

This average annual income figure includes all non-productive elderly and children, which means the actual income level of Spain’s adult workforce is higher.

Take Spain’s working class as an example. The income levels of workers in the two big cities of Madrid and Barcelona are the highest, reaching 287.33 Pesseta and 253.57 Pesseta respectively.

Due to the presence of many apprentices and lower-skilled workers in the Barcelona Industrial Base, the income level of workers in Barcelona is somewhat lower than in Madrid.

However, with the improvement of these workers’ technical abilities, the income level of workers in Barcelona is also continuously increasing. Moreover, Barcelona itself is also a big city, and their income level is only second to Madrid across Spain.

It is worth mentioning that amid the continuous growth of Spain’s per capita income, the salaries of Spanish soldiers are also continuously increasing.

Currently, based on the expenditure ratio of the Defense Department, the average annual income of Spanish soldiers is approximately 287.32 Pesseta.

Among them, senior officers have the highest annual income, with the lowest brigadier generals having an annual income of 1755 Pesseta, and the highest generals having an annual income exceeding 3525 Pesseta.

Compared to senior officers, the income of field officers is slightly lower, but there are far more field officers than senior officers. It is worth mentioning that throughout Spain, the field officers exhibit a pattern of having more majors and colonels, and fewer majors.

Many officers who lack the qualifications or abilities to reach brigadier general are forced to remain at the rank of colonel. The abundance of majors is due to those who graduated earliest as Lieutenants and Captains from military academies, achieving rank promotions after several years or even more than 10 years of military career, relying on certain qualifications and military merits.

Although these graduates from the Royal Military Academy can quickly gain rank promotions within a few years after graduation, generally being promoted to the rank of Major around the age of 30.

But rising to the rank of Major is a small barrier, requiring either the accumulation of sufficient qualifications or the establishment of certain merits to be promoted.

This has also led to many field officers without military merit being stuck at the rank of Major, which is also the reason for the pattern of having more Majors and Colonels and fewer Majors in Spain.

Field officers at the rank of Colonel can earn an income of 1025 Pesseta per year, exactly five times the average annual income in Spain.

Meanwhile, the income for the lowest field officer rank of Major is relatively low, with a salary of about 775 Pesseta.

As for the most numerous Lieutenant officers, their income is actually several times the average annual income in Spain. The highest-ranked Captain receives an annual income of 575 Pesseta, while the lowest-ranked Warrant Officer also has an income of 425 Pesseta annually.

The income of non-commissioned officers is the lowest among all military ranks in Spain. The annual income of a Sergeant Second Class is only 300 Pesseta, and for each rank increase, the annual income can increase by about 25 Pesseta.

In fact, from the standard salary of officers, it can be seen that even the lowest rank of Sergeant Second Class earns more than ordinary soldiers.

As long as one can obtain rank promotion, even if stuck at the rank of Sergeant First or Second Class for life, the income would still be much more than that of ordinary soldiers.

Moreover, officers have more additional welfare subsidies, and these welfare subsidies together can increase one’s income by about 20-30%.

As a result, the income gap between officers and ordinary soldiers is widened completely, which is also why military academies in Spain are popular.

Whether it’s a regular military academy that high school graduates can apply to or a training military academy that ordinary soldiers can apply for, both can lead to quick rank promotions in a short time.

For example, those who apply to these military academies as ordinary high school students, once they graduate successfully, can at least achieve the rank of Lieutenant. The corresponding salary for the rank of Lieutenant is 525 Pesseta annually, and with various welfare subsidies, actual income can even exceed 600 Pesseta.