2016 Spanish general election

The **2016 Spanish general election** was held on Sunday, 26 June 2016, to elect the 12th Cortes Generales of the Kingdom of Spain. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 208 of 266 seats in the Senate.

Opinion polling going into the election predicted a growing polarisation between this alliance and the People's Party (PP), which would be fighting to maintain first place nationally.

In the end, the alliance suffered a surprise decline in votes and vote share compared to the previous election, while the PP increased its number of votes and seats. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), while clinging on to second place, kept losing votes and seats and scored a new historical low.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was re-elected as Prime Minister for a second term in office on 29 October amid public outcry and protest.

## Infobox (election)

- **election name**: 2016 Spanish general election
- **country**: Spain
- **type**: parliamentary
- **ongoing**: no
- **previous election**: 2015 Spanish general election
- **previous year**: 2015
- **next election**: April 2019 Spanish general election
- **next year**: 2019 (Apr)
- **outgoing members**: Members of the 11th Cortes Generales
- **seats for election**: All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 208 (of 266) seats in the Senate of Spain, Senate
176 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
- **opinion polls**: Opinion polling for the 2016 Spanish general election
- **registered**: 36,520,913 0.0%
- **turnout**: 24,279,259 (66.5%)
3.2 Percentage point, pp
- **election date**: 26 June 2016
- **image1**:
- **leader1**: Mariano Rajoy
- **party1**: People's Party (Spain)
- **leader since1**: 2 September 2003
- **leaders seat1**: Madrid (Congress of Deputies constituency), Madrid
- **last election1**: 123 seats, 28.7%
- **seats1**: 137
- **seat change1**: 14
- **popular vote1**: 7,941,236
- **percentage1**: 33.0%
- **swing1**: 4.3 Percentage point, pp
- **image2**:
- **leader2**: Pedro Sánchez
- **party2**: Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
- **leader since2**: 2014 Extraordinary Federal Congress of the PSOE, 26 July 2014
- **leaders seat2**: Madrid (Congress of Deputies constituency), Madrid
- **last election2**: 90 seats, 22.0%
- **seats2**: 85
- **seat change2**: 5
- **popular vote2**: 5,443,846
- **percentage2**: 22.6%
- **swing2**: 0.6 Percentage point, pp
- **image3**:
- **leader3**: Pablo Iglesias Turrión, Pablo Iglesias
- **party3**: Unidos Podemos
- **leader since3**: 15 November 2014
- **leaders seat3**: Madrid (Congress of Deputies constituency), Madrid
- **last election3**: 71 seats, 24.5%
- **seats3**: 71
- **seat change3**: 0
- **popular vote3**: 5,087,538
- **percentage3**: 21.2%
- **swing3**: 3.3 Percentage point, pp
- **image4**:
- **leader4**: Albert Rivera
- **party4**: Citizens (Spanish political party), C's
- **colour4**: EB6109
- **leader since4**: 9 July 2006
- **leaders seat4**: Madrid (Congress of Deputies constituency), Madrid
- **last election4**: 40 seats, 13.9%
- **seats4**: 32
- **seat change4**: 8
- **popular vote4**: 3,141,570
- **percentage4**: 13.1%
- **swing4**: 0.8 Percentage point, pp
- **image5**:
- **leader5**: Gabriel Rufián
- **party5**: Republican Left of Catalonia–Catalonia Yes, ERC–CatSí
- **leader since5**: 7 November 2015
- **leaders seat5**: Barcelona (Congress of Deputies constituency), Barcelona
- **last election5**: 9 seats, 2.4%
- **seats5**: 9
- **seat change5**: 0
- **popular vote5**: 639,652
- **percentage5**: 2.7%
- **swing5**: 0.3 Percentage point, pp
- **image6**:
- **leader6**: Francesc Homs Molist, Francesc Homs
- **party6**: Democratic Convergence of Catalonia
- **leader since6**: 6 November 2015
- **leaders seat6**: Barcelona (Congress of Deputies constituency), Barcelona
- **last election6**: 8 seats, 2.2%
- **seats6**: 8
- **seat change6**: 0
- **popular vote6**: 483,488
- **percentage6**: 2.0%
- **swing6**: 0.2 Percentage point, pp
- **map image**: 2016 Spanish general election map.svg
- **map size**: x315px
- **map caption**: Election results by Congress of Deputies constituency
- **title**: Prime Minister of Spain, Prime Minister
- **posttitle**: Prime Minister after election
- **before election**: Mariano Rajoy (acting)
- **before party**: People's Party (Spain)
- **after election**: Mariano Rajoy
- **after party**: People's Party (Spain)