The prime minister of Spain is the head of government of Spain. There is no specific date as to when the office of Prime Minister first appeared as the role was not created, but rather evolved over a period of time through a merger of duties. Modern historians have not managed to agree who the first prime minister of Spain was, but Francisco Martínez de la Rosa was the first prime minister recognized by a constitutional law (the Spanish Royal Statute of 1834). In contemporary Spain, the first Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Spain since the approval of the Constitution was Adolfo Suárez. Due to the gradual evolution of the post, the title has been applied to early prime ministers retroactively. The following list therefore includes those who have been referred to as various other titles since the creation of the Council of Ministers in 1823. Since the reign of Philip V, prime ministers have received several names, such as First Secretary of State (until 1834), President of the Council of Ministers (1834–1868; 1874–1923; 1925–1939), President of the Executive Power (1874) or President of the Government (1973–present), among others. Between 1938 and 1973, the post of President of the Government was personally linked to the person serving as Head of State.

Before 1823

There is no specific date when the office of prime minister first appeared as the role was not created, but rather evolved over a period of time through merger of duties. The government was led by a Valido, a favourite of the Monarch or the ruling Regent. Since 1621, there was also a Secretary of State of the Universal Bureau (Secretario de Estado y del Despacho Universal), but this seems to have been rather a subordinate position. Later, the reforms introduced by Phillip V in the 1710s established several secretaries of state for specific government areas, and the secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Secretario de Estado y del Despacho de Estado) was eventually known as the First Secretary of State due to its de facto role as primer minister. This position was consolidated with the establishment of the Council of Ministers in 1823 which the First Secretary of State chaired over in the king's absence, and in 1834 the First Secretary of State became known as President of the Council of Ministers.

Secretaries of State and the Universal Bureau

First Secretaries of State

List of officeholders

Office title

Kingdom of Spain (1823–1868)

Governments: • • • • • •

Democratic Sexennium and First Republic (1868–1874)

Governments: • • • • • • •

Bourbon Restoration in Spain (1874–1931)

Governments: • • • • • • • • •

Second Spanish Republic (1931–1939)

Governments: • • • • • • • •

Francoist Spain (1936–1975)

Governments:

Kingdom of Spain (1975–present)

Governments:

Timeline