Carlo knew that Spain was quite backward at the time, but he did not expect that Spain's development in all aspects could be so far behind.
As of the beginning of this year, Spain's estimated population was 16.6 million. Why such a rounded figure? Because at that time, the Spanish government was simply unable to conduct a detailed population census; this was merely a rough estimate based on local birth and death records.
The critical issue is that Spain has an illiteracy rate exceeding 70%. This means that out of a population of 16.6 million, at least 11.6 million are illiterate.
Poor education levels, coupled with the chaotic situation in recent years, have resulted in Spain having one of the lowest per capita annual incomes in Western Europe, at only 87 pesetas, or a little over 3 pou
