The Romanized Iberian populations and the Iberian-born descendants of Roman soldiers and colonists - had all achieved the status of full Roman citizenship by the end of the 1st century. The Emperors Trajan (r. 98-117), Hadrian (r. 117-38), and Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-80) were born in Hispania.

From the start Hispania was prosperous, relying upon several staple products for its economic health. Foremost of its exports were minerals; it supplied the Empire with most of its gold, silver, lead, iron, copper and tin. Pliny the Elder wrote of the production capacities of Lusitania where there were many tin and copper mines. The other major export was agriculture. Much of Hispania was fertile, with rivers and valleys offering an environment for produce in such abundance that the inhabitants of Hispania could feed themselves and then supply Italy and Rome. The types of food represented the diversity of the local climates. Hispania sent Rome wheat, olive oil, wine, fruits and vegetables. Large cattle herds provided beef, and the coasts offered another type of harvest, fish.

Hispania provided the Roman legions with soldiers of remarkable stamina, bred in the mountains and fields. Two functions of recruiting in Hispania were to supply the legions and auxiliaries in Tarraconensis and to provide troops for other regions. By the middle of the 2nd century AD, however, such recruitment was difficult because of urban development. Secondly, the evolution of these centers, out of the traditional Celtic cantons, made the Iberians and Celtiberians reluctant to march off to war in the service of Rome.