An exit poll gave Spain's ruling conservative Popular Party the largest share of the votes, 26.8 percent, in Sunday's general election but said the party looked set to lose its absolute majority in parliament.
New anti-austerity party Podemos, a close ally of Greece's ruling Syriza, came in second with 21.7 per cent support, according to the poll of 177,000 voters carried out across the country for public television TVE.
The main opposition Socialist party looked set to come in third place with 20.5 percent support while new centre-right party Ciudadanos came in fouth place with 15.2 per cent of the vote.
The results would give Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy 114-118 seats in the 350-seat parliament, well below the 176 needed for an absolute majority and down from 186 seats in the outgoing parliament.
The Socialists would be the second biggest force in the assembly with 81-85 seats while Podemos would have 76-80 seats. Ciudadanos would take 47-50 seats.
Such a result would force the Popular Party to form an uneasy alliance with another political grouping or attempt to rule as a minority government.
