The series started with the opening stage of the Tour Down Under on 20 January, and concluded with Il Lombardia on 4 October.
The Movistar Team rider finished 201 points clear of his closest rival and compatriot Joaquim Rodríguez of Team Katusha, while Colombian rider Nairo Quintana was third – also for the Movistar Team – 17 points behind Rodríguez and 218 points in arrears of Valverde.
The nations' rankings was comfortably headed by Spain, with a points advantage of 839 over Italy, who moved into second at the final race with Vincenzo Nibali's victory at Il Lombardia.
The UCI WorldTeams competed in the World Tour, with UCI Professional Continental teams, or national squads, able to enter at the discretion of the organisers of each event.
The national rankings, as of 15 August, were also used to determine how many riders a country could have in the World Championships.