In 2024, Madrid was the city with the most inhabitants in Spain. In that year, more than 3.42 million people lived in the city. Barcelona was the second-largest city with 1.69 million residents.

Spain ES: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 17.171 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 17.008 % for 2016. Spain ES: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 15.595 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.171 % in 2017 and a record low of 14.326 % in 1960. Spain ES: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted average;

Andalusia, with a total number of 8.6 million inhabitants, ranked first on the list of most populous autonomous communities in Spain as of January 1st, 2025. The least populated regions of Spain were the two autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, both with a population of under 90,000 inhabitants that year. The population of Spain has been increasing for many years after experiencing a downward trend between 2012 and 2015, and is projected to grow by nearly half a million by 2027. The population of Spain is dying more than being born Spain has one of the lowest fertility rate in the European Union, with barely 1.29 children per woman. According to the most recent data, more people died in Spain than were being born in 2023, with figures reaching over 434,000 deaths versus 320,000 newborns. Immigration countered this trend One of the key points to balance out this population downtrend in Spain is immigration. Spain’s immigration figures finally started to pick up in 2015 after a downward trend that presumably initiated after the 2008 financial crisis. Nevertheless, Spaniards still migrate is much larger numbers than before the crisis. According to the latest data, nationals aged between 25 and 34 years represented the largest bulk of emigrants.

Madrid was the largest city in Spain in 2024, with around *** million inhabitants. Barcelona followed second, with nearly *** million people residing there. The most populated city in the Spanish islands that year was Palma de Mallorca.

Actual value and historical data chart for Spain Population In The Largest City Percent Of Urban Population

While Spain’s population has increased slightly since the year 2000, the share of the rural and urban populations has remained relatively constant, with Spain being a highly urban country. This consistently high urbanization is a consequence of both economic and social factors. The Spanish wealth is generated in the cities to a large extent Two thirds of Spain’s economic output, as divided across economic sectors, comes from the service sector, with only ***** percent originating from agriculture. Naturally, service-based economies are easiest when people live closely, while agricultural practices need more land, and thus a rural population. Of course, this also brings economic costs, such as the high living and housing costs in Madrid. What draws people into cities? Social factors also drive people to cities. For some, it is being closer to family or culture, such as art museums. For others, it is finding a large city with green spaces, like Madrid. For others, it is the opportunity to watch a game in a world-class soccer stadium, perhaps FC Barcelona. These and other factors continue to keep Spaniards in their cities.

Official population figures of the Spanish Municipalities: Revision of the Municipal Register: Population by Autonomous Community and Autonomous City and size of municipalities. Annual. Autonomous Communities and Cities.

Spain ES: Urban Population data was reported at 37,268,800.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 37,095,211.000 Person for 2016. Spain ES: Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 29,103,091.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37,268,800.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 17,227,480.000 Person in 1960. Spain ES: Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2014 Revision.; Sum;

This dataset is about cities in Spain. It has 488 rows. It features 4 columns: country, population, and longitude.

Spain ES: Urban Population Growth data was reported at 0.489 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.383 % for 2016. Spain ES: Urban Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 1.284 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.806 % in 1968 and a record low of -0.035 % in 2013. Spain ES: Urban Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Actual value and historical data chart for Spain Urban Population Percent Of Total

Spain ES: Urban Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 80.024 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 79.802 % for 2016. Spain ES: Urban Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 75.013 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 80.024 % in 2017 and a record low of 56.567 % in 1960. Spain ES: Urban Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects: 2014 Revision.; Weighted average;

Censo de Población: Population by gender, age (year to year) and nationality (Spanish/foreign) (province capitals and main cities). Annual. Municipalities.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Barcelona, Spain metro area from 1950 to 2025.

This horizontal bar chart displays male population (people) by capital city using the aggregation sum in Spain. The data is about countries per year.

In 2025, approximately 23 million people lived in the São Paulo metropolitan area, making it the biggest in Latin America and the Caribbean and the sixth most populated in the world. The homonymous state of São Paulo was also the most populous federal entity in the country. The second place for the region was Mexico City with 22.75 million inhabitants. Brazil's cities Brazil is home to two large metropolises, only counting the population within the city limits, São Paulo had approximately 11.45 million inhabitants, and Rio de Janeiro around 6.21 million inhabitants. It also contains a number of smaller, but well known cities such as Brasília, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and many others, which report between 2 and 3 million inhabitants each. As a result, the country's population is primarily urban, with nearly 88 percent of inhabitants living in cities. Mexico City Mexico City's metropolitan area ranks sevenths in the ranking of most populated cities in the world. Founded over the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in 1521 after the Spanish conquest as the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, the city still stands as one of the most important in Latin America. Nevertheless, the preeminent economic, political, and cultural position of Mexico City has not prevented the metropolis from suffering the problems affecting the rest of the country, namely, inequality and violence. Only in 2023, the city registered a crime incidence of 52,723 reported cases for every 100,000 inhabitants and around 24 percent of the population lived under the poverty line.

Continuous Register Statistics: Population (Spanish/foreigners) by age (year to year) and sex. Annual. Provinces.

Spain ES: Population Living in Slums: % of Urban Population data was reported at 5.500 % in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.800 % for 2016. Spain ES: Population Living in Slums: % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 6.650 % from Dec 2016 (Median) to 2018, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.800 % in 2016 and a record low of 5.500 % in 2018. Spain ES: Population Living in Slums: % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population living in slums is the proportion of the urban population living in slum households. A slum household is defined as a group of individuals living under the same roof lacking one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, housing durability, and security of tenure, as adopted in the Millennium Development Goal Target 7.D. The successor, the Sustainable Development Goal 11.1.1, considers inadequate housing (housing affordability) to complement the above definition of slums/informal settlements.;United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT);Weighted average;

The share of urban population in Spain amounted to 81.55 percent in 2023. In a steady upward trend, the share rose by 24.98 percentage points from 1960.

Spain ES: Rural Population data was reported at 9,277,148.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9,371,187.000 Person for 2016. Spain ES: Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 9,980,651.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13,227,520.000 Person in 1960 and a record low of 9,277,148.000 Person in 2017. Spain ES: Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Sum;