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;

Population in the largest city (% of urban population) in Spain was reported at 16.99 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Spain - Population in the largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

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.

As of January 2025, Andalusia was the most populated autonomous community in Spain, with a total amount of approximately 8.6 million inhabitants. Catalonia and Madrid followed closely, with populations amounting to approximately eight million and seven million respectively. The population in Spain has also been analyzed by gender and autonomous community.

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.

Population in largest city in Spain was reported at 6783241 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Spain - Population in largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

The population density of Spain maintained a steadily at a rate of over 92 inhabitants per square kilometers in the last decade, with the latest figures revealing a density of 95 people per square kilometer in 2022. Spain’s degree of urbanization is rather high, with levels reaching over 81 percent of urbanization in the country. Andalusia, with a total number of 8.6 million inhabitants, ranked first on the list of most populous autonomous communities in Spain.

Population density: a world of contrast

Spain is far from the European Union’s average population density, which stood at approximately 111.89 people per square kilometer in 2021, that is, a difference of over 17 people per square meter below the average. Monaco, the country with the highest population density in the world, featured about 24,621 inhabitants per square kilometer, making Spain’s population density look minimal. The results in Macao were very similar, with a population density that reached over 21,000 people per square kilometer.

The re-population of a country

The population of Spain declined for many years during the economic recession, returning to a positive trend after 2015. The Spanish population is projected to increase by nearly two million by 2028 compared to 2024. Despite this expected increase, Spain has one of the lowest fertility rate in the European Union, with barely 1.29 children per woman according to the latest reports.

Censo de Población: Population by gender, age (year to year) and nationality (Spanish/foreign). Annual. Provinces.

ES: Population in Largest City data was reported at 6,403,902.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 6,312,017.000 Person for 2016. ES: Population in Largest City data is updated yearly, averaging 4,396,021.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,403,902.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,467,926.000 Person in 1960. ES: Population in Largest City 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 urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;

In 1500, the largest city was Paris, with an estimated 225 thousand inhabitants, almost double the population of the second-largest city, Naples. As in 1330, Venice and Milan remain the third and fourth largest cities in Western Europe, however Genoa's population almost halved from 1330 until 1500, as it was struck heavily by the bubonic plague in the mid-1300s. In lists prior to this, the largest cities were generally in Spain and Italy, however, as time progressed, the largest populations could be found more often in Italy and France. The year 1500 is around the beginning of what we now consider modern history, a time that saw the birth of many European empires and inter-continental globalization.

As of January 2025, roughly 25.01 million women lived in Spain, thus outnumbering men by about 980,000. A report on expected population of EU member states forecasts the number of Spanish inhabitants growing to 49.9 million by 2050, which would make the Mediterranean nation the fourth most populated country in the EU, after Germany, France and Italy. Data relating to the population of Spain by gender and autonomous community shows the most populous region was Andalusia, with 4.4 million females and 4.2 million males, followed by the communities of Catalonia and Madrid. Moroccans made up the largest share of foreign nationals living in Spain, closely followed by Romanian nationals.

The total population in Spain was estimated at 49.1 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Spain Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

With over ************* inhabitants, Madrid ranked as the most populated province in Spain as of 2025. In the second place was Barcelona, with a population of almost *********** people. Only ** out of the ** Spanish provinces had over a million inhabitants at that time.