Signal 80 percent of Spain's population lived in cities in 2024, up from 72 percent in the 1980s

Summary

The report says urbanisation in Spain has kept advancing, with 80 percent of the population living in cities in 2024 compared with 72 percent in the 1980s. Rural municipalities lost residents continuously, with the 2010s standing out as one of the sharpest recent periods. The report explains that concentration in large cities raises efficiency in delivering services, fosters innovation and the exchange of ideas and attracts talent, generating growth and jobs. The flip side is rural depopulation, weakening local activities such as farming, access to education and healthcare, land management, social ties and traditions. COVID-19 marked a turning point in that rural decline, with small municipalities gaining residents between 2019 and 2022. The report regards the territorial distribution of population as one of the factors shaping a country's long-term economic and social progress.