Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Spain
Spain: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 14.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Spain, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Spain recorded 14.6% for share of urban population who live in the largest city in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Spain peaked at 14.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 1950.
Spain ranks 146th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 8.8% | 8.5% | 9.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 10.0% | 9.7% | 10.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 11.3% | 11.3% | 11.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | 11.8% | 12.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.2% | 12.7% | 13.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 14.6% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More population data for Spain
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.24 million people (2100)
- Population density 66.29 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.1 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 429,333 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.1 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.1 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.21 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Spain?
- Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Spain was 14.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 14.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 1950.
- How does Spain rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
- Spain ranks 146th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.