Spain's Population: 47.4 Million (2021) — Trends and Demographics

According to World Bank and INE (Spain's National Statistics Institute) data:

• 2020: 47.33 million (World Bank)
• 2021: 47,431,261 (INE provisional)
• 2023: ~48.6 million (INE continuous register — includes foreign residents)

Key Demographic Trends

• Aging: Median age ~45 (EU highest); 20% >65; fertility 1.16 (2022) — far below replacement.
• Immigration-driven growth: 2022–23 net migration +500k+ (Colombia, Morocco, Venezuela, Romania, Italy, UK); offsets natural decrease.
• Urban concentration: Madrid (6.7M metro), Barcelona (5.6M), Valencia (1.6M), Seville, Bilbao, Málaga.
• Depopulation: "Empty Spain" (España vaciada) — interior provinces losing population; >50% municipalities <1,000 residents.

Regional Distribution (2023)

• Andalusia: 8.5M
• Catalonia: 8.0M
• Madrid: 7.0M
• Valencia: 5.3M
• Galicia: 2.7M
• Canary Islands: 2.2M
• Basque Country: 2.2M
• Castile and León: 2.4M

Implications

• Pension system pressure; healthcare demand; labor shortages (filled by migrants).
• Housing affordability in cities vs. abandonment in rural areas.
• Political: Catalan/ Basque nationalism; demographic weight shifts.

Spain's population is growing slightly but aging rapidly—immigration is the sole demographic engine.