This publication of the Continuous Population Statistics disseminates, for the first time, data on the main municipalities and provincial capitals as of 1 January 2026, as well as their difference with respect to 1 January 2025.
The resident population in Spain increased by 97,021 persons in the first quarter of the year, and stood at 49,687,120 inhabitants as of 1 April 2026. This is the highest-ever figure since records began.
In annual terms, estimated population growth was 459,462 people.
Provisional data since 1 April 2025.
This growth in Spain's population was due to an increase in the number of people born abroad, since the number of births in Spain decreased. The population born abroad (10,154,722 people) was greater than that of Spanish nationality, due to the processes of acquiring Spanish citizenship.
Thus, the number of foreigners rose by 94,182 during the quarter, reaching 7,346,414. The population of Spanish nationals increased by 2,839.
First quarter 2026
The number of households stood at 19,812,292 on 1 April 2026, with an increase of 52,943 during the first quarter 2026.
Provisional data.
The main nationalities of immigrants during the first quarter of 2026 were Colombian (with 38,600 arrivals in Spain), Ukrainian (25,700) and Venezuelan (21,200).
On the other hand, the most numerous nationalities of emigrants were Moroccans (with 11,700 departures), Colombians (11,200), Venezuelans and Romanians (5,100 each).
First quarter 2026
First quarter 2026
During the first quarter of 2026, the population rose in all autonomous communities and cities, except in Canarias and Melilla. The greatest increases were registered in Comunitat Valenciana (0.39%), Castilla-La Mancha (0.36%), and Región de Murcia (0.33%).
Variation between the first quarter of 2026 and the fourth quarter of 2025. Percentage
Among the main cities, the largest relative population increases in 2025 occurred in Torrevieja (4.6%), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (2.9%), and Roquetas de Mar (2.6%). The largest decreases were in Cadiz (-0.6%), Cordoba (-0.4%) and Santa Coloma de Gramenet (-0.3%).
Percentage
The CPS data is provisional from the latest census published. For population data, the provisional category will be revised quarterly until a new population census is published at the end of the year, and will be included as definitive resident population as soon as possible, before the next publication of the ECP (February of the following year).
The population data for residents in the main municipalities and provincial capitals published in May will not be revised until the publication of a new annual population census.
Population data on family dwellings and households are also provisional and are revised every quarter until the publication of a new housing census (it has no established periodicity), which will become definitive. Meanwhile, the migration data constitute only a first estimation. The definitive statistics are published in the Statistics on Migrations and Changes of Residence, which is published annually.
All the results of this operation are available at INEbase.
The purpose of the Continuous Population Statistics (CPS) is to provide a quantitative measurement of the population habitually resident in Spain, of the population resident in family dwellings and of the number of households. The population series are disaggregated by sex, year of birth, age, country of nationality and country of birth. The series of households are disaggregated by household and number of numbers.
The CPS always contains two types of data: definitive (until the latest published census), and provisional (since the last published census).
In addition, the CPS offers a first estimate of the external migrations detected during the quarter, for the main nationalities and countries of birth. These series will not be revised.
For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardised methodological report.
INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and the Code of Best Practices.
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