Madrid, Spain Population

Population in Urban Area, now

6,701,194
  • World: 58th
  • Europe: 4th
  • Spain: 1st

Population in City Area, 2022-03-09

3,255,944
  • World: 80th
  • Europe: 5th
  • Spain: 1st

Madrid Urban Area Population Graph

Madrid Population Review

Madrid is the capital of and the most populous city in Spain. It has 6.6 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area and 3.2 million in the city area. It is the second-largest city in the European Union, surpassed only in Berlin. Madrid covers 604 square kilometers. Madrid is the seat of the country’s government and the residence of the Spanish monarch and is considered the political, economic, and cultural center of Spain.

The population has grown steadily in the past 20 years, going from 4.4 million people in 1991 to its current population of 6.6 million. The city’s population has started to flat line and is not expected to grow much more in the coming years. By 2035, the city is estimated to only gain another 300,000 residents.

An influential city

Madrid is home to many powerful headquarters and influential organizations. These include the headquarters of the UN’s World Tourism Organization, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the Ibero-American General Secretariat, and the Public Interest Oversight Board. It also hosts the Madrid Fashion Week, which attracts over 40,000 visitors and 42 leading designers.

Household income

The household income and spending in Madrid are 12% above the country’s average. The city is also more affluent overall, with 43% of the population classified as wealthy—compared to 28% throughout the rest of the country. The proportion of people who are considered at risk of falling into poverty is at 15%, which is quite a bit lower than country’s average of 21%.

Although the price of residential properties has dropped by almost 40% since 2007, the city’s real estate prices are still only second to London in cost per square footage.

A strong economy

Madrid is one of the largest financial centres in Europe and the largest in Spain. 72% of the country’s 2000 businesses are headquartered in Madrid and the city has 17 universities and 30 research centres.

While the service sector does dominate a good portion of the economy, Madrid is still the second-largest industrial centre after Barcelona, with specialities in high-tech production. Madrid’s advantages have been key in allowing it to capture a large part of foreign investment that has been coming into Spain.

Falling birth rates

Precarious financial situations amongst many young couples have meant that 2019 saw the lowest fertility rate in the country yet. Madrid is one of only three regions in the country that saw more births than deaths during the first six months of 2019. While birth rates are falling, life expectancy has increased and is up to 82 years of age.

Cuisine of Madrid

The dishes of Madrid are an amalgamation of the foods that other communities specialized in that were absorbed by the expanding city. Tapas are very common in Madrid. These small, varied dishes were originally created as a way to stop stagecoach drivers from becoming too inebriated as they travelled from tavern to tavern picking up customers. It was mandated that they have small meals with their drinks to make them not such a menace on the road. These days, tapas are entirely optional but widely enjoyed and recommended. Those partaking visit several bars and order from the variety of dishes, which are then shared amongst the group dining.

The most successful football club

Real Madrid FC is, according to FIFA, the most successful football club of the twentieth century. Founded in 1902, the football club hosts games out of their stadium in Chamartín, in the north of Madrid. The stadium holds more than 81,000 spectators and the football club have never dropped down to second division. The club is also in the process of building a new, larger stadium to install the retractable roof that will cover the new stadium.

Review Updated: October 2, 2020

Madrid Urban Area Population History

1950 1,700,000
1951 1,761,000
1952 1,822,000
1953 1,885,000
1954 1,950,000
1955 2,018,000
1956 2,087,000
1957 2,160,000
1958 2,234,000
1959 2,311,000
1960 2,392,000
1961 2,480,000
1962 2,579,000
1963 2,681,000
1964 2,788,000
1965 2,898,000
1966 3,013,000
1967 3,133,000
1968 3,257,000
1969 3,386,000
1970 3,521,000
1971 3,622,000
1972 3,688,000
1973 3,754,000
1974 3,821,000
1975 3,890,000
1976 3,960,000
1977 4,031,000
1978 4,104,000
1979 4,178,000
1980 4,253,000
1981 4,308,000
1982 4,319,000
1983 4,331,000
1984 4,343,000
1985 4,355,000
1986 4,366,000
1987 4,378,000
1988 4,390,000
1989 4,402,000
1990 4,414,000
1991 4,442,000
1992 4,502,000
1993 4,563,000
1994 4,625,000
1995 4,688,000
1996 4,751,000
1997 4,816,000
1998 4,881,000
1999 4,947,000
2000 5,014,000
2001 5,082,000
2002 5,155,000
2003 5,230,000
2004 5,306,000
2005 5,383,000
2006 5,462,000
2007 5,541,000
2008 5,622,000
2009 5,704,000
2010 5,787,000
2011 5,872,000
2012 5,957,000
2013 6,044,000
2014 6,132,000
2015 6,221,000
2016 6,312,000
2017 6,404,000
2018 6,497,000
2019 6,559,000
2020 6,618,000
2021 6,669,000
2022 6,714,000
2023 6,751,000
2024 6,783,000

Madrid Urban Area Population Projections

2025 6,811,000
2026 6,834,000
2027 6,855,000
2028 6,874,000
2029 6,891,000
2030 6,907,000
2031 6,922,000
2032 6,936,000
2033 6,950,000
2034 6,963,000
2035 6,975,000

Map of Madrid, Spain

All Biggest Cities in Spain