Autonomous communities of Spain by population

Andalusia had the highest population of 19 autonomous communities in 2020, at 8.46 million. Ceuta had the lowest, at 84,202. The median was 1.51 million and the figure for Spain was 47.45 million. Source: the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.

Highest8,464,411Andalusia
Lowest84,202Ceuta
Median1,511,25119 autonomous communities
Spain47,450,795History

All autonomous communities, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

AndalusiaAndalusia: 8,464,411 persons8,464,411CataloniaCatalonia: 7,780,479 persons7,780,479Community of MadridCommunity of Madrid: 6,779,888 persons6,779,888Valencian CommunityValencian Community: 5,057,353 persons5,057,353GaliciaGalicia: 2,701,819 persons2,701,819Castile and LeónCastile and León: 2,394,918 persons2,394,918Basque CountryBasque Country: 2,220,504 persons2,220,504Canary IslandsCanary Islands: 2,175,952 persons2,175,952Castilla-La ManchaCastilla-La Mancha: 2,045,221 persons2,045,221Region of MurciaRegion of Murcia: 1,511,251 persons1,511,251AragonAragon: 1,329,391 persons1,329,391Balearic IslandsBalearic Islands: 1,171,543 persons1,171,543ExtremaduraExtremadura: 1,063,987 persons1,063,987AsturiasAsturias: 1,018,784 persons1,018,784NavarreNavarre: 661,197 persons661,197CantabriaCantabria: 582,905 persons582,905La RiojaLa Rioja: 319,914 persons319,914MelillaMelilla: 87,076 persons87,076CeutaCeuta: 84,202 persons84,202
persons. Source: INE. Retrieved 2026-10-07.

Full ranking

RankAutonomous communities2020
persons
Change on 2019
1Andalusia8,464,411+0.6%
2Catalonia7,780,479+1.4%
3Community of Madrid6,779,888+1.7%
4Valencian Community5,057,353+1.1%
5Galicia2,701,819+0.1%
6Castile and León2,394,918-0.2%
7Basque Country2,220,504+0.6%
8Canary Islands2,175,952+1%
9Castilla-La Mancha2,045,221+0.6%
10Region of Murcia1,511,251+1.2%
11Aragon1,329,391+0.8%
12Balearic Islands1,171,543+1.9%
13Extremadura1,063,987-0.3%
14Asturias1,018,784-0.4%
15Navarre661,197+1.1%
16Cantabria582,905+0.3%
17La Rioja319,914+1%
18Melilla87,076+0.7%
19Ceuta84,202-0.7%

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population. Spain and the EU: 1 January, with Spanish figures from the official municipal register (Padrón). United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July. Other countries and the World: World Bank mid-year estimates, which count all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

For Denmark, Statistics Denmark counts the registered resident population on 1 January. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are excluded. The annual series selects the first-quarter reference date from FOLK1A. The World Bank series exists for every country, so use it (through compare) to rank countries on one basis.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the autonomous communities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). Cifras oficiales de población de los municipios españoles: Revisión del Padrón municipal (tabla 29005). https://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Tabla.htm?t=29005. Retrieved 2026-10-07.

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Questions

Which autonomous community has the highest population?

Andalusia, with 8.46 million in 2020, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.

Which autonomous community has the lowest population?

Ceuta, with 84,202 in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Cifras oficiales de población de los municipios españoles: Revisión del Padrón municipal (tabla 29005). Retrieved 2026-10-07.

Population: other rankings

Autonomous communities of Spain: more rankings