Spain’s income picture, drawn from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) data, shows how some areas shine while others struggle. In 2019, Pozuelo de Alarcón in Madrid stood at the top of the income ladder with about 26,367 euros per person, followed by Boadilla del Monte with 21,976 euros and Sant Cugat del Vallès in Barcelona with 21,122 euros. These three sit prominently among 416 municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants, illustrating clear regional disparities in average income across the country (INE data, 2019).
Conversely, the lower end of the spectrum features Níjar in Almería with an average around 7,097 euros. Vícar, also in Almería, reached 7,634 euros, and Los Palacios y Villafranca in Seville posted about 8,054 euros. These figures reflect how similarly sized communities can diverge dramatically in income levels, highlighting the geographic spread of economic opportunity (INE data, 2019).
When the analysis narrows to urban neighborhoods, the picture becomes even more specific. The highest average annual net income per capita in 2019 was reported in a trio of Madrid neighborhoods: Castile, with 42,107 euros; Piovera, with 37,212 euros; and the next two spots held by Recoletos in Madrid at 35,613 euros and Pedralbes in Barcelona at 34,522 euros. These areas demonstrate the concentration of wealth in well-established city centers and affluent districts, which is echoed by other metropolitan analyses (INE data, 2019).
On the other side, low rental income bands also mark contrasts across cities. Seville shows two of the lowest rent areas: 5-A in the Polígono Sur neighborhood of the Sur district, with 5,666 euros, and 4-E in the Los Pajaritos and Amate neighborhoods of Cerro-Amate, at 6,042 euros. The Alicante/Alacant zone 4-A, reflecting the Juan XXIII neighborhood, follows with 6,272 euros. Completing the bottom five are Seville’s city center district 9-A at 6,801 euros and San Cristóbal in Madrid at 6,955 euros. These rent figures help illustrate how cost of living interacts with income across different urban environments (INE data, 2019).
Unemployment rate
In this study, the unemployment and activity rates for Spain’s 126 largest cities are estimated by combining data from the Active Population Survey (EPA) with registered unemployment. The 2021 snapshot reveals Pozuelo de Alarcón at 6.2 percent, Sant Cugat del Vallès at 6.4 percent, and Las Rozas de Madrid at 7.1 percent as the cities with the lowest unemployment, reflecting strong local job markets in these areas (INE data, 2021).
By contrast, higher rates were observed in Jaén and Linares at around 30 percent, Cádiz at 30.3 percent, La Línea de la Concepción, and Seville at about 26.9 percent, with Alcalá de Guadaíra also showing elevated levels. These figures underscore regional economic challenges and the varying impact of industrial composition, education levels, and local policy on employment (INE data, 2021).
The estimates also identify where the job activity was strongest in 2021. Madrid’s Rivas-Vaciamadrid districts led with an activity rate near 69.7 percent, followed by Valdemoro at 68.8 percent and Parla at 67.4 percent. In contrast, Ferrol, A Coruña registered an activity rate around 49.9 percent, with León at 50.2 percent and Salamanca at 50.4 percent, illustrating the spread in labor market participation across major urban centers (INE data, 2021).
Life expectancy, another key measure, was calculated as an average over three years, with 2019 serving as the central reference year. Pozuelo de Alarcón, Majadahonda, and Las Rozas de Madrid each report life expectancies above 85 years, signaling better health outcomes in these Madrid-adjacent municipalities (INE data, 2019).
On the opposite end, La Línea de la Concepción is among the 126 cities where life expectancy at birth falls below 80 years, highlighting significant regional health disparities and the broader social determinants that shape longevity (INE data, 2019).