Spain’s income map appears here, a depiction that averages municipal income across the country. Greens indicate higher wealth, reds signal lower income, while the middle range sits in yellows and oranges. The map also serves as a reminder of Spain’s provincial boundaries. This annual report is produced by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). For anyone who enjoys socioeconomic analysis of populations, the site provides detailed data and occasional surprising insights. The underlying data come from the Tax Office, the central authority that records what Spaniards declare. While it is known that a segment of high earners uses intermediate companies to manage billing, the overall pattern remains clear and informative.
One line on the map clearly delineates the Peninsula into north and south. It begins at the provincial border between Salamanca and Cáceres and continues where the borders of Toledo and Ávila meet Madrid; it then traces the boundary between Toledo and Cuenca and where Cuenca borders Albacete. From Albacete, a southeastern path reaches Valencia and Alicante, where the green–red division splits again. Alicante, with a population around 1.9 million, exemplifies a province of notable size and activity.
When the line runs northward, shades of green, yellow, and red dominate the landscape; to the south, red tends to prevail. The map assigns deeper greens to areas with higher incomes, while red marks lower-income zones. Dense green pockets appear in areas such as much of the Basque Country, the northern slices of Navarra, Burgos, Soria, Rioja, parts of Catalonia, and the central zone of the Madrid region. Green pockets also show up in places where other colors are prevalent. In Seville, for instance, a green oasis lies amid Andalusia, and Masegoso in Albacete stands out as well. Red clusters appear around certain Catalan towns, including Salt and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, and unexpectedly in Collsuspina, located in central Catalonia with a drone flight school and notable restaurants. An isolated red marker appears in Burgui, Navarra.
The same patterns recur in annual municipal data. Medium-sized cities near major urban centers often top the list of wealthiest municipalities. Since the late 1980s, professional couples and families seeking housing, gardens, and a high quality of life have gravitated to suburban living with easy access to good schools and workplaces, often connected by public transit. Pozuelo de Alarcón, with an average net income around 26,009 euros, leads the Madrid metropolitan area. In third place, Boadilla del Monte stands out as a financial hub for Banco Santander. Other Madrid communities frequently appearing in the top ten include Torrelodones, Majadahonda, and Las Rozas, with net incomes in the 20,000 plus euro range. In Barcelona’s orbit, Sant Just Desvern, Sant Cugat, and Alella emerge as notable examples with incomes around 21,000 euros.
Two notable cases appear in the upper tier. Matadepera, adjacent to Terrassa, ranks as the second wealthiest municipality in the country. The town of Vallesan is recognized for its historic families, field hockey clubs, and textile heritage nestled in the hills. It houses the Cirsa slot machine and casino group, currently tied to Blackstone through ownership. The tenth-entry is Getxo in Vizcaya, a municipality with a population near 20,000, while Bilbao is often cited as the cradle of Spain’s industrial and financial eras. Some of these communities still make the list today.
Among the top fifty wealthiest municipalities, several are influenced by the presence of large fortunes that established their residence there after the pandemic as a second or third home. A striking outcome of the map is the appearance of both wealth and pockets of poverty within the country. Soria stands out as a province where high income persists homogeneously across all its municipalities. Visitors to Soria appreciate it as a place to breathe and live, especially given its winter weather and calm surroundings. The leading local industries are not dominant nationwide; Copiso, an agricultural cooperative, is well known, and Soria Natural focuses on health supplements.
Looking ahead, questions arise about how the palette of income distribution across Spain may shift in the next decade. The challenge remains to reduce the pronounced distortions present in the data. The path forward may involve thoughtful public policy combined with private investment, aiming for a more balanced distribution of prosperity across regions.