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Spain Population 2026 & Religious Demographics: Trends & Insights

Spain is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean. In October 2025, Spain had a population of 49,442,844 people as recorded by Spain’s Instituto Nacional de Estadística. That same month, people born in Spain accounted for 80.13% of the total population. Foreign Nationals accounts for nearly 15% of the population & main immigrant nationalities were Colombian, Spanish and Moroccan.

CategoryPopulationAnnual Change (%)
Total Population49,442,8440.97
Men24,274,8641.07
Women25,167,9800.87
Foreign Nationals7,132,3245.55

Data for October 1st, 2025 (Provisional value)

read about top countries in Europe by population

Spain2026 Population
Total Population49,442,844
Global Rank31st
Share of World Pop.0.6%
Land Area 498,980 sq. km (192,660 sq. mi)
Area Rank51st
Pop. Density99 per Km2 (254 people per mi2).
Growth rate-0.08%
Fertility Rate* in Spain1.33 
Infant mortality rate** in Spain 2
Median Age in Spain 44.9 years
Life Expectancy in Spain83.99 years
Urban Population of Spain80.3%

Religious Demographics of Spain (2025 Updated)

Christianity is the dominant religion in Spain, with 68% of the population identifying as Christian, the majority being Catholic. Other Christian affiliations make up less than 1%. Unaffiliated individuals account for 29%, including atheists, agnostics, or those with no particular belief. Among them, 86% were raised as Christians.

Non-Christian faiths make up 3% of the population. Islam is the second-largest religion, growing significantly due to immigration since the 2000s. Jews comprise less than 0.2%, mainly residing in Barcelona, Madrid, and Málaga.

Hinduism arrived in the early 20th century, with 40,000–50,000 Hindus, mostly from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. There are around 40 Hindu temples in Spain. Buddhism has about 90,000 followers and 300,000 sympathizers, with nearly 300 Buddhist centers.

Other smaller faiths include Sikhism, Paganism, Taoism, and other minor religious groups.

Religion/AffiliationsPercentage
Christianity68%
  Catholicism 67%
  Other Christian -1%
Other Religion3%
  Islam -1.3%
  Hinduism/Sikhism -0.5%
  Judaism -0.2%
  Others-1%
Unaffiliated29%
  Irreligious-16.8%
  Atheism -9.6%
  Did not answer-2.6%

Source: Pew Research Center and estimates

Religious Demographics in Spain (2010–2050)

According to Pew Research projections, Christianity remains the dominant religion in Spain but is steadily declining, dropping from 78.6% in 2010 to a projected 65.2% by 2050. At the same time, the unaffiliated population is increasing, rising from 19.0% to 26.5%. Islam, largely driven by immigration, is growing from 2.1% in 2010 to 7.5% by 2050. Other religious groups remain below 1% of the population.

YearChristiansIslamUnaffiliatedOthers
201078.6%2.1%19.0%<1%
202075.2%3.3%21.0%<1%
203071.4%4.6%23.5%<1%
204068.1%5.9%25.2%<1%
205065.2%7.5%26.5%<1%

Source: PEW research center

Largets Cities in Spain by Population

Madrid is Spain’s largest city, with over 3.3 million residents, followed by Barcelona (1.66 million) and Valencia (807,000). Seville, Zaragoza, and Málaga also have populations exceeding 500,000. 

RankCityAutonomous CommunityPop. 2023
1MadridCommunity of Madrid3,332,035
2BarcelonaCatalonia1,660,122
3ValenciaValencian Community807,693
4SevilleAndalusia684,025
5ZaragozaAragon682,513
6MálagaAndalusia586,384
7MurciaRegion of Murcia469,177
8PalmaBalearic Islands423,350
9Las PalmasCanary Islands378,027
10AlicanteValencian Community349,282
11BilbaoBasque Country346,096
12CórdobaAndalusia323,763
13ValladolidCastile and León297,459
14VigoGalicia293,652
15L’HospitaletCatalonia274,455
16GijónPrincipality of Asturias258,313
17Vitoria-GasteizBasque Country255,886
18A CoruñaGalicia247,376
19ElcheValencian Community238,293
20GranadaAndalusia230,595

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2023)

Sources:

UN World Population Prospects 

Institute of National Statistics, Spain

PEW Research center

Population of Spain 2026 | Religion in Spain

Rajeev Rana

Rajeev Rana is an independent writer and researcher with a strong interest in history, population studies, and demographic trends in India and North America. He has been writing on demography-related topics for over five years, focusing on census data, migration patterns, ethnicity, and regional population changes. While not a formally certified demographer, Rajeev closely follows official data releases from government sources, census authorities, and reputable research institutions. His work aims to present complex demographic information in a clear, accessible, and neutral manner for readers seeking factual insights and broader context. Rajeev contributes to multiple informational websites and has particular familiarity with demographic and regional trends in the Delhi NCR region. His writing is driven by curiosity, data interpretation, and a commitment to accuracy rather than advocacy or opinion