How much do the neighbors in your neighborhood make? Map of income and source of income, street by street

Spain's poverty and social exclusion rates have risen in four autonomous communities, according to a new report by the European Anti-Poverty Network in Spain (EAPN-ES), while the gap between regions with the highest and lowest incidence has narrowed significantly. The report highlights deep regional disparities, with Andalusia recording the highest levels of poverty and social exclusion, while the Basque Country had the lowest rate in 2025 at 14.7%. According to the report, 12.3 million people in Spain are at risk of poverty, representing 25.7% of the population. Eight regions have poverty rates far above the national average. Ceuta and Melilla top the list with rates exceeding 40%, followed by Andalusia, which has over three in ten people at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This rate is double that of the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands. Castilla-La Mancha, Murcia, and the Canary Islands also show high rates, hovering around 34%, 32.5%, and 31.2% respectively. On the other hand, regions such as Navarre, Aragon, Cantabria, Madrid, and Catalonia show more favorable results compared to the national average, with rates ranging from 16.5% to 21.3%. The report notes that the territorial gap has decreased considerably over the years, from a difference of 32.5 percentage points between Canarias and Navarre in 2016 to a much smaller gap today. This improvement has been driven by increased poverty in better-off regions, although recent trends indicate a shift toward improved conditions in previously disadvantaged areas. Four regions saw worsening poverty and social exclusion rates in the last year. Galicia experienced the largest increase of 3.3 percentage points, followed by Asturias (+1.5), Catalonia (+0.9), and the Valencian Community (+0.8). Conversely, Cantabria showed the greatest improvement with a reduction of 3 percentage points, alongside Navarre (-1.8), Aragon (-1.9), Madrid (-1.5), and Extremadura (-2.1). Andalusia and the Balearic Islands both saw a decrease of 0.9 percentage points. In southern regions, including Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, the Valencian Community, Murcia, Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla, the AROPE indicator has improved since 2015, except for Melilla. Despite this, the disparity remains significant, with the south having a poverty risk rate of 26.5% compared to 14.1% in northern regions. According to the report, these territorial asymmetries stem from structural causes, including productive structures, GDP, varying spending capabilities among autonomous communities, housing markets, and issues related to territorial financing. For example, in Andalusia, although social transfers have a greater impact than at the national level, the introduction of the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) has led to minimal changes in minimum incomes. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Statistics (INE) reports that the median household income in Spain rose by 3.6% in 2024 to €19,950. However, this figure does not fully reflect the income reality across the country’s geography. The wealthiest neighborhoods in central Madrid and Barcelona, such as Retiro and Les Corts, have median incomes reaching up to €47,250 per household, while areas like Las Mil Viviendas in Alicante and the Cartuja district in northern Granada have median incomes barely exceeding €8,000. The INE data provides annual household incomes based on the number of residents, represented in the map through the median annual income per consumption unit. The geographical breakdown reaches the municipal level for larger populations and census sections for smaller towns and cities. The map shows not only income distribution but also the sources of household income, primarily salaries of working-age family members, property assets, investments, rents, and other economic activities, along with public benefits such as pensions and unemployment subsidies. This information reveals the economic wealth of each territory and the inequality patterns across the country, highlighting contrasts between the north and south of Spain, rich and poor towns, rural versus urban areas, and different city neighborhoods. Within each municipality, the map illustrates how natural barriers or architectural features can create economic boundaries between affluent and depressed areas. These data provide insights into the economic characteristics of households and serve as an indirect indicator of the country's economy and demographics. Households relying heavily on unemployment benefits suggest vulnerability compared to those receiving regular wages or additional income from available assets. Similarly, areas where most residents live off pensions indicate aging populations and lower economic dynamism. By municipalities, the 2024 data show trends observed in previous years, with higher-income areas concentrated mainly in the north, particularly in Navarre, the Basque Country, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Madrid, while lower-income areas dominate the south, especially in Extremadura and Andalusia. Pozuelo de Alarcón in Madrid holds the highest median income at €39,550, followed by Boadilla del Monte, Matadepera in Barcelona, and Laukiz in Vizcaya. The 20 municipalities with the highest median income are located in just four provinces: Madrid, Barcelona, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa. At the opposite end are municipalities such as Darro, Guadahortuna, Iznalloz in Granada; Avión in Ourense; Huesa in Jaén; Benamargosa in Málaga; Talayuela in Cáceres; and Torrevieja in Alicante, where the median income does not reach.