Do you live in a rich neighborhood or a poor one? See the map of incomes in Spain

A new income map released by Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE) highlights stark regional disparities in household earnings for 2024. The data reveals a clear divide between wealthier northern regions and poorer southern areas, with some provinces showing significant differences in average annual incomes. The Atlas of Household Income Distribution, published this week, provides detailed insights into economic conditions at the municipal level, even down to specific streets and census sections. At the provincial level, Gipuzkoa had the highest average income per person at €20,790, followed by Bizkaia (€19,858) and Madrid (€19,277). In contrast, Almería, Huelva, and Jaén recorded the lowest average incomes at €12,244, €12,765, and €12,835 respectively. In Catalonia, Barcelona province had an average income of €17,884, while Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona recorded lower figures. All four Catalan provinces saw slower growth compared to the national average, whereas Madrid experienced an increase exceeding €1,100 per person. The INE’s income atlas is the most comprehensive dataset on family incomes in Spain. It allows users to explore income levels at the municipal, census section, and street level. Nationally, the average net income per person in 2024 was €15,948, representing a 6.1% increase from 2023. The average net income per household reached €40,605, up 5.9% year-on-year. Among municipalities with more than 2,000 residents, Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), Matadepera (Barcelona), and Boadilla del Monte (Madrid) had the highest average net income per inhabitant at €32,612, €28,607, and €28,382 respectively. These areas saw substantial improvements in average incomes, around €2,000. Conversely, the poorest municipalities showed much smaller gains, approximately €800, below the national average. Iznalloz (Granada), El Palmar de Troya (Seville), and Albuñol (Granada) had the lowest average net income per person at €9,153, €9,321, and €9,343 respectively. The INE also breaks down income distribution by population quartiles, revealing that 90% of municipalities in Euskadi fall within the top 25% of Spain’s wealthiest areas. Navarra follows with 71%, while Balearic Islands and Catalonia have 46% and 44% respectively. In contrast, Murcia has 91% of its municipalities in the low-income category, along with Andalusia (84%) and Extremadura (82%). The income map further shows that cities such as Donostia (San Sebastián), Madrid, Bilbao, and Barcelona have the highest proportions of their populations in the top income bracket, defined as over €21,652 per person. In contrast, Soria and Cuenca had zero percent of their populations in this group. Melilla, Ceuta, and Alicante had the highest percentages of their populations classified as having very low incomes, at 32%, 30%, and 29% respectively. The map enables users to explore income differences at the neighborhood level, highlighting contrasts between affluent and less prosperous areas within the same city. For instance, in Madrid, the division is primarily between a wealthy north and a poorer south, while in Seville, the disparity runs east to west. In Valencia and Zaragoza, higher incomes tend to cluster in central areas, with lower incomes found in peripheral neighborhoods. The statistics reflect gross income from tax returns, excluding undeclared income or informal work. They show that the median gross income in Spain stands at €45,100, but the 20% of neighborhoods with the lowest incomes have averages under €36,700, while the top 10% exceed €72,800. The data excludes extreme values above €167,076 or below €20,000 per household. This detail explains why multiple census sections share identical average income figures.