Currently, the greatest population density is recorded in the Community of Madrid (605 inhabitants per square km.), followed by the Basque provinces (295), the Canary Islands, Catalunya, Balearic Islands and Valencian Community (all with between 200 and 100 inhabitants per sq. km.).
The lowest density is found in Castilla-La Mancha, Aragon, Extremadura and Castilla-Leon, with less than 30 inhabitants per sq. km.
It is evident that these demographic imbalances are due to socioeconomic inequalities, since the internal migration corresponds to an exodus from areas with little opportunity to those experiencing a more dynamic economic development. However, the diversity of the urban industrial zones which receive the influx has prevented a more marked territorial difference in population distributions, as has happened in other countries including some European nations.
As the population is distributed over a territory of just over five hundred thousand square kilometres, its density stands at 76.8 inhabitants per sq. km., slightly higher than that of Greece, for example, and considerably lower than the rest of Europe.
Cities with 200,000 inhabitants or more in 1991: --------------------------------------- City Inhabitants (in thousands) --------------------------------------- 1 Madrid 2,910 2 Barcelona 1,624 3 Valencia 753 4 Seville 659 5 Zaragoza 586 6 Malaga 512 7 Bilbao 369 8 Las Palmas 342 9 Valladolid 328 10 Murcia 319 11 Cordoba 300 12 Palma de Mallorca 297 13 Vigo 275 14 Hospitalet 269 15 Alicante 261 16 Gijon 259 17 Granada 254 18 La Coruna 245 19 Badalona 207 20 Vitoria (Gasteiz) 205 -------------------------------------