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The National Institute of Statistics (INE) published its ‘Atlas of Household Income Distribution’ for 2024 this Monday, and the picture it paints for Andalucía isn’t a flattering one. Eleven of the fifteen Spanish municipalities with more than 2,000 inhabitants and the lowest average annual income per person are in the region.

 

Top of that unwanted list is Iznalloz in Granada, where average income sits at just €9,153 a year. El Palmar de Troya in Seville follows at €9,321, then Albuñol in Granada at €9,343. Outside Andalucía, Chozas de Canales in Toledo comes in at €9,547, before the list returns to Andalusian towns with La Mojonera in Almería at €9,650, Huesa in Jaén at €9,705 and Badolatosa in Seville at €9,832.

 

The remaining places on the list include Zahínos in Badajoz at €9,845, Talayuela in Cáceres at €9,894, Gualchos in Granada at €9,927, Níjar in Almería at €9,933, Fuente Vaqueros in Granada at €10,009, Minglanilla in Cuenca at €10,060, Isla Mayor in Seville at €10,100 and Pruna in Seville at €10,113.

 

It’s a stark contrast with what the figures showed just last week for the wealthier end of the region. Málaga’s Malagueta-Monte Sancha postcode recorded an average gross household income of €64,338, more than seven times higher than Iznalloz’s figure, underlining just how wide the income gap within Andalucía itself has become.

 

Nationally, the richest municipality with more than 2,000 residents remains Pozuelo de Alarcón in Madrid, where average annual income per person reached €32,612 in 2024. Matadepera in Barcelona follows as the second wealthiest, at €28,607, ahead of Boadilla del Monte in Madrid at €28,382, then Torrelodones in Madrid and Getxo in Vizcaya, at €26,573 and €26,472 respectively. These same three towns, Pozuelo, Matadepera and Boadilla, have now topped the ranking for four years running.

 

Overall, average net income per person across Spain rose 6.1% in 2024 to reach €15,948, with gross income per person climbing even faster, up 6.8% to €19,716.

 

The regional picture tells its own story too. In the Basque Country, 89.7% of municipalities sit among the top 25% of earners nationally, with Navarre close behind at 71.3%. At the other end, 91.1% of municipalities in Murcia fall into the bottom 25% income bracket, with Andalucía not far off at 83.9%.

 

Among provincial capitals, San Sebastián had the highest share of census sections with very high average incomes, at 60.3%, followed by Madrid on 39.3% and Bilbao on 33.9%. Soria and Cuenca sat at the opposite extreme with 0.0%, and Guadalajara close behind at 1.7%. For the lowest income sections, Melilla led with 31.8%, followed by Ceuta at 30.4% and Alicante at 29.3%.

 

By province, Guipúzcoa recorded the highest average annual net income per inhabitant in 2024, at €20,790, ahead of Vizcaya on €19,858 and Madrid on €19,277. Almería came in lowest nationally at €12,244, with Huelva and Jaén just above at €12,765 and €12,835.

 

 

Image: wikicommons