Marbella closes 2025 with 173,420 inhabitants after adding 6,830 in one year

Nineteen people per day, 561 per month, and 6,830 in a year. This is the spectacular rate at which the population of Marbella has grown over the past year, allowing the province's second-largest city to welcome 2026 with 173,420 inhabitants. Marbella thus consolidates a sustained upward trend in recent years. The town ended 2015 with 131,472 inhabitants, reached 144,884 residents in 2020, and is now heading towards 175,000. An increase that, in the words of the municipal government spokesperson, Félix Romero, "reflects the vitality, dynamism, and attractiveness as a destination to live, invest, and develop personal and professional projects."

Inhabitants

173,420 Population

Throughout 2025, Marbella increased its population by 6,830 inhabitants to reach 173,420 registered, of which 110,214 are Spanish and 63,206 are foreigners from 155 different nationalities.

Of the 173,420 registered, 110,214, or 63.55 percent, are Spanish citizens, while the remaining 63,206 are residents from 155 different nationalities, "which reinforces the cosmopolitan character and the attraction capacity of the municipality," Romero pointed out. The councilor highlighted the increase in inhabitants from the British community, with 332 new registrants totaling 5,638 residents born in the United Kingdom, and emphasized that, "despite Brexit, Marbella continues to be considered by many citizens of this country as their second home."

Romero also emphasized the increase in foreign residents from Ukraine, with more than 5,200 people registered in the municipal register, as well as those originating from Colombia, Morocco, Italy, Sweden, Venezuela, Germany, Paraguay, France, and the United States.

Fair funding

The local executive spokesperson denounced the discrepancy between the municipal register and the official figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), which place the population at 159,786 people, that is, 13,634 fewer than those registered in the municipal register. "This discrepancy deprives us of more than 4 million euros annually from the State Revenue Sharing funds (PIE), which is a serious detriment to the provision of public services," he lamented. Therefore, Romero has called for "a realistic and fair adjustment of the official figures" and reminded that national funds received by municipalities are calculated based on the number of de jure inhabitants.

"The discrepancy represents a serious detriment to the provision of public services; it is necessary to make a realistic and fair adjustment of the official figures"

"In a city with a high floating population, as is our case, this situation creates even greater discrimination," he stressed, referring to those inhabitants who reside in the town for a good part of the year and who will not be counted at all as they are registered in other municipalities. "Because these people also need services and we do not receive funding," the councilor added. In this regard, the municipal government spokesperson pointed out that the Marbella City Council is "committed to the fight" to continue demanding from the Spanish Government "justice and attention to our reality." Romero assured that he could understand if the INE made some small adjustment but not in the proportions that it does every year when, moreover, "Marbella has been growing month by month and year after year for fifteen years."