Madrid doesn't need an excuse to be visited. Even so, if you're someone who enjoys specific details, this compilation of Madrid in figures It brings together the records, rarities, and numbers that best explain the city.
We've grouped the data by topic for easy browsing. However, please note that population and visitor figures are approximate and are updated annually based on records from the Madrid City Council and the National Institute of Statistics.
This compilation of Madrid in figures covers six areas: population and tourism, culture, architecture, superlatives, transport and sport.
Madrid in figures: population and tourism
Let's start with the basic facts, which are already quite striking:
- More than 3.4 million of inhabitants in the city and nearby 7 million throughout the Community.
- Third community Spain by population, behind Andalusia and Catalonia.
- More than 10 million tourists per year, with a fairly balanced distribution between national and international visitors.
- It is usually placed between the ten most visited cities of Europe.
- It is the only European capital of Arabic origin and name: *Maŷrit*.
Madrid in cultural figures: museums and heritage
In the cultural field, the city also holds several European records:
- Three World Heritage sites In the Community: El Escorial, the university and historic center of Alcalá de Henares, and the cultural landscape of Aranjuez. These are joined by the Landscape of Light, the Prado-Retiro axis, inscribed in 2021.
- 132 museums, the largest concentration in Spain.
- He Prado Museum It is a recurring feature among the top five museums in the world in traveler rankings.
- It is among the ten European cities with better cultural infrastructure, ahead of London or Berlin according to European Union indicators.
- He Royal Theatre It is considered one of the best in the world for its acoustics, along with La Scala in Milan and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Architectural records
Furthermore, some of its buildings top world lists:
- He Royal Palace It is the largest royal enclosure in Western Europe: 135,000 square meters y 3,418 stays, ahead of Buckingham Palace or Versailles.
- The Alcalá Gate It was the first triumphal arch erected in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, predating those of Paris and Berlin.
- The Royal Basilica of San Francisco el Grande It has the third largest circular dome in Christendom, with 33 meters in diameter.
- He Telefónica building The Gran Vía, built between 1926 and 1929, was the first skyscraper in Spain.
- The Crystal Tower, in the Four Towers, it is the tallest building in the country with 249 meters.
- He Monument to Philip IV The one in the Plaza de Oriente was the first equestrian sculpture in the world with the horse supported only on its hind legs.
The "oldest" and the "largest"«
Likewise, Madrid boasts a good number of superlatives:
- The Inn of the Comb, Dating from 1610, it is the oldest hotel in Spain.
- Botín's nephew, dating back to 1725, is recognized as the oldest operating restaurant in the world.
- The Cottage It is five times larger than New York's Central Park and almost seven times larger than London's Hyde Park.
- He Almudena cemetery It is the largest in Western Europe, with 120 hectares.
- Mercamadrid It's one of the world's largest fish markets, second only to Tokyo's. And Madrid doesn't even have a coastline.
- The Alcalá Street, with 10.5 kilometers, It is one of the longest in Spain and crosses five of the twenty-one districts.
Madrid in figures: transport and urban life
Regarding mobility, these are the most important data points:
- He Madrid Metro It is the most extensive suburban network in the country and one of the largest in Europe in terms of kilometers, behind London and Moscow.
- It is also one of the networks in the world with the most escalators.
- He Kilometer Zero, opposite the Royal Post Office in the Puerta del Sol, is the point from which road distances are measured throughout Spain.
- The first illuminated sign Spain's was that of Tío Pepe, installed in the Puerta del Sol in 1935.
- The geographical center of the Iberian Peninsula is located in the Hill of the Angels, in Getafe, although the neighboring municipality of Pinto disputes the honor.
Sports and leisure
Finally, the sports section also yields some remarkable figures:
- The Las Ventas bullring It is the second largest in the world, behind the one in Mexico City.
- He real Madrid It is the most decorated club in the history of the European Cup and the Champions League, and several of the competition's individual records belong to its players.
- He Santiago Bernabéu and the Metropolitan They are two of the most modern stadiums in Europe after their latest renovations.
Frequently asked questions about Madrid in figures
In short, Madrid's statistics offer plenty to talk about. Need more reasons to visit the city? Look for us with the purple umbrella in Puerta del Sol and we'll give you a few more.
Population, museums and heritage
In round figures, the city has over 3.4 million registered inhabitants, while the region has around 7 million. It is the third most populated autonomous community in Spain.
Around 132, that is, the highest concentration in the entire country. Among them are the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen, which form the so-called Art Triangle.
Indeed, the toponym comes from the Arabic *Maŷrit*, which has been interpreted as "place of abundant waters" or "riverbed." It is the only European capital city whose name has Arabic origins.
Records and curiosities of Madrid
This is Sobrino de Botín, on Cuchilleros Street, next to the Plaza Mayor. It opened in 1725, a fact recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.
In total, there are four inscriptions in the Community: El Escorial, Alcalá de Henares, the cultural landscape of Aranjuez and the Landscape of Light, which includes the Paseo del Prado and the Retiro Park.
No. El Retiro is certainly the most central and well-known. However, Casa de Campo far surpasses it in size: it's five times larger than Central Park.
