Municipal register data, presented during the Government Board press conference, reveals that the capital has experienced a decrease of 30,647 people. Despite this reduction, the current figure remains the second highest in the city's historical series.
The deputy mayor and municipal spokesperson, Inma Sanz, attributed this slight decrease to a "significant employer adjustment" carried out during the year. This census purification process has contained population growth, as without this review, it is estimated that the population would have increased by approximately 70,000 people.
The adjustment, more intense than in previous years, is due to the detection of improper registrations and the expiration or lack of renewal of registrations, especially among the foreign population. The negative balance due to the management of registrations and cancellations approached 100,000 people, with 28,450 registrations versus 127,825 cancellations. Part of these cancellations are linked to verification actions, inspections, and reinforced controls by the Consistory to combat register fraud.
These measures are part of a municipal strategy to address irregularities, such as registrations at non-residential addresses or the hoarding of appointments through automated systems. The reinforcement of personnel, home inspections, and new verification systems have improved service management, although their percentage impact on the total population has been "limited".
Beyond administrative adjustments, Madrid recovered positive natural growth in 2025, something that had not happened in more than six years. The number of births amounted to 27,097, exceeding 26,533 deaths, resulting in a positive balance of 564 people.
The external migratory balance continues to be the main demographic driver, with more than 117,000 registrations from abroad versus about 11,500 cancellations, generating a positive balance of over 106,000 people. Entries from Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, the United States, China, Ecuador, and Mexico account for more than half of these movements. Internal migratory movements, however, maintain a negative trend, with Madrid losing population to other municipalities in the Community and neighboring provinces, with a negative balance of close to 38,000 people.
The register reflects that 80.6% of residents have Spanish nationality, while 19.4% are foreign. By gender, 53% are women and 47% are men. Regarding place of birth, 96.5% were born in Spain and 30.5% abroad.
Carabanchel remains the most populated district, with over 278,000 inhabitants, followed by Puente de Vallecas, Fuencarral-El Pardo, and Latina. In contrast, Vicálvaro, Villa de Vallecas, and Barajas have increased their population in 2026. The largest decreases have been recorded in Centro, Ciudad Lineal, and Salamanca.
