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Side by side

Andalucía or Spain?

Each place uses its own local data. National rules (economy, geopolitical stability, governance, tax & finance) are the same for both, so they cannot separate them. Neither wins everywhere; the tradeoffs below are what matter.

All about AndalucíaAll about SpainChange a place

Data as of

Region

Andalucía

Spain's most populous region: flamenco, white villages, mountains and beaches, with fierce summers inland and a thin job market.

Quality of life42average
Momentum76strong
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Big regionTwo coastsMoorish heritageForeign residentsMild coastal winters

33rd of 34 European metro regions

Country

Spain

Sun, food and a life lived outdoors, from big-city careers to quiet coastal towns.

Quality of life56average
Momentum52average
Outlook25weak
Mediterranean countryPublic healthcare systemRegional languagesLate meals and street lifeTourism economy

16th of 30 EU + EFTA countries

Andalucía is a region and Spain a country. Each figure is that place’s own; scores compare each with its own peers (Spain with EU countries, regions with regions, cities with cities), so read them side by side rather than as a contest.

Why Andalucía

  • Burglaries: 148 per 100k people vs 293 per 100k people
  • Robberies: 86 per 100k people vs 130 per 100k people
  • Thefts: 320 per 100k people vs 451 per 100k people
  • The warmest winters in Europe with a lower cost of living than the big cities
  • Beach & mountain & some of the most atmospheric old cities in Spain

Watch out: Interior summers that are dangerously hot; High unemployment and low wages and the longest public waiting times for surgery in Spain.

Why Spain

  • Household income per person: 27,885 PPS a year vs 16,300 PPS a year
  • Adults with a university degree: 52% vs 37%
  • Unemployment: 10.0% vs 15.2%
  • At risk of poverty: 19.5% vs 27.7%
  • A mild climate along the coast and islands and long days outdoors
  • Regional variety in food and landscape and language

Watch out: Job openings and pay that differ widely by region and sector; Procedures that vary by region and often run only in Spanish.

Of 34 figures both publish in the same unit, Andalucía is better on 3 and Spain on 15; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

54 · averageHousing49 · average
43 · averageSafety46 · average
19 · weakHealthcare59 · average
8 · weakJobs42 · average
6 · weakProsperity43 · average
6 · weakWellbeing25 · weak
–Geopolitical Stability100 · strong
–Demographics87 · strong
–Tax & Finance76 · strong
–Education62 · above average
–Economy59 · average
–Cost of Living56 · average
–Environment50 · average
–Governance32 · below average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureAndalucíaSpainDifference
Housing
House prices, change in a year11.9%Q2 202612.1%Q2 2026about the same
Households spending >40% of income on housing7.0%20257.2%2025about the same
Cost of living
Household spending€30,827 a year2025€35,101 a year2025Andalucía 12% lower
Inflation4.7%Sep 20265.0%Sep 2026about the same
Money & work
Household income per person16,300 PPS a year202327,885 PPS a year2025Andalucía 42% lower
Net income per person (survey)€13,079 a year2025€15,620 a year2025Andalucía 16% lower
Average gross salary€26,090 a year2024€29,540 a year2024Andalucía 12% lower
Median gross salary€21,557 a year2024€24,497 a year2024Andalucía 12% lower
Unemployment15.2%202510.0%Aug 2026Andalucía 5.2 pts higher
Youth unemployment (15–24)32.7%202524.9%2025Andalucía 7.8 pts higher
Employment rate (20–64)65.8%202573.0%Q2 2026Andalucía 7.2 pts lower
Safety
Homicides0.95 per 100k people20240.72 per 100k people2024Andalucía 32% higher
Robberies86 per 100k people2024130 per 100k people2024Andalucía 34% lower
Burglaries148 per 100k people2024293 per 100k people2024Spain 2.0×
Thefts320 per 100k people2024451 per 100k people2024Andalucía 29% lower
Road deaths4.1 per 100k people20243.7 per 100k people2024Andalucía 11% higher
Health
Life expectancy82.9 years202484.0 years2024about the same
Doctors360 per 100k people2024464 per 100k people2024Andalucía 22% lower
Education
Adults with a university degree37%202552%2025Andalucía 15.8 pts lower
People
Population8,676,713202549,128,2972025Spain 5.7×
Residents who speak English23.6% of residents202124.6% of residents2021Andalucía 0.9 pts lower
Residents who speak English well13.4% of residents202114.7% of residents2021Andalucía 1.3 pts lower
At risk of poverty27.7%202519.5%2025Andalucía 8.2 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad13.1%202519.3%2025Andalucía 6.1 pts lower
Born in another EU country2.7% of residents20253.3% of residents2025Andalucía 0.6 pts lower
Born elsewhere in Europe1.8% of residents20251.7% of residents2025about the same
Born in Latin America4.6% of residents20259.4% of residents2025Andalucía 4.8 pts lower
Born in Africa3.3% of residents20253.4% of residents2025about the same
Born in Asia0.6% of residents20251.3% of residents2025Andalucía 0.7 pts lower
Born in North America or Oceania0.3% of residents20250.4% of residents2025about the same
Born abroad, change in 5 years3.0 points20254.4 points2025Andalucía 1.5 pts lower
Employment rate, born abroad62.2%202569.6%2025Andalucía 7.4 pts lower
Employment rate, born in Spain66.5%202573.3%2025Andalucía 6.8 pts lower
Employment gap, born abroad vs born in Spain-4.3 points2025-3.7 points2025Andalucía 0.6 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

50Culture, food and nightlife–
45Students55
44High earners and investors57
38Founders and self-employed54
37Retirees53
36Families with children53
36Budget-conscious movers43
20Young professionals39
–Remote workers57
–Beach, mountains and the outdoors46

Our read of each

Andalucía

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Public waiting lists are long

Spain

    Data through Jun 2026 (Andalucía) and Sep 2026 (Spain). Figures are compared only when both places publish them in the same unit; a dot marks the better value where better is clear.

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