Region · Spain · All places
A small Spanish port on the African shore of the Strait of Gibraltar, with a garrison, a border and two communities sharing one city.
Ceuta is a small Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa, on the Strait of Gibraltar, facing Algeciras across the water. It sits on a short peninsula under Monte Hacho, with a land border with Morocco to the south, and it has been Spanish for centuries.
It is a port, a garrison town and a place of crossings. Its economy runs on public administration, the army, the port, small shops and families with ties across the border. The Strait is always in sight, and so is the question of what comes in and out by sea.
It suits people who want a safe, small, quiet place and a good health service, and who have an income that does not depend on the local labour market.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Ceuta stands out for safety; it is weaker on jobs and wellbeing. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €661 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Ceuta’s figures. They are inferences, not official statistics: each says what it rests on.
Few residents come from English-speaking or northern European countries, so daily life runs in Spanish. Contracts, the town hall and most doctors work in Spanish.
People born abroad are in work less often than people born in Spain. Remote income or a job offer makes the move far easier.
Andalusian fried fish alongside Moroccan grilled skewers, couscous, mint tea and pastries.
Slow, small-town and public-sector, with a siesta in the heat and a long evening on the seafront.
A compact centre, the Almina district by the port and hillside barriadas further out.
Spanish for everything official, with Moroccan Arabic heard widely in the streets and at home.
Holy Week and the feast of Our Lady of Africa in August, alongside the main Muslim festivals.
Soldiers, civil servants, shopkeepers and cross-border families who know one another.
Beaches on both sides of the isthmus, walks up Monte Hacho and diving in the Strait.
Ceuta looks like a small Andalusian port with a touch of North Africa in the food, the spoken Arabic and the festivals. The centre is a walkable grid of plazas and seafront streets, a short walk from the Royal Walls, a cathedral and the old harbour. Up on Monte Hacho the views reach across the Strait to Gibraltar on a clear day.
Daily life is small-town. People know each other through work, school, the barracks or family. Cafés fill early, shops close for the afternoon in the heat, and evenings are spent on the seafront and in the tapas bars. The Christian and Muslim communities live side by side, celebrating their own festivals and sharing the same schools, shops and beaches.
Food mixes both shores: fried fish and tortilla beside grilled skewers, couscous, soup and mint tea. There is little nightlife beyond bars and cafés, and for a bigger city night people take the ferry to Algeciras. The border to Morocco is a daily fact for some families and a closed door for others, depending on the rules of the moment.
Ceuta changed hands several times, from the Romans and the Moors to the Portuguese, and has been Spanish since the seventeenth century. Its position at the narrowest crossing of the Strait made it a fortress and a port, and the Royal Walls and the garrison are still part of the street scene. After Morocco became independent, Ceuta stayed Spanish and became a border city with an economy tied to the port, the army, public administration and trade across the frontier.
That history explains the weak private economy. There is little industry and not much room to build, and the border trade that once supported many families has been squeezed by closures, customs rules and years of political tension. Unemployment is 24.3% (2025). Youth unemployment is 57.5% (2025). Jobs come out weak against similar regions, and prosperity comes out weak. Poverty is high, with 37.0% of people at risk (2025).
Housing is priced like a mainland city because there is almost no land to build on. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €661 a month (2024). Buying costs €2,215 per square metre (Q2 2026). The market is tiny, so a handful of listings can move the average.
The same compactness explains the safety record. Serious violence is almost absent, and the city comes out strong. Homicide is 0.00 per 100k people (2024). Burglary is 25 per 100k people (2024). Street robbery is among the highest of any region, at 168 per 100k people (2024). Life expectancy is 81.9 years (2024), which is the lowest in Spain.
Figures for Ceuta. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Ceuta data only and compares it with other regions. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Safety is strong: in the top 10% of European metro regions.
Homicides: 0.00 per 100k people — better than 100% of European metro regions
Strong: 76 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesCeuta · 2024 | 0.00 per 100k people | better than 100% of European metro regions |
| RobberiesCeuta · 2024 | 168 per 100k people | better than 9% of European metro regions |
| BurglariesCeuta · 2024 | 25.2 per 100k people | better than 100% of European metro regions |
| Road deathsCeuta · 2024 | 1.20 per 100k people | better than 89% of European metro regions |
| Assault rateCeuta · 2024 | 439 per 100k people | better than 50% of European metro regions |
| TheftsCeuta · 2024 | 291 per 100k people | better than 100% of European metro regions |
| Vehicle theftsCeuta · 2024 | 124 per 100k people | better than 35% of European metro regions |
Housing is around the middle: behind most Spanish regions.
Rents, change in a year: 1.50% — better than 91% of Spanish regions
Average: 52 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Households spending >40% of income on housingCeuta · 2025 | 7.30% | better than 64% of European metro regions |
| Rent per m²Ceuta · 2024 | 9.45 €/m² a month | better than 24% of Spanish regions |
| Rents, change in a yearCeuta · 2024 | 1.50% | better than 91% of Spanish regions |
| Buying price per m²Ceuta · 2026-Q2 | 2,215 €/m² | better than 29% of Spanish regions |
| House prices, change in a yearCeuta · 2026-Q2 | 15.2% | better than 3% of Spanish regions |
Healthcare is around the middle: around the middle of European metro regions.
Doctors: 639 per 100k people — better than 83% of European metro regions
Average: 48 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| DoctorsCeuta · 2024 | 639 per 100k people | better than 83% of European metro regions |
| Life expectancyCeuta · 2024 | 81.9 years | better than 26% of European metro regions |
| Infant mortalityCeuta · 2024 | 8.80 per 1,000 births | better than 0% of European metro regions |
Prosperity is weak: in the bottom 10% of European metro regions.
Economic output per person: 25,700 PPS per person — worse than 99% of European metro regions
Weak: 7 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Household income per personCeuta · 2023 | 17,800 PPS per person | better than 13% of European metro regions |
| Economic output per personCeuta · 2024 | 25,700 PPS per person | better than 1% of European metro regions |
Wellbeing is weak: in the bottom 10% of European metro regions.
At risk of poverty: 37.0% — worse than 100% of European metro regions
Weak: 3 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| At risk of povertyCeuta · 2025 | 37.0% | better than 0% of European metro regions |
| Material deprivationCeuta · 2025 | 11.0% | better than 6% of European metro regions |
Jobs is weak compared with other European regions.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Unemployment: 24.3% — worse than 100% of European metro regions
Weak: 2 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| UnemploymentCeuta · 2025 | 24.3% | better than 0% of European metro regions |
| Employment rate (20–64)Ceuta · 2025 | 58.3% | better than 3% of European metro regions |
| Long-term unemploymentCeuta · 2025 | 14.8% of the workforce | better than 0% of European metro regions |
| Youth unemployment (15–24)Ceuta · 2025 | 57.5% | better than 0% of European metro regions |
| Labour-force participationCeuta · 2025 | 69.2% | better than 9% of European metro regions |
| Youth not in employment/education/trainingCeuta · 2025 | 14.2% | better than 3% of European metro regions |
What we cannot score for Ceuta yet
Ceuta has a mild Mediterranean climate shaped by the Strait. Summers are warm rather than scorching, tempered by the sea, and winters are mild and damp with occasional strong winds through the Strait. Fog can roll in with the easterly wind and cling to the hills for days.
It is a year-round city, pleasant for most of the year, with the best months in spring and autumn. The wind affects the ferries, and a rough day can leave the city cut off from the mainland.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
48/100 · average · 15th of 35 European metro regions
24.3% in 2025
3.1% in Sep 2026
1.1% in 2024
25,700 PPS in 2024
15.2% in Q2 2026
€9.4 per m² a month in 2024
€2,215 per m² in Q2 2026
81.9 years in 2024
58.3% in 2025
Facts about the people who live in Ceuta. Shown as context only: none of this changes a score.
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Fit from the data, 0 to 100, against other Spanish regions. Open a group to see the figures behind it.
Doctors are plentiful for such a small place, the city is safe and the winters are mild. Life expectancy is low and some care means a trip to the mainland.
Not measured yet: Climate, Cost of Living, Days above 35 °C, Environment, Frost days, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry).
Residents enjoy a significant income-tax reduction on local income, and the city is safe. There are few luxury services and no real premium housing market.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Distance to the main airport, Education, Environment, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Safe streets and short distances are good for children, and there is a mixed, bilingual street life. Choice of schools is limited and rents are high for what is on offer.
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average commute (one way), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation, Recorded crime.
The city has a university campus and distance-learning centre, but a small choice of degrees, so most students leave for the mainland.
Better in the region for students: Ceuta (53)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Median age, Price level vs EU average, Transport, Walk most.
The special indirect tax regime and the port give an edge to import, trade and logistics. The local market is tiny and depends on border rules that can change.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Connectivity, Digital, Distance to the main airport, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality.
Rents are not low enough to offset the lack of jobs, and the border and ferry make supplies more expensive. It is not a cheap place to start from nothing.
Better in the region for budget-conscious movers: Ceuta (42)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Price level vs EU average.
Royal Walls, museums, Holy Week and the Muslim festivals give the city a character not found elsewhere in Spain, though the cultural calendar is small.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for culture, food and nightlife: Ceuta (46)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Lifestyle, Median age, Transport, Walk most.
This is the hardest labour market in Spain for a young person. Public jobs, the port and the garrison are the main routes.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for young professionals: Ceuta (48)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Lifestyle, Median age, Median gross salary, Transport.
Possible, but a very small scene. The sea and the quiet are attractive, but the city has no airport with scheduled flights, so every trip runs through a ferry to Algeciras.
Not measured yet: Climate, Connectivity, Cost of Living, Digital, Distance to the main airport, Fixed broadband penetration, Homes with fibre to the door, Lifestyle, Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry).
The coast, Monte Hacho and the Strait offer walking, swimming and diving in a small area. There is no wilderness to hike beyond the border.
Nothing stands out.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Climate, Days above 35 °C, Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Frost days, Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry), Rainy days (≥1 mm), Strong-wind days.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in Ceuta as anywhere in Spain.
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| Place | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceuta | 50 | €661 | 23.4% | 42.9 per 1,000 people | 201 | 81.0 years |
Guide written 2026-10-22. Figures are refreshed as new official data is published; the period beside each number says what it covers. “Our read” cards are our inferences from those figures. How we score
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