Population of Madrid

Madrid’s population grew dramatically during the 20th century.

According to official censuses, in 1900 Madrid had about 500,000 inhabitants, but by 1960 the city proper had 2,259,000 people.

By 1970 it grew to 3,146,000. Since that time the total population of Madrid’s metropolitan area has decreased slightly, with a population of 3,155,359 in 2005.

Madrid province had a population of 5,718,942 in 2003.

Madrid has long been the center of Spanish government and culture. As a result, it has drawn its population from all over the country.

Spain itself has four major languages: Castilian, Galician, Basque, and Catalan. Most of Madrid’s population has come from the Castilian-speaking regions of the country.

Castilian, usually referred to as Spanish, is spoken with several regional accents.

The dialect most often heard in Madrid is a modified version of the one spoken in the historic region of Old Castile.

The people of Madrid are more similar in their language and national background than the populations of most large European cities.

Madrid is also homogeneous in terms of religion, because most Spaniards are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

Although most madrileños are not overtly religious and most do not go to church, they are usually baptized, married, and buried in Catholic ceremonies.

During most of the rule of General Franco, from 1939 to 1975, the Catholic Church was the only religious group with legal status in Spain. Non-Catholics were severely restricted.

After Franco’s death in 1975, the close links between the church and the government began to break, and the 1978 constitution guaranteed religious freedom.

At that time Madrid’s small Protestant population began to attend their own churches openly.

The most active missionary groups include the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. The city also has a small Jewish community with active synagogues.

The largest distinctive ethnic minority in the city is the Roma, sometimes called Gypsies.

Spain has between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Romani people; because there is nothing legally distinct about them, it is almost impossible to obtain an accurate number of the Roma population.

Nevertheless, a large number of the Roma in Spain have been attracted to Madrid.

Most Roma speak Spanish, practice Catholicism, and exist successfully in the city.

However, they are often the targets of prejudice. For example, they are often associated with marginal activities such as begging, minor theft, and fraud.

To help remedy their standing, the Spanish government has designed programs to integrate the Roma into the general population.

Since about 1970 other ethnic groups have established a presence in Madrid, as in many large cities.

Spain’s closeness to Africa has resulted in a small but growing community of immigrants, both legal and illegal, from sub-Saharan Africa.

Many Muslim people from nearby Morocco and Algeria have moved to Madrid, giving the city a noticeable Muslim element.

Refugees from China, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia have also moved to Madrid.

While these communities are small compared to those in other big European cities, they face the challenge of fitting in to Madrid’s relatively homogeneous society.