Málaga Province, Spain

With 1,791,092 people on January 1, 2025, Málaga province ranks 6th by population and 35th by area among Spain’s 50 provinces. Since 2015 it has gained 162,119 people (10.0%). Density is 245 people/km², against a Spanish average of 97 people/km².

The capital, Málaga, has 599,063 residents, 33% of the province. Next come Marbella (159,786), Mijas (95,104), and Vélez-Málaga (86,048).

Of its 103 municipalities (the 31st most of any province), 29 have fewer than 1,000 people. The smallest by population is Atajate, with 168, and the largest by area is Antequera, at 748 km².

The capital, Málaga, sits 6 m (20 ft) above sea level, the 6th lowest of Spain’s 52 provincial capitals and autonomous cities.

According to the IGN’s summit table, the highest point in Málaga province is Tejeda, at 2,069 m (6,788 ft), in the Sierra de Tejeda, on the border with Granada. It’s 39 km from the capital in a straight line and 2,063 m higher.

Besides the capital, 8 cities over 50,000 people have their own elevation page: Mijas (415 m), Benalmádena (240 m), Torremolinos (66 m), Vélez-Málaga (45 m), Marbella (22 m), Fuengirola (6 m), Estepona (5 m), and Rincón de la Victoria (4 m).

8 towns of 20,000 to 50,000 people also have a page. The highest is Ronda (727 m) and the lowest, Nerja (24 m); they’re all in the list.

Málaga is one of the 8 provinces of Andalusia, along with Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, and Seville. See Andalusia: its provinces, population and peaks.