On 1 January 2025, 101,794 British nationals lived in the 72 costa towns Costa Bridge covers, according to the official census from Spain's national statistics institute (INE). That is 2.5% fewer than a year earlier (104,440). This page lists every town, from Orihuela, with the most Brits, to Arboleas, where almost one resident in two is British.
Every figure comes from one official source for one date, so towns can be compared fairly. Each town links to its British community guide: where Brits live, the clubs and groups, and how newcomers settle in.
Key findings
- Most Brits: Orihuela (including Orihuela Costa) has 8,780, ahead of Mijas (7,541) and Rojales, home of Ciudad Quesada (5,135).
- Most British towns: in Arboleas, in Almería's Almanzora valley, 49.5% of residents are British. San Fulgencio (32.2%), Rojales (29.4%) and Mojácar (25.5%) follow.
- By costa: the Costa Blanca has 44,834 Brits in our towns, the Costa del Sol 34,679, the Costa de Almería 8,108 and the Costa Cálida 10,040. In Catalonia and Castellón, British communities are small: only Alcalà de Xivert (Alcossebre) and Sitges pass 3%.
- Falling numbers: the British population fell in most towns. Fuengirola lost the most (519 fewer, down 10.7%), then Orihuela (328), Xàbia (246), Benalmádena (189) and Torrevieja (138). Málaga city, Los Alcázares and Mojácar grew slightly.
The 10 towns with the most Brits
| # | Town | British residents | Share of residents |
|---|
| 1 | Orihuela Costa (all of Orihuela) | 8,780 | 10.4% |
| 2 | Mijas | 7,541 | 8.0% |
| 3 | Ciudad Quesada / Rojales (all of Rojales) | 5,135 | 29.4% |
| 4 | Marbella | 4,844 | 3.0% |
| 5 | Jávea / Xàbia | 4,550 | 14.8% |
| 6 | Torrevieja | 4,383 | 4.4% |
| 7 | Mazarrón | 4,347 | 12.2% |
| 8 | Fuengirola | 4,322 | 5.1% |
| 9 | Estepona | 4,084 | 5.1% |
| 10 | Benalmádena | 3,306 | 4.2% |
The 10 most British towns
Share of all residents with UK nationality.
| # | Town | Share | British residents |
|---|
| 1 | Arboleas | 49.5% | 2,071 of 4,182 |
| 2 | San Fulgencio / La Marina | 32.2% | 3,194 of 9,906 |
| 3 | Mojácar | 25.5% | 1,951 of 7,642 |
| 4 | Benitachell / Cumbre del Sol | 22.4% | 1,124 of 5,026 |
| 5 | Turre | 20.3% | 909 of 4,482 |
| 6 | Benahavís | 15.8% | 1,540 of 9,765 |
| 7 | Jávea / Xàbia | 14.8% | 4,550 of 30,817 |
| 8 | Manilva / Duquesa | 12.7% | 2,285 of 18,044 |
| 9 | Mazarrón | 12.2% | 4,347 of 35,642 |
| 10 | Pilar de la Horadada | 11.0% | 2,687 of 24,359 |
Every town, costa by costa
British residents on 1 January 2025, their share of everyone registered in the town, and the change since 1 January 2024.
Costa Brava
Costa Dorada
Terres de l'Ebre
Costa del Azahar
Costa Blanca
| Town | Residents | British | Share | Change in a year |
|---|
| Orihuela Costa (all of Orihuela) | 84,279 | 8,780 | 10.4% | -3.6% |
| Ciudad Quesada / Rojales (all of Rojales) | 17,488 | 5,135 | 29.4% | -0.4% |
| Jávea / Xàbia | 30,817 | 4,550 | 14.8% | -5.1% |
| Torrevieja | 100,470 | 4,383 | 4.4% | -3.1% |
| San Fulgencio / La Marina | 9,906 | 3,194 | 32.2% | -1.3% |
| Benidorm | 77,211 | 3,065 | 4.0% | -3.9% |
| Pilar de la Horadada | 24,359 | 2,687 | 11.0% | -1.6% |
| Moraira (all of Teulada) | 12,932 | 2,158 | 16.7% | -2.4% |
| Alfaz del Pi / Albir | 21,046 | 1,973 | 9.4% | -1.1% |
| Calpe | 27,440 | 1,494 | 5.4% | -3.2% |
| Dénia | 47,568 | 1,258 | 2.6% | -1.2% |
| Guardamar del Segura | 18,541 | 1,133 | 6.1% | -3.1% |
| Benitachell / Cumbre del Sol | 5,026 | 1,124 | 22.4% | -5.8% |
| Alicante | 365,586 | 1,074 | 0.3% | +0.3% |
| La Nucía | 19,329 | 965 | 5.0% | -5.0% |
| Altea | 24,731 | 868 | 3.5% | -0.8% |
| Villajoyosa | 37,578 | 520 | 1.4% | -4.2% |
| Finestrat | 9,980 | 473 | 4.7% | -8.3% |
Costa Cálida
| Town | Residents | British | Share | Change in a year |
|---|
| Mazarrón | 35,642 | 4,347 | 12.2% | -1.6% |
| Cartagena | 220,400 | 2,067 | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Torre Pacheco | 41,158 | 1,367 | 3.3% | +0.7% |
| Los Alcázares | 20,163 | 1,178 | 5.8% | +2.6% |
| San Javier | 36,385 | 846 | 2.3% | 0.0% |
| Águilas | 37,761 | 235 | 0.6% | +2.6% |
Costa de Almería
| Town | Residents | British | Share | Change in a year |
|---|
| Arboleas | 4,182 | 2,071 | 49.5% | -5.8% |
| Mojácar | 7,642 | 1,951 | 25.5% | +1.2% |
| Albox | 12,872 | 1,108 | 8.6% | -3.6% |
| Vera | 20,193 | 913 | 4.5% | -3.2% |
| Turre | 4,482 | 909 | 20.3% | +2.0% |
| Cuevas del Almanzora | 15,435 | 545 | 3.5% | -2.9% |
| Roquetas de Mar | 110,054 | 471 | 0.4% | -6.0% |
| Garrucha | 10,823 | 97 | 0.9% | -4.0% |
| Carboneras | 8,456 | 43 | 0.5% | +4.9% |
Costa del Sol
| Town | Residents | British | Share | Change in a year |
|---|
| Mijas | 94,320 | 7,541 | 8.0% | -1.1% |
| Marbella | 160,478 | 4,844 | 3.0% | +0.2% |
| Fuengirola | 84,857 | 4,322 | 5.1% | -10.7% |
| Estepona | 79,593 | 4,084 | 5.1% | -1.7% |
| Benalmádena | 78,787 | 3,306 | 4.2% | -5.4% |
| Manilva / Duquesa | 18,044 | 2,285 | 12.7% | -2.0% |
| Torrox | 21,795 | 1,760 | 8.1% | -2.1% |
| Benahavís | 9,765 | 1,540 | 15.8% | -1.2% |
| Nerja | 22,062 | 1,474 | 6.7% | -5.1% |
| Málaga | 597,173 | 1,333 | 0.2% | +2.9% |
| Torremolinos | 71,270 | 1,140 | 1.6% | -4.0% |
| Vélez-Málaga / Torre del Mar | 87,798 | 1,050 | 1.2% | -2.1% |
What the numbers mean if you're moving
A big British community means English-speaking doctors, gestors, estate agents, shops and clubs, and plenty of people who have already been through the paperwork you are facing. It can also mean less Spanish in daily life, and prices in some services pitched at foreign buyers. A small community means more Spanish from day one and a quicker way into local life, with fewer people to ask when you get stuck.
The share matters as much as the count. Marbella has more Brits than Torrevieja, but they are 3% of a large, international town. In Arboleas, Rojales or Mojácar, Brits are a big part of everyday life. Our town guides explain what each community is like on the ground, where Brits tend to live and which groups to join first. Start with which Spanish costa is right for you.
- UK nationals only. People with both British and Spanish nationality count as Spanish, and British-born people with another nationality are not included. The real number of Brits who call a town home is higher.
- Registered residents only. The census counts people on the town's padrón (the local register). Part-year owners and Brits who never registered are not in it, so towns with many holiday homes have far more Brits in winter than the figures show.
- Whole municipalities. Some places we cover are part of a larger municipality, so the figure covers all of it: Orihuela Costa (all of Orihuela, including the inland city), Ciudad Quesada (Rojales), Moraira (Teulada), Alcossebre (Alcalà de Xivert) and Platja d'Aro (Castell d'Aro, Platja d'Aro i s'Agaró). La Manga is split between Cartagena and San Javier, so it has no figure of its own.
- Town halls quote different numbers. A town hall's own padrón count is often higher than the census, because the census removes people who have left without deregistering. Torrevieja's town hall, for example, counts more Brits than the census does. For comparing towns, one source for one date is fairer.
Journalists, bloggers and community groups are welcome to use these figures and tables. Please credit Costa Bridge with a link to this page. For anything else, email hello@costabridge.co.uk.
Sources and review date
Reviewed on 30 October 2026.
