Poverty and living standards in Melilla (Ciudad de Melilla, Spain): official figures
In 2024, 33.7% of residents of Melilla were below the poverty-risk threshold of 60% of Spain's median income, the highest share of the 59 provinces and islands (Spain: 20.2%).
How many people are in severe poverty in Melilla?
Severe low income, below 40% of the median, affected 17.3% of the population of Melilla in 2024 (Spain: 8.9%); the share below 60% has fallen 3.1 points since 2015, when it was 36.8%.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Melilla?
There were 4,329 recorded offences in Melilla in 2025 (4,365 in 2024), a rate of roughly 52 per 1,000 people, 14th highest of 59 provinces and islands; the Spanish rate was 51.
Source: Ministerio del Interior · saved copyHow many burglaries are there in Melilla?
Police in Melilla recorded 639 thefts (hurtos) in 2025, down 3.0% on 2024, and 37 burglaries of homes, 0.4 per 1,000 residents (4th lowest of 59).
Source: Ministerio del Interior · saved copyWhat is the average household size in Melilla?
Households in Melilla had 3.20 members on average in 2024, and 20.8% of homes held one person (Spain: 2.50 and 29.1%).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copyMore figures
- Women in Melilla were more likely than men to be below the 60% poverty line in 2024: 34.8% against 32.5%. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy
- At the other end, 14.5% of residents of Melilla had more than twice the national median income per consumption unit in 2024, 6th highest of 59 (Spain: 10.6%). Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) · saved copy
- Violent robberies in Melilla totalled 108 in 2025 (106 in 2024), and police logged 36 sexual offences and 4 murders or attempted murders. Source: Ministerio del Interior · saved copy
- Cybercrime made up 13.5% of recorded offences in Melilla in 2025 (586 cases, 478 of them online fraud), against 19.8% across Spain. Source: Ministerio del Interior · saved copy
How Melilla compares with other provinces in Spain
Population below 60% of the median income (2024)
Melilla ranks 1 of 59, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Population below 60% of the median income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melilla | 33.7% |
| 2 | Ceuta | 32.0% |
| 3 | Almería | 31.0% |
| 4 | Alicante/Alacant | 29.4% |
| 5 | Granada | 27.8% |
| 6 | Cádiz | 27.1% |
| 7 | Jaén | 26.6% |
Population above 200% of the median income (2024)
Melilla ranks 6 of 59, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Population above 200% of the median income |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Bizkaia | 17.3% |
| 4 | Ceuta | 16.0% |
| 5 | Eivissa y Formentera | 15.7% |
| 6 | Melilla | 14.5% |
| 7 | Barcelona | 14.4% |
| 8 | Araba/Álava | 14.2% |
| 9 | Navarra | 13.3% |
Recorded criminal offences per 1,000 residents (2025)
Melilla ranks 14 of 59, highest first. per 1,000 residents, using the 2024 population in the INE income atlas
| Rank | Area | Recorded criminal offences per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Araba/Álava | 52.9 |
| 12 | Tarragona | 52.3 |
| 13 | Tenerife | 51.8 |
| 14 | Melilla | 51.7 |
| 15 | Sevilla | 51.3 |
| 16 | Bizkaia | 50.1 |
| 17 | Gran Canaria | 49.9 |
Home burglaries per 1,000 residents (2025)
Melilla ranks 56 of 59, highest first. per 1,000 residents, using the 2024 population in the INE income atlas
| Rank | Area | Home burglaries per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | Menorca | 0.73 |
| 54 | Lanzarote | 0.45 |
| 55 | La Palma | 0.45 |
| 56 | Melilla | 0.44 |
| 57 | El Hierro | 0.42 |
| 58 | La Gomera | 0.40 |
| 59 | Ceuta | 0.26 |
Change in recorded offences, 2024 to 2025 (2025)
Melilla ranks 50 of 59, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Change in recorded offences, 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Murcia | -0.3% |
| 48 | Granada | -0.4% |
| 49 | Guadalajara | -0.5% |
| 50 | Melilla | -0.8% |
| 51 | Bizkaia | -1.1% |
| 52 | Menorca | -1.3% |
| 53 | Pontevedra | -1.4% |
More on Melilla: overview · economy and jobs · Ciudad de Melilla · Spain
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Atlas de Distribución de Renta de los Hogares (ADRH) 2024: indicadores demográficos por provincias e islas (table 53776), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bc6dcbf12939…)
- Ministerio del Interior: Balance de Criminalidad, cuarto trimestre 2025: infracciones penales registradas en comunidades, provincias, islas y municipios de más de 20.000 habitantes, enero a diciembre 2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6b3532029406…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Atlas de Distribución de Renta de los Hogares (ADRH) 2024: población con ingresos por unidad de consumo por debajo/encima de umbrales relativos, por sexo, provincias e islas (table 53694), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f50367749a3d…)
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