Demographics
According to the 2009 Census, the region has a population of 591,886 which constitutes 1.29% of the population of Spain, with the population density numbering 106.8 people per kilometer. The average life expectancy for male inhabitants is 75 years whilst for female inhabitants it is 83 years.
In relative contrast to other regions of Spain, Cantabria has not experienced much immigration. In 2007, only 4.7% of the population were immigrants. The predominant countries of origin for immigrants to Cantabria are Colombia, Romania, Ecuador, Peru, Moldova, and Morocco.
The majority of the population resides in the coastal area, particularly in two cities: Santander, with 183,000 people, and Torrelavega, the second largest urban and industrial center in Cantabria, having a population of around 60,000. These two cities form a conurbation known as the Santander-Torrelavega metropolitan area.
An interesting case is that of Castro Urdiales. Despite the fact that it officially has a population of 28,542 making it the fourth-largest in the region, due to its proximity to the Bilbao metropolitan area, there are a large number of people not registered in Castro Urdiales and the true count may be double the official figure.
Apart from the ones as mentioned, the most important municipalities of Cantabria are the following:
- Torrelavega (pop. 55,947)
- Camargo (pop. 32,000)
- Castro-Urdiales (pop. 31.670)
- Piélagos (pop. 20,081)
- El Astillero (pop. 17,360)
- Laredo (pop. 12,591)
- Los Corrales de Buelna (pop. 11,610)
- Santa Cruz de Bezana (pop. 11,279)
- Santoña (pop. 11,569)
- Reinosa (pop. 10,307)
Read more about this topic: Cantabria