
In order to solve this curiosity, we have spent some time compiling data in a table and making mathematical combinations to meet two criteria before drawing conclusions (some of them obvious, others not so intuitive at first).
The first table I want to show you is the number of cars sold per capita, ordering the Spanish provinces according to that parameter. Here we go:
Name | Inhabitants | Cars sold from January to August | cars sold per inhabitant |
Madrid, Community of | 6.489.690 | 239.693 | 0,0369 |
Alicante | 1.934.197 | 41.941 | 0,0217 |
Balearic Islands | 1.113.114 | 22.733 | 0,0204 |
Castellón | 604.344 | 11.355 | 0,0188 |
Palmas, Las | 1.096.980 | 17.807 | 0,0162 |
Spain | 46.771.341 | 718.629 | 0,0154 |
Barcelona | 5.529.099 | 83.540 | 0,0151 |
Toledo | 707.242 | 10.482 | 0,0148 |
Álava | 321.932 | 4.522 | 0,0140 |
Gerona | 756.810 | 10.011 | 0,0132 |
Huesca | 228.361 | 2.742 | 0,0120 |
Tarragona | 811.401 | 9.323 | 0,0115 |
Zaragoza | 973.325 | 11.058 | 0,0114 |
Valencia | 2.578.719 | 29.104 | 0,0113 |
Malaga | 1.625.827 | 18.282 | 0,0112 |
Navarra, Comunidad Foral de | 640.790 | 7.102 | 0,0111 |
Guipúzcoa | 709.607 | 7.783 | 0,0110 |
Vizcaya | 1.155.772 | 12.608 | 0,0109 |
Guadalajara | 256.461 | 2.789 | 0,0109 |
Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1.029.789 | 11.106 | 0,0108 |
Cantabria | 593.121 | 6.362 | 0,0107 |
Valladolid | 534.874 | 5.562 | 0,0104 |
Lérida | 442.308 | 4.422 | 0,0100 |
Rioja, La | 322.955 | 3.191 | 0,0099 |
Burgos | 365.357 | 3.607 | 0,0099 |
Murcia, Region of | 1.470.069 | 14.451 | 0,0098 |
Asturias, Principality of | 1.081.487 | 10.528 | 0,0097 |
Coruña, La | 1.147.124 | 11.146 | 0,0097 |
Lugo | 351.350 | 3.385 | 0,0096 |
Almeria | 702.819 | 6.442 | 0,0092 |
Teruel | 141.607 | 1.268 | 0,0090 |
Soria | 95.223 | 846 | 0,0089 |
Palencia | 171.688 | 1.499 | 0,0087 |
Pontevedra | 963.511 | 8.331 | 0,0086 |
Seville | 1.928.962 | 16.660 | 0,0086 |
Cadiz | 1.243.519 | 10.608 | 0,0085 |
Melilla | 84.509 | 708 | 0,0084 |
Grenada | 924.550 | 7.729 | 0,0084 |
Orense | 333.257 | 2.781 | 0,0083 |
Ceuta | 84.963 | 687 | 0,0081 |
Segovia | 164.169 | 1.319 | 0,0080 |
Ávila | 172.704 | 1.349 | 0,0078 |
Huelva | 521.968 | 4.048 | 0,0078 |
Badajoz | 693.921 | 5.183 | 0,0075 |
Córdoba | 805.857 | 5.885 | 0,0073 |
Salamanca | 352.986 | 2.576 | 0,0073 |
Ciudad Real | 530.175 | 3.707 | 0,0070 |
Albacete | 402.318 | 2.802 | 0,0070 |
Zamora | 191.612 | 1.322 | 0,0069 |
León | 529.799 | 3.599 | 0,0068 |
Cáceres | 415.446 | 2.822 | 0,0068 |
Jaén | 670.600 | 4.050 | 0,0060 |
Cuenca | 219.318 | 1.206 | 0,0055 |
If we pay attention to the table, we see that Madrid leads, but with a solid reason for this: The fact that the company car registrations of many companies that are based in Madrid, as well as official and other cars take place in the capital, has an impact on the number of cars that are registered per inhabitant, to the point of having more than twice as many registrations per inhabitant as the average for Spain.
Alicante, Castellón, the Balearic Islands and Las Palmas are at the top of the list, mainly benefiting from sales to rental companies, as they are tourist hotspots.
The rest of the list is fairly balanced position to position, although the distance between the first and the last is very pronounced. Cuenca has only registered 0.0055 cars per inhabitant so far this year, while Toledo, Álava or Gerona have 0.0148, which is more than double. It should be noted, once again, how the capital of the Autonomous Community of Toledo, Alava or Barcelona affects this extra rate of sales per inhabitant. Gerona, with important traction of tourism is also in the top positions, being Huesca the first province that not being the capital of an Autonomous Community and not having a strong dependence on tourism, stands out for the amount of registrations per inhabitant.
Another important factor, which we are going to analyse in the following table, is the economic power of each province, which has a decisive influence: The less gross domestic product there is, the fewer cars are sold. This is to be expected.
And if we change the valuation criteria? We have made another table according to the gross domestic product of each province, to correlate how many cars are sold according to the economic power of each province. The result is as follows:
Name | GDP per capita (euros per inhabitant) | Inhabitants | Sales January-August | cars sold per million euros of GDP |
Madrid, Community of | 29.576,00 € | 6.489.690 | 239.693 | 1,249 |
Alicante | 17.405,00 € | 1.934.197 | 41.941 | 1,246 |
Balearic Islands | 23.769,00 € | 1.113.114 | 22.733 | 0,859 |
Toledo | 17.450,00 € | 707.242 | 10.482 | 0,849 |
Palmas, Las | 19.438,00 € | 1.096.980 | 17.807 | 0,835 |
Castellón | 22.597,00 € | 604.344 | 11.355 | 0,831 |
Spain | 22.685,00 € | 46.771.341 | 718.629 | 0,677 |
Malaga | 17.267,00 € | 1.625.827 | 18.282 | 0,651 |
Barcelona | 26.531,00 € | 5.529.099 | 83.540 | 0,569 |
Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 19.205,00 € | 1.029.789 | 11.106 | 0,562 |
Guadalajara | 19.584,00 € | 256.461 | 2.789 | 0,555 |
Almeria | 16.855,00 € | 702.819 | 6.442 | 0,544 |
Valencia | 21.091,00 € | 2.578.719 | 29.104 | 0,535 |
Murcia, Region of | 18.470,00 € | 1.470.069 | 14.451 | 0,532 |
Granada | 16.133,00 € | 924.550 | 7.729 | 0,518 |
Cadiz | 16.916,00 € | 1.243.519 | 10.608 | 0,504 |
Lugo | 19.459,00 € | 351.350 | 3.385 | 0,495 |
Gerona | 26.722,00 € | 756.810 | 10.011 | 0,495 |
Cantabria | 22.055,00 € | 593.121 | 6.362 | 0,486 |
Badajoz | 15.617,00 € | 693.921 | 5.183 | 0,478 |
Seville | 18.223,00 € | 1.928.962 | 16.660 | 0,474 |
Melilla | 17.824,00 € | 84.509 | 708 | 0,470 |
Huesca | 26.258,00 € | 228.361 | 2.742 | 0,457 |
Asturias, Principado de | 21.310,00 € | 1.081.487 | 10.528 | 0,457 |
Zaragoza | 25.150,00 € | 973.325 | 11.058 | 0,452 |
Córdoba | 16.396,00 € | 805.857 | 5.885 | 0,445 |
Coruña, La | 21.898,00 € | 1.147.124 | 11.146 | 0,444 |
Pontevedra | 19.548,00 € | 963.511 | 8.331 | 0,442 |
Orense | 19.305,00 € | 333.257 | 2.781 | 0,432 |
Cáceres | 15.715,00 € | 415.446 | 2.822 | 0,432 |
Huelva | 17.959,00 € | 521.968 | 4.048 | 0,432 |
Valladolid | 24.176,00 € | 534.874 | 5.562 | 0,430 |
Tarragona | 26.792,00 € | 811.401 | 9.323 | 0,429 |
Ceuta | 19.555,00 € | 84.963 | 687 | 0,413 |
Ávila | 19.011,00 € | 172.704 | 1.349 | 0,411 |
Álava | 35.175,00 € | 321.932 | 4.522 | 0,399 |
Rioja, La | 25.537,00 € | 322.955 | 3.191 | 0,387 |
Albacete | 18.113,00 € | 402.318 | 2.802 | 0,385 |
Ciudad Real | 18.214,00 € | 530.175 | 3.707 | 0,384 |
Vizcaya | 28.618,00 € | 1.155.772 | 12.608 | 0,381 |
Jaén | 15.858,00 € | 670.600 | 4.050 | 0,381 |
Navarra, Comunidad Foral de | 29.134,00 € | 640.790 | 7.102 | 0,380 |
Palencia | 23.019,00 € | 171.688 | 1.499 | 0,379 |
Salamanca | 19.264,00 € | 352.986 | 2.576 | 0,379 |
Soria | 23.816,00 € | 95.223 | 846 | 0,373 |
Lérida | 26.943,00 € | 442.308 | 4.422 | 0,371 |
Segovia | 21.769,00 € | 164.169 | 1.319 | 0,369 |
Burgos | 27.128,00 € | 365.357 | 3.607 | 0,364 |
Zamora | 19.132,00 € | 191.612 | 1.322 | 0,361 |
Teruel | 24.996,00 € | 141.607 | 1.268 | 0,358 |
Guipúzcoa | 31.442,00 € | 709.607 | 7.783 | 0,349 |
León | 20.688,00 € | 529.799 | 3.599 | 0,328 |
Cuenca | 18.549,00 € | 219.318 | 1.206 | 0,296 |
The table is once again dominated by Madrid for the same reason as in the previous table, but the rest of the data does represent rather more disparate changes. For example, in Guipuzcoa, with the second largest Gross Domestic Product in Spain, few cars are sold for the amount of money that moves, something that is logical on the other hand, since the average car sales per capita is close to the Spanish average, but this table does not consider the transaction price per car (less are sold, but more expensive).
If we discard the issue of Madrid and the issue of the provinces that receive the "traction" of leasing cars (archipelagos, Castellón, Alicante...) perhaps, again, the biggest surprise is Toledo, which not only has one of the highest rates of car sales per capita, but also buys cars above the average in relation to its gross domestic product. Again, the fact that it is the capital of an Autonomous Community has an influence, but it still surprises us if we compare it with other "capitals of Autonomous Communities".
Anyway, we leave you all these tabulated data, so you can draw your own conclusions. Toledo as the capital of love for cars? I would never have imagined it, to be honest...