Spain Administrative Divisions

Name: Spain Administrative Divisions Dataset
Creator: GeoPostcodes
License: https://www.geopostcodes.com/pricing/

What is the hierarchy of administrative divisions in Spain?

Spain operates on a 4‑level system starting with 19 autonomous communities, then provinces, after that regions, and municipalities as the smallest administrative units.

Here’s a breakdown of the hierarchy:

1. Autonomous Communities: Spain is divided into 19 autonomous communities.

2. Provinces: Autonomous Communities are subdivided into provinces.

3. Regions: Provinces are further subdivided into regions.

4. Municipalities: These are the smallest administrative units, often found within regions.

List of Spain's administrative divisions with their counts and names

These are the summarized administrative divisions. The full dataset is available in the Download Center.

iso	country	admin level 1	admin level 2	admin level 3	admin level 4
ES	Spain	Andalusia (Autonomous Community)	8 Provinces	65 Regions	786 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Aragon (Autonomous Community)	3 Provinces	37 Regions	734 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Balearic Islands (Autonomous Community)	1 Province	10 Regions	67 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Basque Country (Autonomous Community)	3 Provinces	21 Regions	256 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Canary Islands (Autonomous Community)	2 Provinces	8 Regions	88 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Cantabria (Autonomous Community)	1 Province	10 Regions	103 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Castille and Leon (Autonomous Community)	9 Provinces	72 Regions	2298 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Castille-La Mancha (Autonomous Community)	5 Provinces	35 Regions	921 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Catalonia (Autonomous Community)	4 Provinces	46 Regions	948 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Ceuta (Autonomous City)	1 Province	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	1 Municipality
ES	Spain	Extremadura (Autonomous Community)	2 Provinces	27 Regions	388 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Galicia (Autonomous Community)	4 Provinces	53 Regions	313 Municipalities
ES	Spain	La Rioja (Autonomous Community)	1 Province	12 Regions	175 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Madrid (Autonomous Community)	1 Province	6 Regions	181 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Melilla (Autonomous City)	1 Province	This level doesn’t exist for this country.	1 Municipality
ES	Spain	Murcia (Autonomous Community)	1 Province	12 Regions	45 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Navarre (Autonomous Community)	1 Province	17 Regions	288 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Principality of Asturias (Autonomous Community)	1 Province	9 Regions	78 Municipalities
ES	Spain	Valencian Community (Autonomous Community)	3 Provinces	35 Regions	542 Municipalities

Why is building an Administrative Divisions Database complex?

The complexity arises from inconsistent global standards, frequent boundary changes, non-uniform naming conventions (e.g., “suburb” in Australia vs. “county” in the US), and variations in administrative levels across countries. Integrating and harmonizing data from multiple sources requires advanced normalization, versioning, and geospatial validation techniques.

How does GeoPostcodes solve the problem for you?

Our standardized database overcomes the complexity of different administrative division
systems worldwide. Our database follows a unified structure that you can integrate
seamlessly into your system or platform of choice without needing to become an expert in
each country’s unique administrative hierarchy.

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Our location dataset for Spain

Explore our comprehensive collection of Spain ZIP code and administrative data products, designed to meet all your mapping and location intelligence needs.

Spain ZIP Codes

Spain utilizes a five-digit numeric postal code system, locally known as Código postal, with a format of 99999. The first two digits of the Código postal identify the province, and the last three digits specify the postal distribution unit. This system covers the mainland, islands, and autonomous cities.

According to the GeoPostcodes world postal code database, Spain has 10,818 postal codes, 8,681 regions, and 73,291 towns. Similar to US ZIP codes, Spain’s postal codes are entirely numeric, but they differ in length as US ZIP codes are five-digit numeric with an optional four-digit extension, whereas Spanish postal codes are strictly five-digit numeric.

Spain ZIP & Administrative boundaries

Spain administrative landscape often follows inconsistent regional models and irregular public sources, making it difficult to maintain reliable boundaries. Our standardized postal and administrative boundary data resolves these gaps to ensure complete, coherent geographic coverage.

Spain Address Format

Address conventions differ by country, leading to frequent validation errors and incomplete entries. Our dataset applies Spain correct address format to ensure clean inputs, smoother validation, and reduced delivery mistakes.

Address validation - Spain address validation

Comprehensive Spain ZIP code, city, and address data to verify and correct existing addresses at input, post-entry, or in bulk.

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Postal Code Database

Global dataset containing all administrative divisions, cities and ZIP codes.

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Key features

247 Countries
9,9M Coordinates
9,3M Postal Codes
400 Time zones
4M Cities and Towns
116K UNLOCODES

Specifications

Coverage: Global
Format: CSV, ASC, DAT, GML, GeoJSON, KML, Shapefile (SHP)

Boundary Data

A global dataset of polygons representing postal codes and administrative areas.

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Key features

247 Countries
Up to 6 levels
1,7M boundaries
High-precision
245K Admin areas
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Coverage: Global
Format: GeoJSON, Geopackage, KML, Shapefile (SHP)

Population Database

Global population estimates at postal code and administrative level covering a span of 55 years: past, present, and future.

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Key features

247 Countries
243K Admin areas
55 year span
Yearly updates
645K ZIP codes

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Coverage: International
Format: CSV, ASC

Address Database

International dataset with all administrative areas, cities, streets, and relevant postal codes.

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Key features

81 Countries
299 languages
26,5M streets
400 time zones
9.3M ZIP codes
4M cities

Specifications

Coverage: International
Format: CSV, ASC, DAT, GML, KML, Shapefile (SHP), GeoJSON

Global Postal Code Coverage

247 countries and territories with standardized formatting and reliable geographic information.

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Updated: June 1, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the administrative divisions of Spain?

Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities (Comunidades Autónomas) and 2 autonomous cities (Ciudades Autónomas), which form the top-level administrative units. These are subdivided into 52 provinces (Provincias). At the next level, there are 477 regions (Comarcas). The smallest administrative level consists of 8,131 municipalities (Municipios). Major autonomous communities include Andalusia, Aragon, and Balearic Islands.

How many administrative levels does Spain have?

Spain has 4 administrative levels. Level 1: 17 autonomous communities (Comunidades Autónomas) and 2 autonomous cities (Ciudades Autónomas). Level 2: 52 provinces (Provincias). Level 3: 477 regions (Comarcas). Level 4: 8,131 municipalities (Municipios).

How is Spain organized into autonomous communities?

Spain operates on a 4‑level system starting with 19 autonomous communities, then provinces, after that regions, and municipalities as the smallest administrative units.

What is the difference between autonomous communities and autonomous cities in Spain?

In Spain, autonomous communities and autonomous cities both sit at administrative level 1 but serve different functions. Autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas) — there are 17 — typically group multiple smaller municipalities under a shared administration. Autonomous cities (ciudades autónomas) — there are 2 — are a larger city or urban area that handle its own administration independently.

What are administrative divisions called in Spanish?

Spanish administrative divisions have specific local names at each level. In Spanish, autonomous communities are called Comunidades Autónomas; autonomous cities are called Ciudades Autónomas; provinces are called Provincias; regions are called Comarcas; municipalities are called Municipios. These local-language terms appear in official documents, legal records, and government databases, so matching them correctly is important for data integration and compliance.

How often do administrative boundaries change in Spain?

Administrative boundaries in Spain change as governments reorganize regions, merge municipalities, or create new administrative units to reflect population shifts and political decisions. Changes most commonly affect the municipalities level, where Spain currently has 8,131 units. Businesses that rely on Spanish administrative data should use a regularly updated reference dataset to avoid mismatches in geocoding, tax jurisdiction mapping, and compliance reporting.