Pozuelo & Matadepera: The Richest Towns In Spain

21 July 2016 – Expansión

Inhabitants of the towns of Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), Matadepera (Barcelona), Boadilla del Monte, Majadahonda and Las Rozas (Madrid) declared the highest income figures, according to data from 2013 made public yesterday by the Tax Authorities (AEAT), which included Statistics about Income Tax filers in towns of more than 1,000 inhabitants for the first time. In Pozuelo de Alarcón, the average gross income amounted to €59,279 per year, whilst the average available income decreased to €42,579. In the town, 84,360 inhabitants recorded a total of 41,187 tax returns in 2013.

Second in the ranking came Matadepera, with an average gross income of €48,804 and an available income of €36,232.

Boadilla del Monte was ranked in third place, with an average gross income of €48,537 and an average available income of €353,85. Las Rozas was ranked fourth, with an average gross income of €47,148, just above Majadahona, with €46,173.

The average gross income of the more than 19 million income tax contributors amounted to €24,376 p.a. and the gross available income stood at €19,933 p.a.. Madrid and Barcelona accounted for 23 of the 25 towns with the highest incomes. Rocafort (Valencia) and Simancas (Valladolid) were the only towns to break the hegemony. Zafarraya (Granada) and Zahínos (Badajoz) were the towns with the lowest average gross income, recording €10,293 and €10,301, respectively.

The statistics contain data about gross income, income before tax, excluding tax credits and including exempt income, as well as about available income, which is gross income after tax, including social security contributions. It is worth noting that the information declared in the personal tax returns relates to all income received during the year, in other words, it includes retentions.

By autonomous region, Madrid took the lead with the highest average gross income (€31,766), ahead of Cataluña, which reported €27,540. Ranked between the two, however, were Ceuta and Melilla, with €31,152 and €29,209, respectively. This may be attributed in part to the fact that the percentage of tax contributors in Ceuta and Melilla is much lower, specifically, 32% and 31%, compared with the average of 46%. Asturias, with average gross income of €24,60, was the other autonomous region that was ranked above average (€24,602). Close behind it, although below the average, were Aragón (€24,561), the Balearic Islands (€24,241) and Cantabria (€24,159). The lowest average gross income figures were reported in Castilla-La Mancha (€21,028), Andalucía (€20,824) and Extremadura (€19,034).

Original story: Expansión (by Mercedes Serraller)

Translation: Carmel Drake