The Strategy against the Demographic Challenge 2023-2030, presented to the Governing Council, reveals that 21 localities have exited the priority action list, while 11 have entered, resulting in a net decrease of ten municipalities compared to 2025. This initiative, promoted by the Ministry of Justice, Local Administration and Public Function, classifies Andalusian municipalities based on nine demographic and socioeconomic indicators.
Among the criteria evaluated are population density, demographic growth, aging, migration rate, and unemployment. In the province of Cádiz, no locality is classified with high priority, although seven are categorized with medium priority and thirteen with low priority, totaling 20 municipalities in Cádiz that require preferential attention to curb population loss.
A notable case is San Martín del Tesorillo, which is no longer considered a priority in the fight against depopulation. Conversely, Trebujena joins the low priority category this year, meeting between two and three of the criteria established by the strategy. Regionally, high-priority municipalities (those meeting seven or more of the nine criteria) have decreased from 78 to 73.
Medium-priority municipalities (between four and six indicators) remain at 221, while low-priority ones (two or three criteria) have decreased from 181 to 176. The number of municipalities not presenting a specific risk of depopulation has increased from 149 to 159. The eleven Andalusian municipalities joining the list this year, all with low priority, include Huécija and Tíjola (Almería); Trebujena (Cádiz); Santaella (Córdoba); Benalúa, Polopos, and Ugíjar (Granada); La Iruela (Jaén); Totalán (Málaga); and Castilleja del Campo and Pedrera (Sevilla).
The Junta's strategy aims to establish a framework for action to combat population loss in rural areas, implementing measures that encourage residents to stay, improve public services, and stimulate economic activity. The annual update of this strategy allows for the adjustment of territorial priorities based on the evolution of demographic and socioeconomic indicators, which continue to show significant differences between the coastal and inland areas of Andalucía.
