Torrox overtakes Nerja in terms of population

The mayor of Torrox, Óscar Medina presented these figures on Thursday 17 September. He said that the eastern Costa del Sol town has regained the top spot “after 55 years”. This historical reference is based on the mayor’s own assessment and not on the provisional statistics from the INE, which merely record the population figure.

According to the figures provided by Torrox town hall the population has risen from 22,015 the previous year to 22,523, representing an increase of 508 residents and a rise of 2.3 per cent. Medina has also contrasted this trend with the 15,117 inhabitants the municipality had in 2015 and has put the cumulative growth since then at 49 per cent.

A comparison with the latest figures helps to put the change into perspective. Data for 2025 from the Andalusian Institute of Statistics and Cartography still showed Nerja with 22,062 inhabitants and Torrox with 21,795, giving Nerja a lead of 267 people. The provisional figures now released for January 2026 therefore reverse that situation.

The judicial district of Torrox officially comprises Torrox, Nerja, Algarrobo, Árchez, Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta, Frigiliana and Sayalonga, according to the demarcation established by the general judiciary council. Based on the standardised population figures for 2025, these eight municipalities had a combined population of 61,039: 22,062 in Nerja, 21,795 in Torrox, 7,096 in Algarrobo, 3,728 in Cómpeta, 3,459 in Frigiliana, 1,635 in Sayalonga, 820 in Canillas de Albaida and 444 in Árchez.

Medina has linked the population increase to various factors relating to municipal management, including the promotion of new housing, neighbourhood regeneration schemes, the provision of services and the promotion of tourism under the Best Climate in Europe brand. These are arguments put forward by the town hall to explain a trend that the mayor presents as a sign of “sustainable growth, well-being and quality of life”.

The town hall also distinguishes between the provisional statistical figure and its own municipal register. According to Moreno, the latter currently lists 23,159 registered residents, a figure higher than the 22,523 inhabitants used as a statistical reference as at 1 January 2026.

Moreno has argued that this growth reflects Torrox’s increased ability to attract permanent residents and economic activity. The mayor also pointed out that the municipality is home to residents of around 90 different nationalities and that the foreign population accounts for over 30 per cent of the total; factors which the local council uses to reinforce its argument that Torrox is establishing itself as a residential destination as well as a tourist destination.

The rise in population has also enabled the mayor to revive several calls for infrastructure improvements. Medina has announced that he will call on the Andalusian regional government to make progress on the courthouse, a new health centre, improvements to the A&E department and the introduction of the sixth form at Alfaguar secondary school. He has once again called on the central government to proceed with the construction of the A-7 motorway exit at El Morche and to find a solution for the migrant reception centre in the town.

The shift compared with Nerja also has a symbolic dimension, as both towns have been growing in parallel for years and share much of their tourism, residential and economic dynamics. In March 2024, SUR wrote that Torrox was ‘hot on the heels’ of Nerja and reported Medina’s prediction that the town would end up leading its judicial district within one or two years. Two financial years later, the new provisional figures place Torrox ahead for the first time, pending the completion of the statistical processing of the 2026 data and its finalisation.

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