The Province of Málaga (Spanish: Provincia de Málaga [ˈmalaɣa]) is a province in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south and by the provinces of Cádiz to the west, Seville to the northwest, Córdoba to the north, and Granada to the east. Its capital is the city of Málaga. Besides the capital, the main cities are Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola, Vélez-Málaga, Torremolinos, Estepona, and Benalmádena, all in the coastal zone. The towns of Antequera and Ronda are located in the interior.
It has a population of 1,791,183 in an area of 7,307.76 square kilometres (2,821.54 sq mi) across its 103 municipalities, concentrated mainly in the metropolitan area of Málaga, the provincial capital, and throughout the coastal area.
The province is subject to extreme water stress in the wake of the proliferation of avocado plantations in the Axarquía region, with the arid local climate being unsuitable to the plant's large water demands.
Contents
Climate
The prevailing climate is a warm Mediterranean, with dry and warm long summers with short mild winters. The geographical relief varies greatly from zone to zone. In general, the coastal zone has a subtropical Mediterranean climate. To the north, a continental Mediterranean climate exists with cold, dry winters and warm summers.
Regions
Málaga
Costa del Sol
Valle del Guadalhorce
Axarquía
Serranía de Ronda
Antequera
Comarcas
The province has 9 comarcas/counties:
Antequera
Axarquía (Eastern Costa del Sol)
Costa del Sol Occidental (Western Costa del Sol)
Guadalteba
Málaga - Costa del Sol
Nororiental de Málaga
Serranía de Ronda
Sierra de las Nieves
Valle del Guadalhorce
Municipalities
The province has 103 municipalities:
Demographics
As of 2025, the population is 1,791,183, of which 48.8% are male, and 51.2% are female. Minors make up 17.1% of the population, and seniors make up 19.0%.
Immigration
As of 2025, immigrants make up 24.2% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Morocco, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Colombia, and Ukraine.
Protected areas
Los Alcornocales Natural Park
Sierra de las Nieves National Park
Montes de Málaga Natural Park
Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park
Tourism
The main industry and claim to fame are tourist resorts, particularly those on the beaches along the Costa del Sol. These beaches are visited by millions of European tourists; other attractions include the gorge of El Chorro near Álora, El Torcal de Antequera, the Moorish-Mudéjar district of Frigiliana, the Dolmen of Menga, the Tholos de El Romeral, the Dolmen de Viera and the Caves of Nerja.