Ana M. López
Research expert covering travel, tourism and hospitality
Museums in Spain - statistics & facts
With its rich historical, cultural, and artistic heritage, Spain is home to some world-renowned museums. The Reina Sofía Museum has consistently been among the most visited museums worldwide, with annual attendance surpassing one million people during the COVID-19 years and bouncing back to more than three million in 2022. This museum is dedicated to 20th-century and contemporary art and is one of the three most famous Spanish art museums, all located in Madrid.
Outside the country’s capital, other museums also attract the attention of locals and tourists alike. For instance, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao welcomes more than one million visitors annually, except in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the pandemic. This museum is one of the three art museums of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which was established in New York in 1949 by the U.S. businessman and art collector.
Though art museums are the favorite among Spaniards, some specialized institutions, such as the one dedicated to FC Barcelona, enjoy high popularity too. Before the COVID-19 crisis, the famous sports club’s museum, which is inside the Camp Nou stadium, received more than 1.6 million visitors and it almost reached two million in 2018.
Outside the country’s capital, other museums also attract the attention of locals and tourists alike. For instance, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao welcomes more than one million visitors annually, except in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the pandemic. This museum is one of the three art museums of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which was established in New York in 1949 by the U.S. businessman and art collector.
Though art museums are the favorite among Spaniards, some specialized institutions, such as the one dedicated to FC Barcelona, enjoy high popularity too. Before the COVID-19 crisis, the famous sports club’s museum, which is inside the Camp Nou stadium, received more than 1.6 million visitors and it almost reached two million in 2018.
How does the cultural sector contribute to the Spanish economy?
Museums and other cultural institutions are major attractions for tourists and, therefore, contribute to the overall tourism sector, which represented around 160 billion euros for the Spanish gross domestic product in 2022. In the previous year, the sales of libraries, archives, museums, and similar establishments in the Iberian country amounted to approximately 537 million euros, reflecting the harsh impact of the COVID-19 crisis. In 2019, the sales figure had climbed above one billion euros. In addition to that, the Spanish cultural sector employed roughly 38 thousand people in 2021, remaining relatively stable compared to previous years.Profile of museum visitors from Spain
According to a 2021/2022 survey, around one-fifth of Spaniards visits at least one museum annually. While most museums do not have an specific targeted age group, the study also suggests that the interest in these cultural institutions is lower among the older Spanish population. This fact might also be related to the occupation of most museum enthusiasts. In the same survey, students and employees recorded the highest museum attendance rate, which might be influenced by the free entry to these centers that students in Spain enjoy or the posibility of workers earning a salary to pay the ticket prices. Overall, Spaniards with a higher education degree are more likely to visit museums.
