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Araba/Álava is a province in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, Spain, that is divided into 51 municipalities.^[1] As of the 2023^[update] Spanish census, the province is the 37th largest by population with 336,308 inhabitants^[2] but is the 48th largest by land area spanning 2,967.86 square kilometres (1,145.90 sq mi).^[3] Municipalities enjoy a large degree of autonomy in their local administration. Amongst other tasks, they are in charge of urban planning, water supply, lighting, road network, local police and firefighting.^[4]

Municipalities are the basic local political division in Spain,^[5] and can only belong to one province.^[6] The organisation of the municipalities is outlined in a local government law (Ley 7/1985, de 2 de abril, Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local) passed on 2 April 1985,^[7] completed by an 18 April 1986 royal decree.^[8] The Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country of 1979 also contains provisions concerning the relations between the municipalities and the autonomous government of the Basque Country.^[9] All citizens of Spain are required to register in the municipality in which they reside.^[10] Each municipality is a corporation with independent legal personhood: its governing body is called the ayuntamiento (municipal council or corporation),^[11] a term often also used to refer to the municipal offices (city and town halls). The ayuntamiento is composed of the mayor (Spanish: alcalde), the deputy mayors (tenientes de alcalde) and the plenary assembly (pleno) of councillors (concejales).^[12] Municipalities are categorised by population for the purpose of determining the number of concejales: three when the population is up to 100 inhabitants, five for 101–250, seven for 251–1,000, nine for 1,001–2,000, eleven for 2,001–5,000, thirteen for 5,001–10,000, seventeen for 10,001–20,000, twenty-one for 20,001–50,000 and twenty-five for 50,001–100,000.^[13] One councillor is added for every additional 100,000 inhabitants, with a further one added when the number of concejales based on this methodology would be even in order to prevent tied votes.^[14]

The mayor and the deputy mayors are elected by the plenary assembly, which is itself elected by universal suffrage.^[15] Elections in municipalities with more than 250 inhabitants are carried out following a proportional representation system with closed lists,^[14] whilst those with a population lower than 250 use a block plurality voting system with open lists.^[16] The plenary assembly must meet periodically at the seat of the ayuntamiento, more or less often depending on the population of the municipality: monthly for those whose population is larger than 20,000, once every two months if it ranges between 5,001 and 20,000, and once every three months if it does not exceed 5,000.^[17] Many ayuntamientos also have a local governing board (Spanish: junta de gobierno local), named by the mayor from amongst the councillors—it is required for municipalities of more than 5,000 inhabitants.^[12] The junta de gobierno local, whose role is to assist the mayor between meetings of the plenary assembly, may not include more than one third of the councillors.^[18]

The largest municipality by population in the province of Araba/Álava as of the 2023 Spanish census is Vitoria-Gasteiz, its capital, with 255,423 residents, while the smallest is Añana with 156 residents.^[19] The largest municipality by area is also Vitoria-Gasteiz, which spans 276.98 km², while Lapuebla de Labarca is the smallest at 6.05 km².^[3]

Municipalities

Largest municipalities in Araba/Álava by population
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the province's capital and largest municipality by population.
Laudio/Llodio, the second largest municipality by population in Araba/Álava
Amurrio is Araba/Álava's third largest municipality by population.
Salvatierra/Agurain, Araba/Álava's fourth largest municipality by population

† Provincial capital

Municipalities in Araba/Álava
Name	Cuadrilla^[20]	Population (2023 census)^[19]	Population (2011 census)^[1]	Population change	Land area (km²)^[3]	Population density (2023)
Alegría-Dulantzi	Llanada Alavesa/Arabako Lautada	2,969	2,860	+3.8%	19.95	148.8/km²
Amurrio	Ayala/Aiara	10,299	10,071	+2.3%	96.30	106.9/km²
Añana	Añana	156	165	−5.5%	21.92	7.1/km²
Aramaio	Gorbeialdea	1,409	1,507	−6.5%	73.09	19.3/km²
Armiñón	Añana	233	227	+2.6%	12.97	18.0/km²
Arraia-Maeztu	Montaña Alavesa/Arabako Mendialdea	812	739	+9.9%	123.11	6.6/km²
Arrazua-Ubarrundia	Gorbeialdea	1,042	953	+9.3%	57.53	18.1/km²
Asparrena	Llanada Alavesa/Arabako Lautada	1,607	1,691	−5.0%	65.11	24.7/km²
Artziniega	Ayala/Aiara	1,832	1,854	−1.2%	27.29	67.1/km²
Ayala/Aiara	Ayala/Aiara	2,918	2,894	+0.8%	140.97	20.7/km²
Baños de Ebro/Mañueta	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	298	314	−5.1%	9.50	31.4/km²
Barrundia	Llanada Alavesa/Arabako Lautada	895	904	−1.0%	97.30	9.2/km²
Berantevilla	Añana	458	480	−4.6%	35.75	12.8/km²
Bernedo	Montaña Alavesa/Arabako Mendialdea	539	572	−5.8%	130.48	4.1/km²
Campezo/Kanpezu	Montaña Alavesa/Arabako Mendialdea	1,079	1,146	−5.8%	85.36	12.6/km²
Elburgo/Burgelu	Llanada Alavesa/Arabako Lautada	637	624	+2.1%	32.10	19.8/km²
Elciego	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	968	1,048	−7.6%	16.26	59.5/km²
Elvillar/Bilar	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	314	363	−13.5%	17.50	17.9/km²
Harana/Valle de Arana	Montaña Alavesa/Arabako Mendialdea	218	283	−23.0%	39.12	5.6/km²
Iruña Oka/Iruña de Oca	Añana	3,600	3,043	+18.3%	53.24	67.6/km²
Iruraiz-Gauna	Llanada Alavesa/Arabako Lautada	540	540	0.0%	47.13	11.5/km²
Kripan	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	176	196	−10.2%	12.52	14.1/km²
Kuartango	Añana	401	355	+13.0%	84.32	4.8/km²
Labastida/Bastida	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	1,577	1,489	+5.9%	38.11	41.4/km²
Lagrán	Montaña Alavesa/Arabako Mendialdea	172	182	−5.5%	45.62	3.8/km²
Laguardia	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	1,486	1,541	−3.6%	80.94	18.4/km²
Lanciego/Lantziego	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	708	690	+2.6%	24.25	29.2/km²
Lantarón	Añana	937	909	+3.1%	67.45	13.9/km²
Lapuebla de Labarca	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	869	859	+1.2%	6.05	143.6/km²
Laudio/Llodio	Ayala/Aiara	17,910	18,461	−3.0%	37.73	474.7/km²
Legutiano	Gorbeialdea	2,043	1,739	+17.5%	45.86	44.5/km²
Leza	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	220	222	−0.9%	9.92	22.2/km²
Moreda de Álava	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	208	248	−16.1%	8.67	24.0/km²
Navaridas	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	198	223	−11.2%	8.92	22.2/km²
Okondo	Ayala/Aiara	1,196	1,159	+3.2%	29.85	40.1/km²
Oyón-Oion	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	3,462	3,283	+5.5%	45.18	76.6/km²
Peñacerrada-Urizaharra	Montaña Alavesa/Arabako Mendialdea	303	278	+9.0%	62.15	4.9/km²
Erriberagoitia/Ribera Alta	Añana	826	787	+5.0%	119.82	6.9/km²
Ribera Baja/Erribera Beitia	Añana	1,430	1,311	+9.1%	25.31	56.5/km²
Salvatierra/Agurain	Llanada Alavesa/Arabako Lautada	5,078	4,937	+2.9%	37.77	134.4/km²
Samaniego	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	305	334	−8.7%	10.58	28.8/km²
San Millán/Donemiliaga	Llanada Alavesa/Arabako Lautada	730	720	+1.4%	85.39	8.5/km²
Urkabustaiz	Gorbeialdea	1,434	1,355	+5.8%	60.85	23.6/km²
Valdegovía/Gaubea	Añana	1,064	1,079	−1.4%	238.23	4.5/km²
Villabuena de Álava/Eskuernaga	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	284	330	−13.9%	8.48	33.5/km²
Vitoria-Gasteiz†	Vitoria-Gasteiz	255,423	240,753	+6.1%	276.98	922.2/km²
Yécora/Iekora	Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa/Biasteri Arabako Errioxa	250	286	−12.6%	18.80	13.3/km²
Zalduondo	Llanada Alavesa/Arabako Lautada	196	185	+5.9%	11.89	16.5/km²
Zambrana	Añana	423	434	−2.5%	39.57	10.7/km²
Zigoitia	Gorbeialdea	1,819	1,740	+4.5%	102.09	17.8/km²
Zuia	Gorbeialdea	2,357	2,420	−2.6%	122.58	19.2/km²
Araba/Álava	—	336,308^[21]	320,778^[22]	+4.8%	2,967.86	113.3/km²
Basque Country	—	2,216,302^[21]	2,185,393^[22]	+1.4%	7,092.45	312.5/km²
Spain	—	48,085,361^[21]	46,815,916^[22]	+2.7%	504,755.17	95.3/km²