THE JUNTA de Andalucia has created a website to persuade people to move to empty villages in rural areas.
The aim is to reverse population loss in rural Andalucia.
By showing what the villages offer, including housing, schools, healthcare, jobs and internet access, it hopes to attract new residents.
According to data, some of the villages are losing their populations and one fourth of the houses have been left empty.
The plan aims to ease the imbalance between shrinking inland towns and crowded areas such as the Costa del Sol, and to spread population and economic activity more evenly across the region.
READ MORE: Rural gems starting at €26: How to snap up a bargain at a land auction in the Spanish heartland
The website, Vive Mas Andalucía, profiles 480 municipalities that are losing population.
It helps people find a village that suits their needs, whether they are looking for a quieter place to live, planning to work remotely or hoping to start a business.
Users can check each town’s population and its distance from the provincial capital.
The provided information also includes details of schools, health centres, pharmacies, employment services, sports facilities and internet connections, including fibre, fixed wireless, 4G and 5G.
The site provided figures for vacant homes, as well.
For example, El Carpio, in Cordoba province, has 4,323 residents and is 28 kilometres from the provincial capital. Its profile lists 294 vacant homes, equal to 17.27% of its 1,705 properties.
The town also has a medical centre and schools from early childhood to secondary level.
In Cantoria, Almeria province, the website records 481 vacant homes among 1,461 properties. The town has 3,568 residents, two medical clinics, employment services and schools up to bachillerato level.
The housing figures provide a general picture of each municipality, but do not mean that every vacant property is available to buy or rent. Anyone interested in a home will need to check with local owners or estate agents.
The portal is part of the Junta’s ‘El pueblo de tu vida’ (the town, your life) campaign to attract new residents to rural Andalucía.
The regional government says its wider strategy aims to distribute the population more evenly and reach 10 million residents by 2050.
Click here to read more Andalucia News from The Olive Press.