The Al-Andalus population myth: neither 47 million nor Lavapiés

The Al-Andalus population myth: neither 47 million nor Lavapiés

Claiming that the population of Al-Andalus was "more or less the same as today's" requires, at the very least, forgetting that in the 10th century the Emirate of Córdoba was home to between 5 and 7 million inhabitants, compared with Spain's current population of more than 47 million. The comparison not only ignores demographic evolution but also confuses a historical territory with a modern state. But the debate doesn't stop at the headline figures: genetics has stepped in to dismantle — or support — identity narratives.

The figure that doesn't add up

Demographic estimates for Al-Andalus at its greatest extent put the population at around 5-7 million people, concentrated mainly in the Guadalquivir valley, the Mediterranean coast and major cities such as Córdoba. Claiming that this figure is "almost the same" as Spain's current population — which exceeds 47 million — only holds up if you equate a much smaller territory with very high urban density with the country as a whole. As has been pointed out, it would be like comparing a Saturday night in Lavapiés with the entire peninsula.

Genetics: 20 markers or whole genomes?

The exchange of accusations has focused on the validity of the genetic evidence. On one side, charts of Y-chromosome haplogroups are presented suggesting an almost total replacement of local paternal lineages by North African lineages during the Punic, Roman and Andalusi periods. On the other, critics argue that comparing 20 Y-chromosome markers with the whole genomes of just 9 individuals is a methodological trick: different scales and different resolutions. While some maintain that the northern peninsula kept its pre-Roman profile, others insist the samples are far too small for firm conclusions.

The heart of the debate: myth or reality?

Behind the technical discussion lies an interpretative struggle: the "Reconquista" as a narrative of Hispanic continuity versus the idea of a profound demographic rupture. The available data — scarce and partial — cannot settle whether the Andalusi population was massively replaced or whether, on the contrary, the North African genetic heritage diluted over the centuries. What is clear is that claiming "the population was the same" is, at the very least, an exaggeration that historical demography does not support.

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With 15 replies, the thread barely scratches the surface of a debate that calls for more archaeology, more genomes and less ideology. For now, the myth of a constant population still stands — but on shaky legs.

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