New data published by the National Statistics Institute has found that buses in Spain carried more than 1.535 billion passengers during the first five months of 2026 – an increase of 2.55% when compared to the same period in 2025 (1.497 billion).
This trend showcases sustained growth, with May seeing more than 327 million passengers choosing to travel by bus – 11.3% more than in 2025.
Inter-city transport recorded a 2.5% increase, whilst non-scheduled services grew by 2.3% and urban transport rose by 0.8%. Special services, however, saw a fall of 1.7%.
With these figures, bus transport within Spain has now recorded five consecutive years of growth, with passenger numbers having steadily risen to 3.571 billion in 2025.
Elsewhere, rising demand is showing that fleet renewal is also increasing right alongisde it. The National Association of Bus and Coach Bodywork Manufacturers (ASCABUS) has stated that in 324 buses were registered in Spain during June – of which 294 were brand-new vehicles.
So far this year, up to June, the market saw the registration of 2,003 units, made up of 1,603 inter-city vehicles and 400 city vehicles. Amongst these units, diesel remains the dominant fuel, with 1,451 units, whilst low- and zero-emission solutions are gaining ground, with 225 electric buses, 293 hybrid buses and 34 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles registered in the first half of the year.
This coming September will see the sixteenth edition of the International Bus and Coach Fair (FIAA), where companies and associations will join to cement the bus transport sector as one of the cornerstones of collective mobility throughout Spain.
Organised by IFEMA MADRID; the event, which is held from 22–24 September, will serve as a meeting point where more than 100 exhibiting companies will be able to showcase their products, innovations and solutions to the challenges facing the sector. The trade fair will see manufacturers, bodywork manufacturers, technology suppliers, operators, fleet operators, industry associations and specialist companies all gather at IFEMA MADRID to showcase proposals designed to support this new phase of growth.
The event will also feature a programme of conferences, round-table discussions, activities and presentations by exhibitors, which will be published on the exhibition website.
