Camino de Santiago 2025 numbers
A record 530,987 pilgrims received the Compostela certificate after walking the Camino de Santiago in 2025, according to the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago de Compostela. his figure confirms a sustained growth trend observed over the past decade—with the pandemic years as the only exception and represents the highest annual number recorded to date. This was a 6% increase over 2024 (499,239) and the third record year in a row. The Camino Francés remained the most popular route, walked by 242,179 pilgrims (46%), while the Camino Portugués continued its rapid growth. Sarria was the single most popular starting point, with 162,076 pilgrims (30.5%) beginning their journey there.
How many people walked the Camino de Santiago in 2025?
The Camino de Santiago set a new all-time record in 2025, becoming one of Europe’s most-walked long-distance pilgrimage routes. Here are the official figures from the Pilgrim’s Reception Office (Oficina del Peregrino) in Santiago de Compostela:
Camino de Santiago 2025 — Headline Numbers
Key figures from a record-breaking year on the Camino
↑ 6% vs 2024 · Highest international share everSource: Pilgrim’s Reception Office, Santiago de Compostela (2025 official statistics).
👉 Curious why so many people are walking? Read our take: Why the Camino should be on your bucket list.
Most Popular Camino Routes in 2025
The Camino Francés continues to dominate the pilgrimage landscape, but the Portuguese routes (Central + Coastal combined) are growing significantly faster — together they represent more than a third of all Caminos walked in 2025.
Camino de Santiago Routes by Popularity (2025)
Distribution of pilgrims across the main Camino routes
Total: ~530,000 pilgrimsKey trends
- The Camino Francés grew just +2% — slowest growth among major routes
- The Portuguese Coastal Way grew +20%, the fastest-growing major route. The remarkable growth of the Portuguese routes, especially the Coastal Way, can be attributed to several factors. Many pilgrims seek alternatives to the often-crowded Camino Francés. The Coastal route, in particular, offers stunning Atlantic scenery, a relatively flat profile and a well-developed infrastructure of services, making it an attractive option for both first-time and veteran pilgrims.
- The Camino Inglés grew +8% — driven by short-trip demand from Britain and Ireland
- The Camino Primitivo grew +14% — increasingly popular among experienced hikers
- The Vía de la Plata declined slightly — confirming a 3-year downward trend
Most Popular Starting Points in 2025
Pilgrims must walk a minimum of 100 km (or cycle 200 km) into Santiago to qualify for the Compostela certificate. As a result, 4 of the 5 most-used starting points are exactly at the 100 km mark of their respective routes.
51% of all pilgrims now start at one of just four points — Sarria, Porto, Tui or Vigo. The “last 100 km” Camino is, by a wide margin, the most-walked Camino experience worldwide. Pilgrims taking the full traditional route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port represent only about 6% of the total.
Most Popular Starting Points (2025)
Where pilgrims begin their Camino to Santiago de Compostela
59% of all pilgrims start from one of these 5 points👉 Want to walk the shortest qualifying Camino? See our Last 100 km Camino collection and our guide Camino de Santiago for Dummies: where do I start?.
Top Nationalities Walking the Camino in 2025
For the second year in a row, international pilgrims outnumbered their Spanish counterparts, confirming the Camino’s transformation into a fully global pilgrimage. Foreign pilgrims totaled 302,460 (57%), surpassing the 228,527 pilgrims from Spain (43%).
Top 10 Pilgrim Nationalities on the Camino (2025)
Where pilgrims come from to walk the Camino de Santiago
Spain leads with 42% of all pilgrimsSource: Pilgrim’s Office, Santiago de Compostela (2025).
Notable shifts: The United States continues its significant rise, with American pilgrims growing more than 90% in the last decade. In the past two years, they have overtaken both Germany and Italy to firmly claim the top international spot. The UK and Ireland still rank in the top 10, many of them naturally drawn to the Camino Inglés thanks to its historic English origin.
👉 Walking from abroad? Check our specific guides: Camino Tours from the USA, Camino Tours from Ireland, and Camino Tours from Australia and New Zealand.
Motivations: Why People Walk the Camino in 2025
The Camino is often described in the media as a “secular hike,” but the data tells a more nuanced story. Nearly half of all pilgrims still walk for religious reasons, while the other half blend spiritual, cultural and personal motivations.
Why Pilgrims Walk the Camino (2025)
Motivations declared by pilgrims when collecting their Compostela
79% of pilgrims include a religious or spiritual dimensionThis consistency over decades is one of the Camino’s defining traits: it is one of the very few major pilgrimages where religious devotion, personal transition, physical challenge and reflective travel coexist comfortably in the same trail.
When Pilgrims Walked in 2025
September was the busiest month in 2025 — overtaking the traditional peak of August for the first time. April and October also saw large increases. This suggests pilgrims are actively choosing shoulder seasons to avoid the worst summer heat and crowds.
When Pilgrims Walked the Camino (2025)
Monthly distribution of pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela
★ September is the busiest month with 15% of all pilgrims👉 Thinking of walking in shoulder season? Discover the Summer Festivals Along the Camino if you prefer a more festive atmosphere.
Walking vs Cycling vs Other Modes
While walking dominates the Camino, alternative modes are growing year by year:
- On foot: 492,087 pilgrims (93%)
- By bicycle (“bicigrinos”): ~21,000 pilgrims (4%)
- On horseback: ~600 pilgrims
- In a wheelchair: ~170 pilgrims
- By sailboat: ~80 pilgrims (Camino del Mar)
Source: Pilgrim’s Office, Santiago de Compostela (2025).
To qualify for the Compostela certificate, walkers must complete at least the final 100 km on foot, while cyclists must complete the final 200 km. Wheelchair and horseback pilgrims follow special arrangements with the Pilgrim’s Office.
👉 Considering two wheels instead of two feet? See our Cycling Last 200 km collection and What to Wear When Cycling the Camino de Santiago.
What About the Cost?
While not part of the Pilgrim’s Office statistics, the cost of walking the Camino is one of the most-asked questions tied to these numbers — and a key factor in why so many pilgrims now choose self-guided tours with pre-booked accommodation rather than albergues.
👉 For a full breakdown, read How much does the Camino de Santiago cost?
Frequently Asked Questions
530,987 pilgrims received the Compostela certificate in 2025, a record number and a 6% increase over 2024, according to the Pilgrim’s Reception Office in Santiago de Compostela. When accounting for pilgrims who walk the Camino without requesting a Compostela, the real figure is estimated at over 1.5 million.
The Camino Francés is the most popular route, walked by 242,179 pilgrims in 2025 (46% of the total). It has been the most-walked Camino route every year on record.
Sarria, in Galicia, was the most popular starting point in 2025, with 162,076 pilgrims (30.5%) beginning their journey there. Sarria sits exactly 115 km from Santiago, just over the minimum 100 km required for the Compostela certificate.
The next Año Santo Jacobeo (Holy Year) is 2027, when the feast of Saint James (25 July) falls on a Sunday. Holy Years historically attract significantly more pilgrims and grant additional spiritual indulgences for Catholic pilgrims.
Plan Your Camino with the Experts
If these numbers have inspired you to walk the Camino, CaminoWays.com has been organising Camino de Santiago tours since 2007. We offer self-guided and guided packages on every major route — handpicked hotels, daily luggage transfers, detailed maps and 24/7 in-country support.
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