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Date Published: 08/08/2024

Foreign arrivals drive population in Spain to all-time high

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The regions that saw the largest growth are the Valencian Community, Balearic Islands and Madrid

Spain's population is on the rise again, thanks to an influx of foreign nationals choosing to call this country home. According to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the resident population increased by 67,367 people in the second quarter of 2024, reaching a record high of 48,797,875 as of July 1.

This growth is largely attributed to an increase in individuals born abroad, even as the number of people born in Spain decreased. Interestingly, the population of foreign-born individuals (9,036,416) exceeded those of foreign nationality due to processes of nationality acquisition. In other words, many foreign-born residents are becoming Spanish citizens.

And this already impressive figure could grow even further later this year, as the government has initiated the legislative process for a possible mass regularisation of foreigners, which would give legal status to roughly 500,000 people residing in the country illegally.

The top nationalities of immigrants between April and June this year were Colombian, Moroccan and Venezuelan, with 36,900, 25,100, and 21,400 arrivals, respectively. On the other hand, the largest groups of emigrants included Spaniards, Moroccans and Colombians, with 11,100, 11,000, and 8,700 departures.

The regions that experienced the most significant population growth were Madrid (+0.33%), the Valencian Community (+0.28%) and the Balearic Islands (+0.28%). Other areas with notable increases included the Spanish autonomous city of Melilla, Catalonia and La Rioja.

Below the average of 0.14% growth are Ceuta (0.12%), the Basque Country (0.12%), Navarra (0.11%), Murcia (0.10%), Asturias (0.10%), the Canary Islands (0.9%), Cantabria (0.7%) and Castilla-La Mancha (0.6%).

Aragon and Galicia are unchanged, while Castilla y León (-0.03%), Andalucía (-0.03%) and Extremadura (-0.05%) are in negative territory.

The latest figures also show a slight increase in the number of households, reaching a total of 19,370,408 as of July 1 and reflecting the growing number of families and individuals making Spain their home.

In other news: British residents in Spain urged to get their TIE cards as soon as possible

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