Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Demographics of Spain - Statistics & Facts
The evolution of Spain's population has been a prominent topic in public discourse over the past decades, driven by the accelerating aging trend—a challenge shared by many European nations. In this context, immigration has emerged as a frequently debated short-term solution to mitigate the demographic shift affecting the Mediterranean country..
The latest results show that there were more deaths in Spain than births in 2024, with figures reaching almost 440,000 deaths versus 322,000 newborns. In 2023, the fertility rate was highest in the Spanish city of Murcia, with women of this region giving birth to an average of 1.36 children. In contrast, the Canary Islands ranked as the Spanish region that featured the lowest fertility rate in the Mediterranean country, with the average woman having approximately less than one child during the same period.
The large inflow of foreign nationals has led to a positive net migration rate in recent years, despite the constant loss of Spanish nationals. For most of the last 12 years, Spaniards have left the country more than they have returned, resulting in negative numbers until 2016 and from 2020 to 2023. In 2023, while the net migration of Spanish people stood at 26,062, a total of 126,901 Spaniards emigrated, with the main countries of destination being France, the UK and, the U.S.
Finally, while increased immigration may provide a temporary solution to the challenges of an aging population, persistent issues such as high unemployment and the rising living costs continue to hinder young people's financial independence. These economic burdens not only postpone family formation but also push many young individuals to seek better opportunities abroad, further intensifying demographic challenges.
Spain’s population growth amid declining birth rates
The population of Spain amounted to approximately 48.38 million people in 2024, after many years of growth, and was projected to increase by one million by 2029. The population of the Mediterranean country has been increasing despite the fact that Spain has one of the lowest fertility rate in the European Union, with barely 1.29 children born per woman, according to the latest reports. During the last years, the country showed a steep rise in population density, growing from 92.9 to 95 inhabitants per square kilometer between 2014 and 2022. This figure is still far from the European average, which stood at over 112 inhabitants per square kilometer.The latest results show that there were more deaths in Spain than births in 2024, with figures reaching almost 440,000 deaths versus 322,000 newborns. In 2023, the fertility rate was highest in the Spanish city of Murcia, with women of this region giving birth to an average of 1.36 children. In contrast, the Canary Islands ranked as the Spanish region that featured the lowest fertility rate in the Mediterranean country, with the average woman having approximately less than one child during the same period.
Migratory flows
One of the key points to balance out this population shrinkage in Spain is immigration. After many years of losing its foreign population, Spain’s immigration figures finally started to pick up in 2015, with the number of people that moved to the Mediterranean country surpassing the number of foreigners that decided to leave by over 150,000 persons from 2017 onwards. As can be seen in the latest records, Colombians ranked first as the foreign nationality that most relocated to Spain in 2023, followed by Moroccans and Venezuelans.The large inflow of foreign nationals has led to a positive net migration rate in recent years, despite the constant loss of Spanish nationals. For most of the last 12 years, Spaniards have left the country more than they have returned, resulting in negative numbers until 2016 and from 2020 to 2023. In 2023, while the net migration of Spanish people stood at 26,062, a total of 126,901 Spaniards emigrated, with the main countries of destination being France, the UK and, the U.S.
Finally, while increased immigration may provide a temporary solution to the challenges of an aging population, persistent issues such as high unemployment and the rising living costs continue to hinder young people's financial independence. These economic burdens not only postpone family formation but also push many young individuals to seek better opportunities abroad, further intensifying demographic challenges.
