Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Immigration in Spain - statistics & facts
Since the end of the 20th century until approximately 2010, the number of immigrants in Spain has increased considerably. That year more than one in ten inhabitants in the Southern European nation came from other countries. In 2024, the population of Spain was 48.6 million people, including 6.6 million people with a ²Ô´Ç²Ô-³§±è²¹²Ô¾±²õ³ó n²¹³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô²¹±ô¾±³Ù²â. 
 
Many migrants look for employment opportunities, despite Spain’s rather high  unemployment rate. In 2023, 2.80 million foreigners had found work in Spain. Due to favorable labor conditions, when compared to other countries, Spain has also become a place for irregular migration. In concrete, the Canary Islands has become a site of entry for this type of migration, as have the coasts of mainland Spain and other Spanish territories. The number of irregular arrivals to the country peaked in 2018, when almost 64.000 people arrived in Spain. Other types of irregular migration include asylum seekers entering the country to seek refugee status in the European Union. Just in 2023, Spain granted asylum to approximately 52,000 refugees, third largest figure in the EU.
Foreign population
One of the main purposes to migrate to Spain is due to economic reasons, around 460.000 foreign residents in Spain stated that they migrated to the country for employment or self-employment. In contrast, family and studies ranked among the least mentioned causes. Regarding the composition of migrant residents, more Romanians live in Spain than any other EU country, and Moroccan residents account for the largest community of African origin. However, the largest non-EU diaspora growth is occurring in the Colombians community, with an annual growth rate of 32 percent in 2024. Many migrants look for employment opportunities, despite Spain’s rather high  unemployment rate. In 2023, 2.80 million foreigners had found work in Spain. Due to favorable labor conditions, when compared to other countries, Spain has also become a place for irregular migration. In concrete, the Canary Islands has become a site of entry for this type of migration, as have the coasts of mainland Spain and other Spanish territories. The number of irregular arrivals to the country peaked in 2018, when almost 64.000 people arrived in Spain. Other types of irregular migration include asylum seekers entering the country to seek refugee status in the European Union. Just in 2023, Spain granted asylum to approximately 52,000 refugees, third largest figure in the EU.
Integration
Spain is well-known for being a welcoming society, nevertheless, there is a difference between letting people live in the country and truly integrating them into society. The process is not simple and has many layers with several obstacles. Knowing the rules or the language is not all that migrants may need, other necessities also apply, such as having access to dignified work, education, and other services. Due to this, several Autonomous Communities implemented different programs to incorporate and integrate migrants into the conditions, culture, and job market by giving Spanish courses, integration activities for young people, entrepreneurial possibilities courses, and career guidance. Regarding the latter, the foreign population has successfully entered the labor market either employment or self-employment..
