MigrantoMigration trends in Spain
Europe
Spain takes in more people than it loses: 8.3M immigrants against 1.6M emigrants. Net balance +6.7M — 14% of the country's population
48.8M
Population
8.3M
Immigrants
1.6M
Emigrants
+6.7M
Inflow
1 in 6 residents of Spain was born abroad — and 1 in 31 people born in Spain lives abroad
#6 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Spain
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
751.9K immigrants · 1.4M emigrants
1995
- Morocco overtook France as the largest source of new arrivals
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 43%
- The foreign-born population passed 1M residents
- The gap between arrivals and departures was cut in half
2000
- Entered the world's 20 biggest immigrant destinations
- The country became a destination — more people arriving than leaving
- Migration accounted for 76% of the country's population growth
2005
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 142%
- Surge of immigrants from Ecuador — 320.5K new arrivals
- Surge of immigrants from Colombia — 150.2K new arrivals
- Surge of immigrants from Argentina — 150.2K new arrivals
2010
- Joined the world's 10 biggest immigrant destinations
- Roughly 1 in 10 residents was now foreign-born
- Surge of immigrants from Romania — 375.5K new arrivals
- The foreign-born population passed 5M residents
2020
- Surge of immigrants from Venezuela — 231.4K new arrivals
Today
- Rose into the 3 biggest immigrant destinations in Europe
- Roughly 1 in 7 residents was now foreign-born
- Without migration, the population would have declined
- Since 1990: 7.6M more foreign-born residents and 248.9K more emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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