Fresh data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) show Spain’s population hitting 49.44 million, the highest on record, thanks largely to a 4 % jump in foreign nationals in the first nine months of 2025. By contrast, the Spanish-passport population grew just 0.2 %, meaning migration is expanding 20 times faster than natural increase.
Colombians, Moroccans and Venezuelans top the arrivals list, followed by Italians, Peruvians and returning Spaniards. Coastal provinces are at the sharp end: foreigners already make up 22 % of Málaga province’s residents and nearly 50 % in expat hotspot Torrevieja. Four regions—Balearic Islands, Valencian Community, Aragón and Castilla-La Mancha—registered foreign-population gains above 5 %.
![Foreign residents now drive Spain’s population growth 20 times faster than natives]()
Economists say the influx is cushioning Spain’s ageing workforce and bolstering Social Security: foreigners now account for about 15 % of contributors and 10 % of Social Security revenue. Sectors such as hospitality, agriculture, logistics and care work rely heavily on migrant talent.
Yet rapid growth is straining housing, schools and health services in popular areas. The government’s May 2025 Immigration Regulation—streamlining work-permit renewals, extending the job-seeker visa to 12 months and allowing students to work 30 hours per week—is expected to formalise thousands more workers, but municipalities warn that funding formulas lag behind demographic reality.
For HR and relocation managers, the data underscore Spain’s openness to foreign talent but also flag tighter rental markets and potential political debate ahead of the 2027 elections, when a one-million-person regularisation plan is due to conclude.
Colombians, Moroccans and Venezuelans top the arrivals list, followed by Italians, Peruvians and returning Spaniards. Coastal provinces are at the sharp end: foreigners already make up 22 % of Málaga province’s residents and nearly 50 % in expat hotspot Torrevieja. Four regions—Balearic Islands, Valencian Community, Aragón and Castilla-La Mancha—registered foreign-population gains above 5 %.
Economists say the influx is cushioning Spain’s ageing workforce and bolstering Social Security: foreigners now account for about 15 % of contributors and 10 % of Social Security revenue. Sectors such as hospitality, agriculture, logistics and care work rely heavily on migrant talent.
Yet rapid growth is straining housing, schools and health services in popular areas. The government’s May 2025 Immigration Regulation—streamlining work-permit renewals, extending the job-seeker visa to 12 months and allowing students to work 30 hours per week—is expected to formalise thousands more workers, but municipalities warn that funding formulas lag behind demographic reality.
For HR and relocation managers, the data underscore Spain’s openness to foreign talent but also flag tighter rental markets and potential political debate ahead of the 2027 elections, when a one-million-person regularisation plan is due to conclude.
