Immigration Trends Reshape Spain's Demographics
Spain is undergoing a significant demographic transformation, primarily fueled by immigration. As of January 1, 2025, there were approximately 1,165,955 residents born in Morocco living in Spain, with nearly four out of ten arriving since 2021. This influx coincides with the economic recovery following the pandemic, highlighting a robust trend in immigration. In 2024 alone, Spain welcomed 136,417 new arrivals from Morocco, building upon the 119,571 in 2023, 92,299 in 2022, and 76,553 in 2021, according to the Annual Population Census released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Thursday.
The data illustrates how migration intensifies during economic growth phases when job demand increases, while it moderates during periods of crisis. During the economic boom of the early 2000s, from 2001 to 2010, 353,197 individuals born in Morocco immigrated to Spain. In contrast, the years between 2011 and 2015, which were characterized by recession and labor market adjustments, saw a sharp decline in immigration numbers to 65,878. Following the subsequent recovery, from 2016 to 2020, the trend reversed again with 156,935 new arrivals.
Marrakech Emerges as a Leading Source of Immigrants
Marrakech has firmly established itself as the leading origin of foreign-born residents in Spain. Out of the total of 9,464,210 individuals born outside Spain residing in the country as of January 2025, over 1.16 million hailed from Morocco, followed by Colombia with 978,041 and Venezuela with 692,316. However, the fact that nearly four out of ten Moroccan-born residents arrived in Spain post-pandemic is not an isolated case; rather, it reflects a broader intensification of migration flows. Between 2021 and 2024, Spain received 3,759,538 foreign-born individuals, accounting for 39.7% of the total foreign resident population as of January 2025. This statistic underscores that almost four out of ten individuals born outside Spain currently residing in the country have settled there in the last four years.
Since the pandemic, Spain has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies among developed nations. However, this growth is not solely attributed to increased productivity but rather to the expansion of the labor market. The European Central Bank (ECB) noted that recent growth primarily stems from an increase in the working-age population and a rise in foreign employment. By the end of 2025, Spain recorded a GDP growth of 2.8%, leading the European Union, second only to Poland. Government President Pedro Sánchez remarked that "the Spanish economy is skyrocketing," yet this macroeconomic improvement is not necessarily felt by citizens in their daily lives.
Part of the explanation lies in the growth model. According to the Economic and Social Council (CES), out of the 2.3 million net jobs created between 2018 and 2024, 67.3% were filled by individuals of migrant origin. This indicates that the growth has been primarily supported by the incorporation of more workers into the labor market, resulting in increased employment, higher contributions, greater consumption, and increased tax revenues. This situation helps elucidate why positive macroeconomic statistics fail to translate into tangible benefits for citizens. While GDP increases due to a greater workforce and consumption, it does not necessarily imply that each worker is producing or earning more.
Moreover, there exists a disparity in educational profiles. According to the INE's statistics on living conditions, 45% of Spaniards aged 25 to 64 hold higher education degrees, compared to 32.7% of foreigners from the European Union and 24.6% of foreigners from other regions. This educational gap explains the concentration of foreign workers in lower value-added sectors, with the CES reporting that 80% of foreign employees occupy positions that earn less than the average salary of €28,050 annually, in contrast to 60% of Spanish workers. The highest concentrations of foreign workers are found in hospitality, restoration, care, agriculture, logistics, construction, and personal services, reinforcing a growth model reliant on sectors with lower productivity and value-added, emphasizing worker numbers over competitiveness enhancement.
Nevertheless, recent data suggests a potential shift in this trend. An analysis published by Funcas on the Active Population Survey (EPA) indicates that, for the first time since early 2022, employment growth is beginning to rely more on individuals born in Spain than on those born abroad. In the first quarter of 2026, Spain recorded 528,000 more employed individuals than a year earlier, with 57% of this increase attributed to the native population, amounting to approximately 301,000 workers, compared to 226,000 foreign-born employees. This marks the second consecutive quarter where the year-on-year absolute increase in employment for individuals born in Spain surpasses that of foreign-born individuals, and the first time this difference has been evident since early 2022.
Additionally, Funcas reports another significant finding: between the first quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, the foreign-born population increased by about 540,000 individuals, exceeding the 226,000 new employed persons. This indicates that a substantial number of recent arrivals have yet to integrate into the labor market, whether due to age, integration timeframes, or lack of participation in economic activity.
As reported by elindependiente.com.
