| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 260,000 (by citizenship) [1] c. 143,000 (by birth) [2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Catalonia, the Community of Madrid, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands | |
| Languages | |
| Spanish · Italian and Italian dialects | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Italians, Italian Belgians, Italian Britons, Italian Finns, Italian French, Italian Germans, Italian Romanians, Italian Swedes, Italian Swiss, Corfiot Italians, Genoese in Gibraltar, Italians of Crimea, Italians of Odesa |
Italians in Spain are one the largest communities of immigrant groups in Spain, with 260,000 Italian citizens in the country, [1] of which 143,000 were born in Italy. [3]
From the 18th century, many Italians settled in Spain and in the Spanish Empire to work in the administration of the Bourbon dynasty. [4] The Italian Giulio Alberoni was appointed as minister of foreign affairs in 1715. [5]
In the 19th century, after the departure of Queen Isabella II, the parliament chose the Italian prince Amedeo of Savoy to reign in Spain and did so (as Amedeo I) between 1871 and 1873.
Nowadays Italians in Spain are one of the largest communities of immigrant groups in Spain, with 257,256 Italian citizens in the country; [1] conversely, 142,401 residents in Spain were born in Italy. [2] part of the Italian citizens in Spain are not native from Italy but emigrated from countries like Argentina or Uruguay. [6] [7]
The immigration rate of Italian nationals increased in the second part of the 2010s, and, in 2018, Italians trumped Chinese nationals as the third biggest foreign nationality in the Spanish workforce. [8] Most of the Italians citizens dwell in Catalonia, the Community of Madrid, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. [8]
Over 70% of Italian citizens residing in Spain are retirees living in the Canary Islands, Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol. [9]
| Vertical bar chart of foreign population of Italian nationality in Spain between 2003 and 2022 |
 |
Population (2003-2022) Foreign population in Spain of Italian nationality according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística. [1] |
As of 7 November 2024, Spain had a total population of 48,946,035 The modern Kingdom of Spain arose from the accretion of several independent Iberian realms, including the Kingdoms of León, Castile, Navarre, the Crown of Aragon and Granada, all of which, together with the modern state of Portugal, were successor states to the late antique Christian Visigothic Kingdom after the Reconquista.
Immigration to Spain increased significantly in the beginning of the 21st century. In 1998, immigrants accounted for 1.6% of the population, and by 2009, that number had risen to over 12%. Until 2014, the numbers were decreasing due to the economic crisis, but since 2015, immigration to Spain has increased again, especially after 2021.
Emigration from Colombia is a migratory phenomenon that started in the early 20th century.
Indians in Spain form one of the smaller populations of the Indian diaspora. According to the statistics of India's Ministry of External Affairs, they number only 35,000, or 0.07% of the population of Spain. 2009 statistics of Spain's Instituto Nacional de Estadística showed 35,686 Indian citizens in Spain; this figure does not include persons of Indian origin holding other citizenships. Most Indians originally migrated to Spain from Africa, while others came from India and even Japan and Southeast Asia. The overwhelming majority of Indians in Spain live in the Barcelona area. According to data from 2021, Indians in Spain number more than 57,000.
The Moroccan diaspora, part of the wider Arab diaspora, consists of emigrants from Morocco and their descendants. An estimated 3 million Moroccans live abroad, with the majority of the diaspora being located in Western Europe, especially France and Spain.
Moroccans in Spain formed 16.4% of the 4,549,858 foreigners in Spain as of 1 January 2017. They are again the largest foreign group in Spain, after they were surpassed temporarily by Romanians in 2007. In 2003, they were estimated to make up about 6% of all Moroccans abroad. In 2022, the number of Moroccans in Spain increased to about 1,000,000.
Russians in Spain form one of the country's smaller foreign communities, making up about 0.83% of all foreigners in Spain.
As of 2022, official statistics showed 265,949 Peruvian-born residents in Spain. Out of these, 143,867 were Spanish citizens and 122,082 had not yet acquired Spanish citizenship.
Romanians form the second largest group of foreigners in Spain, after Moroccans. As of 2023, there were 630,795 Romanian citizens living in Spain. Most of the immigration took place given economic reasons. The linguistic similarities between Romanian and Spanish, as well as Romanians' Latin identity, are also a reason for the country's attractiveness to Romanians.
Iranians in Spain have a history going back for over a millennium and form a minor population in modern day. They are a part of the Iranian diaspora.
Mexican immigration to Spain refers to the Mexican population in Spain and their Spanish-born descendants. The Mexicans living in Spain are composed primarily of students, skilled professionals, spouses of Spaniards, as well as Mexican citizens who also have Spanish nationality. In December 2008, the National Statistics Institute in Spain had 14,399 registered Mexicans within its territory, of which 7,210 hold other nationalities of the European Union or are family members of EU citizens. To this number must be added those with dual nationality, who are not in Spanish records as foreigners. Mexican and Spanish laws allow dual citizenship, and many Mexicans who have asked for it, whether they are residents in Spain as grandchildren or they are children of Spanish migrants to Mexico. In 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico recorded 21,107 Mexicans living in Spain, who became the third largest Mexican community residing abroad, after the United States and Canada; and the largest Mexican community in Europe.
Spaniards in France are people from Spain residing in France and their descendants. They may be French citizens or non-citizen immigrants or expatriates.
Uruguayans in Spain are people born in Uruguay who emigrated to Spain. As of 2022, there are over 80,000 Uruguayans living in Spain, mostly in Catalonia.
Venezuelans form one of the main immigrant groups in Spain, which is also the European country to which most Venezuelans choose to migrate because of shared language, customs and family ties. Similarly to nationals from other countries of Ibero-America, Venezuelans of origin are allowed to apply for dual Spanish citizenship after two years of legal residence in Spain. In addition, Venezuelans who are children or grandchildren of Spanish citizens can legally obtain Spanish citizenship from their countries of origin, an option open to over 3 million Venezuelans.
Argentines in Spain are the largest community of Argentines abroad. In Spain, they represent one of the largest immigrant groups in the country.
The presence of a sizeable Ecuadorian in Spain community in Spain dates back to the early 2000s.
The presence of Colombians in Spain dates back to Colombian independence from Spain.
Dominicans in Spain from the Dominican Republic make up about 1.66% of all foreigners in Spain, this includes immigrants and people of Dominican descent born in Spain. The first country of destination for Dominicans in Europe is Spain, and it is the country with the most Dominican migrants outside of the United States.
Latin American migration to Europe is the diaspora of Latin Americans to the continent of Europe, dating back to the first decades of the Spanish and Portuguese empires in the Americas. Latin Americans in Europe are now a rapidly growing group consisting of immigrants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela. It may also include individuals from certain French-speaking territories depending on the definition of Latin America used.
Peruvian Argentines are Argentine citizens of partial or full peruvians descent, or Peruvian citizens who have migrated to and settled in Argentina.
| Africa |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Americas | ||
| Asia | ||
| Europe | ||
| Oceania | ||
| Exodus | ||
| Neighborhoods | ||
