| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 8,202 / 5,135 (2018) [lower-alpha 1] | |
| Languages | |
| Spanish, Persian (Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, and other languages of Iran). | |
| Religion | |
| Shia Islam, Zoroastrianism | |
Iranians in Spain have a history going back for over a millennium and form a minor population in modern day. [3] [4] They are a part of the Iranian diaspora.
Razi wrote in the 10th century that some Iranians had already settled in Al-Andalus, and Ibn Battuta later claimed the Iranians of Al-Andalus preferred to live in Granada because of its similarity to their homeland. [4] However, the impetus for modern Iranian immigration to Spain came largely from the 1979 Iranian Revolution, as a result of which some Iranians went to Spain as political refugees. [5] [6]
A 1992 survey found that 31.7% worked in administrative jobs, 18.2% were professionals or technicians, 25.7% worked in trade, and another 11% worked in agriculture. The vast majority were 25-54 years of age, and only one-fifth were women. [7] This is actually a relatively large proportion of women compared to other Muslim migrant communities in Spain, which may be attributed to the fact that most Iranians in Spain are political, rather than economic migrants. [6]
As of 1 January 2020, Spain had a total population of 47,431,256, which represents a 0.9% increase since 2019. 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.
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.
British migration to Spain has resulted in Spain being home to one of the largest British-born populations outside the United Kingdom in the world, and the largest in Europe. Migration from the UK to Spain has increased rapidly since the late 1990s and the registered population of British nationals in Spain in 2014 was 297,229 (2014). After Brexit, in 2020 British nationals in Spain numbered 262,885.
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 Morrocans increase to 981,823
Pakistanis in Spain form one of the country's smaller migrant communities. Their numbers began to grow rapidly in the early 2000s.
Russians in Spain form one of the country's smaller foreign communities, making up about 0.83% of all foreigners in Spain.
As of 2018, official statistics showed 201,993 Peruvian-born residents in Spain. Out of these, 129,344 were Spanish citizens and 72,649 had not yet acquired Spanish citizenship. As of 2019, the number had increased to 218,129.
Romanians form the second largest group of foreigners in Spain, after Moroccans. As of 2022, there were 535,935 people born in Romania who lived 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.
Bulgarians in Spain are one of the largest communities of the Bulgarian diaspora. According to official 2019 data, they numbered 197,373, making them the tenth-largest emigrant community in Spain and the second-largest among Central and Eastern European emigrant communities.
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. However, they are the least numerous Latin community in Spain.
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.
The Albanians in Spain are people of full or partial Albanian ancestry and heritage in Spain. They trace their ancestry to the territories with a large Albanian population in the Balkans among others to Albania, Greece, Kosovo as well as to Italy.
Italians in Spain are one the largest communities of immigrant groups in Spain, with 228,283 Italian citizens in the country; conversely, 135,020 residents in Spain were born in Italy.
As of January 2021, there are 2,480,373 South Americans in Spain and 624,034 Central American or Caribbean people in Spain. Flows of migration have been dependent on the economic conditions in their countries of birth and in Spain.
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