Spain just hit a population high of 49.3 million, and it’s all thanks to immigration, says the National Statistics Institute. Over the past year, around 650,000 immigrants arrived, fueling the country’s growth. But interestingly, the share of immigrants in Spain dropped slightly to 14.3%, mainly because more immigrants are gaining Spanish citizenship.
Back in 2005, Spain had 43.2 million people. That’s a 13.9% increase in 20 years, all driven by incoming migrants. The top regions attracting immigrants? Andalusia (8.6M), Catalonia (8.1M), and Madrid (7.1M). Whether you’re looking at growth, migration trends, or citizenship, Spain is evolving fast.