Spain’s population has surpassed the 49 million mark for the first time, driven solely by immigration, according to figures released by Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Thursday.
Spain added more than 115,000 new residents in the last quarter of 2024, bringing the total population to more than 49 million.
All of the increase was thanks to immigrants, who now make up about one-fifth of Spain’s population.
Indeed, the number of foreign-born residents rose by more than 136,000, while the number of residents born in Spain fell by more than 20,500.
The latest INE figures show that Spain’s birth rate has fallen to a record low of 1.12 children per woman in 2023. In the last quarter of 2024, around 75 per cent of immigrants came from three countries: Colombia, Venezuela and Morocco.
Thousands more from Peru, Italy, Honduras, Argentina, Ecuador and Ukraine have also become residents of Spain.
The regions with the most significant population growth were Melilla, Valencia, Madrid and Catalonia. Despite low birth rates in recent years, Spain’s population has increased by about 15 million people since 1971.
