<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Foreign residents in Spain are the main driver of the increase in the Spanish population to almost 49.5 million inhabitants, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Foreign citizens represent 5.5 percent of the total population, and the main nationalities of immigrants are Colombian, Spanish (among people of foreign origin), and Moroccan.</strong></h4> According to the Continuous Population Statistics (ECP), published this Tuesday, November 11, Spain's population increased by 105,488 people during the third quarter of 2025, reaching 49,442,844 inhabitants as of October 1, 2025. The number of men increased by 1.07 percent and the number of women by 0.87 percent. These figures represent an annual increase of 0.97 percent (almost 474,500 new inhabitants). At this rate, it is very likely that Spain will reach fifty million inhabitants for the first time within a year. By autonomous community, the Valencian Community (0.40%), Aragon (0.36%), and Castile-La Mancha (0.34%) experienced the largest population increases. According to the report, Spain's population growth has been due to the increase in foreign-born individuals, as the number of people born in Spain has actually decreased. In total, there are 42,310,520 people with Spanish nationality in Spain (with a quarterly change of just 0.06 percent) and 7,132,324 with some other foreign nationality (quarterly change of 1.12 percent). The number of foreigners increased by 78,937 people during the quarter, reaching 7,132,324, while the population with Spanish nationality increased by only 26,551. On the other hand, in Spain there are 39,617,578 people born in the country, with a quarterly change of -0.02 percent (9,901 fewer people), and 9,825,266 born abroad, with a quarterly change of 1.19 percent (115,389 more people). The number of people born abroad (9,825,266) is higher than the number of people with a foreign nationality due to the processes of acquiring Spanish citizenship. In total, foreign citizens represent 5.5 percent of the population, and the main nationalities of immigrants are Colombian (32,100 new residents), Spanish (24,500), Moroccan (23,400), and Venezuelan (20,500). In the case of European countries, Italy ranks sixth, with 8,100 new residents, and Ukraine appears in sixth place (5,900), followed by Romania (5,800). Regarding emigration, the list (very similar to that of immigration) is headed by Spaniards, with 9,100, followed by Colombians (8,200) and Moroccans (7,900). The Continuous Population Statistics provide a quarterly quantitative measurement of the population residing in Spain and in family dwellings, in each autonomous community, in each province, and on each island (in the island provinces), disaggregated according to basic demographic characteristics, such as sex, year of birth, age, nationality, and country of birth. This operation encompasses a population series dating back to 1971 and provides data on the number of households, starting in 2021, and a selection of external migration flows from the most representative nationalities or countries of birth, starting in 2023. The resident population data thus obtained are used as reference population figures in all statistical operations carried out by the INE (surveys, National Accounts, indicators, etc.) and are transmitted internationally as official population data for Spain for all purposes.
