Colombian Population in Spain Set to Surpass One Million as Country Nears 50 Million Residents in 2026
Spain is approaching 50 million residents by 2026, with Colombian immigrants nearly doubling in population to almost one million, driven by economic migration and contributing significantly to sectors like hospitality and construction.
- • Spain's population expected to hit 50 million in 2026, driven by migration.
- • Colombian residents nearly doubled to around 978,000 by 2025, second only to Moroccans.
- • Economic reasons are the main driver for Colombian migration, not politics.
- • Common employment sectors include hospitality, construction, and domestic work, with a 16% unemployment rate among Colombians.
- • Remittances from Spain to Colombia reached 1.5 billion euros in 2023, the largest from Spain to any country.
Key details
Spain is on track to reach a historic population milestone of 50 million by 2026, driven primarily by migration rather than a rebound in birth rates, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). As of October 1, 2025, Spain's resident population stood at 49,442,844, with migrants making up a significant share—one in five residents is foreign-born, with nearly 10 million people living in Spain who were born abroad.
Among immigrant communities, Colombians represent the second largest group after Moroccans. The Colombian population has nearly doubled from 532,266 in January 2021 to approximately 978,041 by January 2025, and experts predict that it will exceed one million shortly. This surge is largely due to economic factors, with migrants seeking better employment opportunities in Spain compared to Colombia. Unlike Venezuelan migrants, who often move for political reasons, Colombians tend to migrate primarily for economic motivations and benefit from cultural and linguistic similarities that ease their integration.
The influx has been especially significant since the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 100,000 Colombians arriving annually since 2022. The majority are young adults between 20 and 50 years old who actively participate in the labor market, primarily in urban centers. Popular employment sectors for Colombians include hospitality, construction, and domestic work. However, the unemployment rate among Colombians stands at around 16%, slightly higher than that of native Spaniards.
Remittances sent from Spain back to Colombia have grown notably as well, reaching approximately 1.5 billion euros in 2023. This makes Colombia the largest recipient of remittances from Spain, reflecting the economic ties maintained by the Colombian diaspora.
José Pablo Martínez, a researcher at the Real Instituto Elcano, emphasized that the population growth among Colombians in Spain is due to economic opportunities and non-political motives, which facilitates smoother integration. These developments underscore the important demographic and economic impact the Colombian community is having on Spain as the country approaches a significant population milestone.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
