Spain's Population Hits Record 49.4 Million in 2025 Driven by Immigration Surge

Spain's population reached an unprecedented high of 49,442,844 inhabitants as of October 1, 2025, marking the highest number ever recorded, according to data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). The country's demographic growth in the third quarter of 2025 was particularly notable, with an increase of 105,488 people, the largest quarterly rise on record. Over the course of the year, Spain's total population expanded by 474,454 individuals.

This growth is mainly fueled by immigration, with the foreign-born population nearing 10 million. Specifically, the foreign residents tally surpassed 7.1 million in the third quarter, increasing by 78,937 since the previous period. Overall, 9,825,266 foreign nationals now reside in Spain, about three million of whom have acquired Spanish nationality.

Among immigrant groups arriving in the third quarter, Colombians lead with 32,100 newcomers, followed by 24,500 Spanish returnees and 23,400 Moroccans. Conversely, emigration saw the largest outflows from the Spanish-born population (9,100 departures), Colombians (8,200), Moroccans (7,900), and Romanians (4,400). Notably, the native Spanish population experienced a slight decrease of 9,901 people during the period, standing at 39,617,578.

Population growth was widespread, recorded across all autonomous communities and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. The regions with the highest increases included Comunidad Valenciana (0.40%), Aragón (0.36%), Castilla-La Mancha (0.34%), Catalonia, and Navarra, while Galicia and the Balearic Islands showed slightly slower growth than the national average of 0.21%.

Households in Spain also saw growth, reaching 19,684,380 with an addition of 55,109 in the third quarter.

These population trends illustrate Spain’s ongoing demographic transformation driven largely by immigration, reshaping the country's population landscape and regional distributions.