Spain Attracting More Migrants

Spain’s sunny climate and welcoming people has attracted more immigrants than any other country in Europe according to homesworldwide.com. With high levels of British people relocating to Spain annually, it’s not surprising that the country’s appeal has resulted in it being the European country with the most immigrants.

Foreign residents now comprise almost ten per cent of the total population, adding up to 4.48 million out of a total of 14.12 million people. The ratio is now higher than France, Germany or Britain. The figures also show that seven out of every ten people who move to Spain fall in love with the country so much that they decide to stay.

“There are obvious reasons why Spain is so popular,” says Ian Smith, head of European operations for Halifax. “The climate is ideal, the country openly welcomes English speakers and the emergence of low-cost flights has made travelling to Spain so cheap.”

The influx of newcomers to the country has also contributed to Spain’s consistently improving economy, with immigrants estimated to account for 4.5 per cent of the GDP.

While retirees often do this by employing local builders and paying for other services, younger expats boost an area’s revenue by opening new businesses and creating competition. In addition they have also contributed to a recovery in Spain’s diminishing birth rate.

The Etnia publishing group, who presents the annual immigration study, predicts that, by 2025, 30 per cent of Spain’s residents will either have been born elsewhere, or will be the children of immigrants, leading to an increasingly multicultural population.