Rabat — Moroccan buyers purchased 5,654 homes in total in Spain during the first half of 2025, according to new figures from Spain’s General Council of Notaries.
The data reveals a dramatic shift in Spain’s property market. British buyers have typically dominated foreign property purchases for years. Moroccans now trail behind them by just 77 homes, claiming second place among international buyers.
British purchasers still lead with 8.1% of total foreign property sales, but Moroccans follow closely at 7.9%, ahead of Germans at 6.7%, according to figures reported by The Objective.
A key difference: residents vs. vacation homes
Moroccan buyers differ significantly from their British counterparts in one crucial way: they actually live in Spain. Most British buyers purchase vacation properties and remain non-residents, while Moroccans predominantly establish residence in the country.
Moroccan buyers show a particularly strong presence across Spain’s autonomous regions. They account for 38.7% of foreign purchases in Murcia, 37% in Navarre, 26.8% in La Rioja, 23.5% in Extremadura, and 21.3% in Castilla-La Mancha.
Their market share remains substantial in Andalusia (19.9%), Aragon (19.4%), Castile and León (15.2%), Catalonia (12.1%), and the Basque Country (9.2%).
The pandemic accelerated growth
Moroccan interest in Spanish property has climbed steadily since 2011, with just 904 purchased homes. The market grew consistently throughout the 2010s, but COVID-19 marked a turning point, according to The Objective.
During the pandemic’s first half of 2020, Moroccans bought 2,918 properties. That number jumped to 4,533 in the second half of the year, despite the health crisis.
In 2021, Moroccan buyers crossed the 10,000-home threshold for the first time, purchasing 10,089 properties. The following two years saw a slight dip to 9,165 homes annually, before surging past 10,000 again in 2024 with 10,326 transactions.
Budget-conscious buyers
Moroccan purchasers pay the lowest price per square meter among major foreign buyer groups at $871. This puts them far below Americans ($4,041), Swiss ($4,032), Swedes ($3,990), Norwegians ($3,840), and Germans ($3,814).
Broader market trends
Foreign property purchases increased across most Spanish regions. Asturias saw the largest jump at 30.8%, followed by Castile and León (25.9%), Galicia (14.3%), and Castilla-La Mancha (11.7%).
However, some regions experienced declines: the Canary Islands (-7.7%), the Balearic Islands (-6.8%), Navarre (-3.7%), and the Valencian Community (-3.6%).
Buying property in Spain requires foreigners to obtain a NIE (foreign identification number), which they need for any financial transaction. Residents use their own identification numbers instead.
