Marrakech – Moroccans formed the second-largest group of people who left Spain during the second quarter of 2026, according to provisional figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE). Some 10,900 Moroccans emigrated from the country between April and June, trailing only Colombians, whose departures reached 11,500.
Morocco also ranked among the leading sources of new arrivals. About 21,100 Moroccans moved to Spain over the same period, placing the country third behind Colombia, with 34,000 arrivals, and Venezuela, with 23,300.
These migration flows came within a broader report showing Spain’s population at a record high. The number of residents rose by 104,178 during the quarter and reached 49,801,559 as of July 1, the highest figure in the historical series. Over the past year, the population grew by 444,205 people, though the annual pace slowed to 0.9%.
That growth rested entirely on people born abroad. The number of foreign-born residents increased by more than 118,000 during the quarter, while the number born in Spain declined by roughly 14,000. Spain now counts 10,291,807 residents born outside the country, or 20.66% of the total population.
The gap between foreign-born residents and foreign nationals reflects the pace of citizenship acquisitions. Foreign nationals grew by 87,197 to 7,437,543, while the population holding Spanish nationality rose by 16,981 to more than 42.36 million. Of those born abroad, 3,370,854 already hold Spanish citizenship.
Beyond the three top nationalities, other leading sources of immigration included Peru, with 16,800 arrivals, Brazil with 8,300, Italy with 7,600, Honduras with 7,200, Pakistan with 6,700, and Ukraine with 6,600. On the departure side, Colombia and Morocco were followed by Venezuela with 5,900, Peru with 5,500, Romania with 5,300, and Spain with 4,000.
Every region gained population during the quarter. The largest relative increases came in the Comunitat Valenciana, at 0.43%, the Balearic Islands at 0.36%, and Asturias and Murcia, both near 0.29%. Canarias, at 0.03%, and Extremadura, at 0.05%, recorded the smallest gains. The national average stood at 0.21%.
The number of households also rose. Spain counted 19,874,860 households at the start of July, 58,794 more than three months earlier and 1.22% above the level of a year ago. Since January 2023, the country has added close to 772,000 households.
INE cautioned that the migration data represent only a first estimate. Definitive figures will appear in a separate annual report on migration and changes of residence.
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