In 2019 Spain saw its biggest population increase since 2008.Photo: AFP
8 June 2020
17:06
The population of Spain increased by 392,921 in 2019 and was for the first time above the timeline of 47 million people (47,329,981 exactly).
The temporary figures of the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) are related to the arrival of 748,759 immigrants but is compensating for the country's negative balance of low national birth rates and high elders.
The yearly growth is the highest since 2008, when the population increased by 570,333.
The natural growth of 2019 was caused by a strong migratory balance of 451.391 people, compensating for the negative balance of 57.146 people who have left or died in Spain.
The annual population growth rate in Spain has decreased from 0.60% in 2018 to 0.84% in 2019, according to INE 's data.
The country remains the fourth largest country in the EU after Germany (81,1 million), France (65,3 million) and Italy (60,7 million).
In the last year, fourteen of Spain's 17 autonomous communities, with the exception of Extremadura, Asturias and Castilla y León, had their population growing.
The biggest single population growth was in the Balearic Islands (1.90%), in Madrid (1.59%) and in the Canary Islands (1.38%).
The foreign resident population of Spain is now 5.2 million.
In 2019, this demographic group decreased by 97,930 people for Spanish nationals born in Spain.
Colombians (62,355 more), Venezuelans (53,288) and Moroccans (47,346) are among the biggest increase of nationality in Spain, with Romanians (-3,250), Ecuadorians (-1,769) and Bulgarios (-389) being the main decreases.
According to INE, a total of 297,368 people left Spain in 2019.
In 2019, the largest number of foreigners leaving Spain were Romanian (35.618), Moroccan (18.628) and British (12.815).
The United Kingdom (18,305 people), France (9,293) and the United States (6,290) were the nations that received the most Spanish migrants in 2019.
For the first time, Spain has a population of 47 million, due to immigration.
