https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A new report from Spain's immigration watchdog has shown that the country is nearing the 8 million residency card threshold, with new data revealing interesting trends among British and American residents. https://www.thelocal.es/20260924/spain-sees-rate-of-foreigners-with-residency-permits-rise-to-nearly-8-million Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:24:23 +0200 spain-sees-rate-of-foreigners-with-residency-permits-rise-to-nearly-8-million European Union countries issued a total of 3.9 million new residence permits to non-EU citizens in 2025, a 10 percent increase compared to 2024, and the “highest level” since records began, according to new data. But which countries issue the most? https://www.thelocal.es/20260914/revealed-number-of-residency-permits-issued-in-europe-reaches-record-high Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:32:14 +0200 revealed-number-of-residency-permits-issued-in-europe-reaches-record-high Spain’s population reached a record 49.8 million in the second quarter of 2026, the country’s official stats body announced on Thursday, with more than 100,000 new residents added to the census in just three months. https://www.thelocal.es/20260806/spains-population-on-verge-of-reaching-50-million Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:14:45 +0200 spains-population-on-verge-of-reaching-50-million A recent survey by the Pew Research Centre delved into what people feel proudest about in their country, with Europeans pointing to history, food and culture among the main reasons. https://www.thelocal.es/20260228/culture-politics-food-what-makes-europeans-proud-of-their-country Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:49:34 +0100 culture-politics-food-what-makes-europeans-proud-of-their-country New migration data has shown that the number of foreigners living in Spain with residency permits has grown again, breaking 7.4 million and increasing year-on-year. https://www.thelocal.es/20251211/more-than-7-4-million-foreigners-now-have-residence-permits-in-spain Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:54:17 +0100 more-than-7-4-million-foreigners-now-have-residence-permits-in-spain The population of Spain increased by 105,488 people in the third quarter of this year and stood at 49.44 million inhabitants as of October 1st, 2025, according to new data published by Spain’s national stats body. https://www.thelocal.es/20251111/spains-population-reaches-record-49-4-million-thanks-to-immigration Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:13:04 +0100 spains-population-reaches-record-49-4-million-thanks-to-immigration At a time when immigration is becoming an increasingly polarising subject in Spain, a major fiscal authority has revised its immigration forecasts by as much as 50 percent, while stating that foreigners are boosting economic growth in the country. https://www.thelocal.es/20251031/spain-forecast-to-gain-over-600000-foreign-residents-in-2025 Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:48:13 +0100 spain-forecast-to-gain-over-600000-foreign-residents-in-2025 Spain was the number one destination in the EU for Americans who moved to Europe in 2024, new data shows, with more first-time residency permits granted by Spain to US nationals than any other year. https://www.thelocal.es/20250924/revealed-record-number-of-americans-move-to-spain Wed, 24 Sep 2025 18:19:04 +0200 revealed-record-number-of-americans-move-to-spain UK nationals are the biggest foreign property buyers in Spain at a time when Spanish authorities are considering measures to restrict non-Spaniards from purchasing homes as a way of addressing the housing crisis. https://www.thelocal.es/20250416/four-key-facts-about-british-property-buyers-in-spain Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:11:35 +0200 four-key-facts-about-british-property-buyers-in-spain Almost a decade on since the Spanish government opened up citizenship routes for those with Sephardic Jewish ancestry, many tens of thousands have taken advantage of the scheme, especially Latin Americans. https://www.thelocal.es/20250224/72000-foreigners-with-sephardic-jewish-ancestry-granted-spanish-citizenship Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:27:29 +0100 72000-foreigners-with-sephardic-jewish-ancestry-granted-spanish-citizenship The number of 'arraigo' residence permits given to migrants to regularise their legal status in Spain has shot up by 500 percent in the last decade, official figures show. https://www.thelocal.es/20250221/residency-permits-for-integrated-irregular-migrants-in-spain-soar Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:23:46 +0100 residency-permits-for-integrated-irregular-migrants-in-spain-soar The number of US nationals residing in Spain has increased by more than 25 percent in just two years, new data given to The Local reveals. https://www.thelocal.es/20250213/revealed-10000-americans-have-moved-to-spain-in-two-years Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:53:46 +0100 revealed-10000-americans-have-moved-to-spain-in-two-years With an increase of 458,000 new residents in 2024 and 2.7 million over the last decade, official data now shows that Spain’s population has reached 49 million, almost entirely due to immigration. https://www.thelocal.es/20250213/spains-population-hits-49-million-for-the-first-time-in-its-history Thu, 13 Feb 2025 13:10:22 +0100 spains-population-hits-49-million-for-the-first-time-in-its-history There are differing opinions as to whether limiting certain foreigners from buying property in Spain in the midst of a housing crisis is right or wrong - the following data helps to explain the situation in more detail. https://www.thelocal.es/20250203/8-stats-to-understand-spains-restrictions-on-foreign-property-buyers Mon, 03 Feb 2025 13:21:02 +0100 8-stats-to-understand-spains-restrictions-on-foreign-property-buyers New data has revealed record-breaking tourism stats in Spain, but these come amid rising anti-tourism sentiment across the country. https://www.thelocal.es/20250106/spain-sees-record-breaking-tourist-numbers-despite-anti-tourism-backlash Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:27:10 +0100 spain-sees-record-breaking-tourist-numbers-despite-anti-tourism-backlash New immigration data has revealed the extent to which Spain's foreign population is growing and outpacing ageing Spaniards. https://www.thelocal.es/20250102/spain-gains-1-2-million-foreign-residents-in-two-years Thu, 02 Jan 2025 12:42:15 +0100 spain-gains-1-2-million-foreign-residents-in-two-years Between 2014 and 2023, Spain granted almost 250,000 'special' residence permits to non-EU citizens, from golden visas to digital nomad visas. Here is the newest revealing data that shows how Spain has managed to capture foreign talent and capital. https://www.thelocal.es/20241122/spain-granted-250000-foreigners-special-residency-in-a-decade Fri, 22 Nov 2024 13:11:17 +0100 spain-granted-250000-foreigners-special-residency-in-a-decade What jobs do Italians in Spain tend to do? Do all Chinese nationals run their own shops? How about the Brits? Here is a breakdown of the jobs foreigners in Spain tend to fill. https://www.thelocal.es/20240830/in-stats-what-jobs-do-foreigners-in-spain-do Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:08:09 +0200 in-stats-what-jobs-do-foreigners-in-spain-do There are numerous towns and villages in Spain where Spaniards are now outnumbered by foreigners, and we're not just talking about Brits on the Costa Blanca. https://www.thelocal.es/20240604/the-towns-in-spain-where-foreigners-outnumber-spaniards Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:14:59 +0200 the-towns-in-spain-where-foreigners-outnumber-spaniards New data released by the Bank of Spain has revealed that the difference in wealth between Spanish baby boomers, millennials and Gen Z keeps growing. https://www.thelocal.es/20240523/spains-wealth-disparity-grows-as-the-young-get-poorer-and-retirees-richer Thu, 23 May 2024 13:20:35 +0200 spains-wealth-disparity-grows-as-the-young-get-poorer-and-retirees-richer