(Financial Times Europe, Barney Jopson, Alan Smith and Irene de la Torre Arenas, 07 May 2026)
Since Pedro Sánchez opened the doors to immigration, Spain’s foreign population has increased by about 665,000 people per year, rising from one in twenty residents to almost one in five. This influx has fueled the fastest economic growth among major advanced economies, with Spain responsible for a quarter of the new jobs created in the EU since 2020, 70% of which are held by immigrants, mainly Latin Americans. The phenomenon has given new life to a country with very low birth rates, but it has also heightened tensions over housing, public services, and social cohesion.
The migration boom has transformed entire neighborhoods and sectors such as tourism, catering, and construction, where foreigners fill the shortage of local labor. However, it has worsened the housing crisis, with a deficit of 700,000 homes over the last decade and sharply rising rents, especially in Madrid and Barcelona. Many young Spaniards remain living with their parents past the age of 30, while immigrants often live in precarious conditions or share overcrowded apartments.
On the political front, immigration has become one of the most divisive issues. Vox rides the discontent with alarmist tones, while the Sánchez government defends an open policy, culminating in the latest amnesty for half a million undocumented immigrants. While immigrants contribute to growth and pay taxes, public opinion perceives increasing problems of coexistence and pressure on services, with the risk that the issue will dominate the campaign for the 2027 elections.
1. Record Immigration in Spain
“The foreign-born population has risen from one in twenty residents to almost one in five in less than a quarter of a century, a proportion even higher than that of the United States. Since 2022, Spain has recorded an average annual increase of 665,000 foreigners, equivalent to a city as large as Málaga every year.”
2. Economic Growth Driven by Immigrants
“Since 2020, Spain has created a quarter of the EU’s new jobs. Seventy percent of these jobs have gone to immigrants, especially in sectors such as hotels, bars, and restaurants, which have generated 350,000 new positions. Foreigners fill the labor shortage in jobs many young Spaniards refuse.”
3. Tensions Over Housing and Services
“In the last ten years, 700,000 more households have formed than homes built. Rents have increased by 39% nationally from 2021 to 2025 and by 59% in the Madrid region. Many immigrants live in overcrowded apartments or on relatives’ couches, while young Spaniards remain living with their parents past the age of 30.”
4. Immigration as a Geopolitical Weapon
“‘China, like the EU, knows there is a cow in every municipality and a pig in every parish. Many EU leaders depend on rural votes or fear them… In the short term, this gives China some leverage.’”
5. Debate on Crime
“‘There is no direct relationship between crime and nationality or ethnic group. What academic studies show elsewhere is that crime rates are correlated with age and socioeconomic factors, and immigrants in Mataró tend to be young and poor.’”
(Excerpt from the newsletter by Giuseppe Liturri)
