Sur reported that a third of the municipalities in Malaga province now have more than 20% foreign-born residents. Out of a population of 1.77 million, 414,316 people, or 23% of the total, were born in other countries, according to data from Spain’s annual census published by INE, the national statistics institute. This is a higher proportion of foreign residents than for Spain as a whole (18%), but equivalent to levels in Lleida, Barcelona and Madrid, while in Almeria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife it’s around 24%, and in Girona, the Balearic Islands and Alicante it rises to some 26% – 27%.
Within the province, the proportion of foreign-born residents varies greatly from one municipality to another. The article explains that this relates to the reasons why foreigners move here: “For instance, some people come to work here in search of a better future than that offered by their place of origin, as is the case for most people coming from North Africa or Latin America. There are also people fleeing international conflicts, such as those who have arrived from Ukraine. Then there is a third group that is unique to Spain’s Mediterranean coast and its archipelagos: the one formed mainly by Europeans who retire here for the better climate and to enjoy living by the sea.”
The article has an impressively clear map of the province by municipality, showing generally higher percentages along the coast, but with some particular exceptions. There is also a fascinating table of countries of origin. The UK comes second. Which country do you think comes first? Is the spread what you would expect? Check it out here.