Immigration resumes to pre-pandemic levels in Spain with more women immigrants than men

THE end of the global pandemic has brought change across most sectors in Spain including the economy, tourism and now residency figures, according to data released on Thursday, January 26.

Data from Spain’s national agency for statistics, the INE revealed that the country recorded 478,990 new residents in the first six months of 2022 alone. During these first six months, 220,443 people also immigrated from Spain, leaving a record-breaking net migration figure of 258,547.

Another fascinating trend revealed by the data was that more women than men chose to move to Spain during 2022. Sociologists say this is due to higher rates of emigration from Latin America, where women tend to emigrate instead of Asian and North African migration trends which tend to see men emigrate before reuniting with their families at a later stage.

Sociologists say the migration boom is good news for Spain, which depends on immigrants for labour and to sustain the economy due to the country’s low birth rate. The data found that most immigrants in 2022 moved for job purposes and mainly found work in the care or tourism industries.