Explosive Growth: Alicante Population Surges

In a span of just two years, the province of Alicante has experienced a remarkable surge.

The province has welcomed nearly 70,000 new residents and reached a population of 1,955,268 as of January 1, 2023, according to data unveiled by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

This substantial growth of 68,232 individuals, marking a 3.62 per cent increase, stands as the most significant percentage rise across all of Spain during this period.

As a result, Alicante maintains its position as the fifth most populous province in Spain, with a noteworthy narrowing of the gap with Seville, the fourth in line, now separated by a mere 4,000 inhabitants.

Furthermore, the province has distanced itself from Malaga by just over 200,000 people.

The current population figure at the start of this year exceeds the 2013 census by almost 10,000 individuals, breaking the previously perceived demographic ceiling.

Contrary to historical trends where population growth was predominantly observed in coastal areas, this recent surge spans across all major municipalities in the province.

Notably, this growth can be exclusively attributed to the increasing foreign population.

According to INE data, individuals with nationalities other than Spanish now constitute 22.32 per cent of the population, totalling 436,502 residents.

In the last two years alone, this demographic group has expanded by 60,615 people, representing almost 89 per cent of the total population increase.

Intriguingly, the phenomenon extends beyond this, as the growth of the Spanish population is also influenced by individuals of foreign origin acquiring citizenship.

Conversely, the number of residents born in Spain has seen a slight decrease, standing at 1,440,952.