Baleares leads in foreign population

As of January 2025, nearly 28.3% of Baleares’ population consists of foreign-born residents, making it the region in Spain with the highest percentage.

The islands’ cultural diversity is evident in the growing number of international residents, particularly from Argentina, Morocco, Colombia, Germany, and the UK. This highlights Baleares as a vibrant, multicultural destination.

Baleares leads in foreign population

Baleares has consolidated itself as the region in Spain with the highest percentage of foreign population. According to the latest data, as of 1 January 2025, the Balearic Islands had a total population of 1,244,394 inhabitants, of which 352,221 were born abroad, representing approximately 28.3% of the total.

The distribution of the foreign population varies across the islands, with Ibiza and Formentera having the highest proportion, with nearly 28% of their inhabitants born outside Spain. Mallorca has 20% of foreign residents, while Menorca has just under 13%. Among the most represented nationalities are Argentinians, Moroccans, Colombians, Germans, and Britons.

This significant percentage of foreign population in Baleares reflects the region’s cultural diversity and its appeal as a destination for residents from different parts of the world.

At a national level, the foreign population in Spain has experienced growth since the third quarter of 2021, when there were 5,368,715 foreign residents. According to provisional data for the first quarter of 2025 from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), this figure has increased to 6,852,348, representing 14% of Spain’s total population.

Baleares is followed by the Valencian Community, with 19.3% of foreign residents, and Catalonia, with 18.7%. Nationally, the foreign population residing in Spain has grown by more than five million since the beginning of the registration process in 2002. At that time, foreigners living in Spain numbered just over two million, with 1,737,972 inhabitants.

As of 1 January 2025, 2.2% of the foreign population in Spain comes from nine countries, which contribute the largest number of residents. First is Colombia, with 43,400 inhabitants, followed by Venezuela, which, due to its political situation, has seen significant emigration, with 30,500 Venezuelans residing in Spain. Morocco is in third place, with 27,700 residents, due to its geographical proximity to Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands. Also on the list are Peru (18,800), Italy (8,900), Honduras (7,300), Argentina (7,300), Ecuador (6,800), and Ukraine (6,400).

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