Spain fuels EU population growth through immigration

Spain is responsible for nearly half of the European Union’s population increase in 2024, accounting for about 11% of the EU’s total population but delivering almost 50% of its net growth, according to researchers from the General Council of Economists of Spain and the Foundation for Applied Economic Studies. Immigration has also boosted Spain’s economy, adding roughly 1.7 percentage points to average annual GDP growth and 0.5 points to GDP per‑capita growth between 2022 and 2025.

In the autonomous community of Galicia, the regional Economic Forum reports that the area has kept pace with national growth despite an aging demographic, moving from 15th to 9th place in relative income rankings. The report attributes this performance to export‑oriented firms and highlights the need for more skilled immigrants to offset the rise in average age from 42 to 48 years over the century.

Both studies underscore that immigration is a key driver of demographic change and moderate economic benefits across Spain, while also pointing to challenges such as ageing populations and the importance of integrating newcomers into the labour market.