More Than Half of Immigrants Who Come to Spain Eventually Leave — New Report Explains Why

More than half of the migrants who come to Spain ultimately leave the country. This is one of the conclusions of a report titled "The Limits of Immigration for Demographic Adjustment in Spain," published by the Fundación Funcas foundation. The study's authors conclude that Spain is good at attracting large numbers of foreigners, but is unable to retain them for long.

Between 2002 and 2024, around 15 million foreign-born people arrived in Spain. Yet the net growth in the immigrant population over that period amounted to only around seven million. The retention rate stands at around 48% — one of the lowest in Europe, far behind Germany and Sweden at 60%.

The main reasons for departure are unaffordable housing, low wages, and precarious employment. For those who have not yet put down roots, rising living costs combined with the absence of family ties often tip the balance towards returning home or moving to another European country with higher salaries. The result is a more volatile labour market in which it is difficult to retain skilled workers, reducing overall productivity.

The report calls into question the claim that immigration can reverse Spain's demographic decline. Although one in four children born in the country comes from a family with immigrant roots, the effect is temporary. Fertility rates among foreign-born women converge with Spanish levels over the long term. According to the study, 81% of the fall in the birth rate since 2009 is explained by families' deliberate choice to have fewer children, not by a shortage of women of childbearing age.

A further concern is the ageing of the migrants themselves. Those who arrived in the early 2000s are now approaching retirement age. According to Funcas data, last year 22% of immigrants living in Spain — around two million people — were over 55. In 2021–2024, nearly one in five people entering the country was also over 55. Funcas projects that by 2040, for every child under the age of 15, there will be more than five people over the age of 50.