Spain’s population rose by 105,488 people in the third quarter of 2025, reaching 49.44 million residents as of 1 October, according to the latest figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
The data confirms that Spain’s population continues to grow, marking a new record and the highest total ever registered since official records began in 1971.
This rise is not the result of a baby boom – Spain still has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, at 1.12 children per woman – but is instead driven by the steady inflow of foreign residents.
Of the total 49.44 million inhabitants, 39,617,578 were born in Spain, a decrease of 9,901 compared to the previous quarter, while 9,825,266 were born abroad – an increase of 115,389.
INE also noted that the number of Spanish nationals rose by 26,551 people compared with the previous quarter, bringing the total to 42,310,520. Meanwhile, 7,132,324 residents currently hold foreign nationality.
The largest groups of new arrivals were Colombian (32,100), Moroccan (23,400), and Venezuelan (20,500) citizens.
Every one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions saw population growth in the third quarter. The biggest increases occurred in Valencia (+0.40%), Aragón (+0.36%), Castilla-La Mancha (+0.34%), Catalonia and Navarre (+0.32% each), followed by Asturias and La Rioja (+0.30%).
Regions with growth below the national average included Galicia and the Balearic Islands (0.20%), Murcia (0.19%), the Basque Country (0.18%), the Canary Islands (0.16%), Extremadura (0.11%), Madrid (0.09%), and Andalusia (0.06%).
The number of households in Spain also climbed to 19,684,380, up 55,109 from the previous quarter – a rise attributed both to migration and to an increase in single-person households.
With its low birth rate and ageing population, Spain’s demographic growth is now heavily reliant on foreign workers. Earlier this year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned that Spain would require a substantial increase in regular immigration and would need to reactivate older workers to sustain economic growth amid a shrinking labour force. ALSO READ: ‘We owe a lot to them’ – Sánchez hails benefits of ‘safe, orderly, regular migration’.
The OECD cautioned that Spain, like many other member states, faces a ‘sharp decline’ in its working-age population over the coming decades and will need migrant labour to bolster its economy.
Similarly, a Bank of Spain study last year estimated that the country might need up to 25 million additional immigrant workers by 2053 to offset demographic ageing and preserve the balance between workers and pensioners necessary to maintain the pension system.
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Estadística Continua de Población #ECP a 1 de octubre de 2025 @es_INE
La población de España aumentó en 105.488 personas durante el tercer trimestre de 2025 y se situó en 49.442.844 habitantes a 1 de octubre de 2025
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Resultados ➡️… pic.twitter.com/oRvh12Z9Kp— INE España (@es_INE) November 11, 2025
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