The Spanish population reached in the first half of 2019 its historical maximum and exceeded 47.1 million inhabitants thanks to immigration. The increase, according to provisional data of the population of the National Statistics Institute (INE), is due to the growth of the population of foreign nationality, while the number of people of Spanish nationality are reduced.

once more, the natural growth of the population, the difference between births and deaths, has been negative: they died 214.218 people and there were 169.216 births. And the immigration returns to compensate for this imbalance. In the first half of last year recorded a positive migration balance of 209.097 people, the highest value since the start of the series in 2008. In total, there were 348.625 immigration and 139.528 migration.

The total number of people who have come to Spain in the first half, 88.9% had foreign nationality, while 11.1% were spaniards. In terms of the 139.528 outputs, the lowest value since 2008, 74,7% was foreign and 25.3% of spaniards.

The positive migration balance led to an increase of 183.073 foreign people. On the contrary, the population of Spanish nationality was reduced in 19.737 people. According to the INE data, there are in Spain a total of 5.023.279 foreign, a 10,67% of the total.

The venezuelan population was the one that grew most in percentage in the first half of 2019, with 24.238 more people, a 18% increase. Also the colombian nationality (with 27.920 more persons) grew by 14%, and it is the greatest increases in absolute numbers. These are the two nationalities that most asylum seekers in Spain. Also the moroccan population has increased in 20.627 people (2.9%). The ecuadorian population, on the contrary, was reduced in 1.651 people and the Romanian-964.

communities

During the first half of 2019, the population increased in 13 autonomous communities and decreased in the remaining four, as well as in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. The largest increases in relative terms occurred in the Balearic islands (0,87%), the Community of Madrid (0,66%) and the Canary islands (0,61%). On the contrary, the decreases in population occurred in Extremadura (-0,25%), Principado de Asturias (-0,22%), Castilla y León (-0,20%) and Galicia (-0,06%).

Catalonia (47.119 persons), Comunidad de Madrid (40.539) and the Valencian Community (27.162) were the regions in which most foreign nationals were established.