Those born in Venezuela, France, and Argentina showed the highest percentages of the population with higher education
25.7% of the 8,838,234 foreign-born residents (2,267,190 people) arrived in Spain in the two years prior to January 1, 2024, between 2023 and 2022. Of this figure, 13.2% did so in the last year, according to the Annual Population Census published this Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
This 25.7% figure is the first increase since the period from 2001 to 2010 when it reached 29.9%. Until then, it had been decreasing.
Among the main countries, 53.2% of those born in Ukraine who came to live in Spain did so in 2022 and 2023, followed by Colombia (40.1%) and Peru (35.9%). In contrast, those born in Ecuador (11.8%), the United Kingdom (13.4%), and France (13.8%) recorded the lowest percentages of arrivals in the last two years.
On the other hand, more than half of the population born in Romania and Ecuador arrived in Spain in the period from 2001 to 2010 (56.3% and 55.1%, respectively). In the case of France, the majority of arrivals, 24.3%, occurred before 1981.
This statistic has been compiled with variables related to the years of arrival in different territorial areas (Spain, autonomous community, province, municipality), as well as the previous place of residence. It also expands on the information from the 2023 census with data on educational level and relationship with economic activity.
35.3% OF THE POPULATION ALWAYS RESIDES IN THE SAME MUNICIPALITY SINCE BIRTH
According to the census as of January 1, 2024, 35.3% of the population (17,177,362 people) had always resided in the same municipality since birth, and 28.8% came from another municipality in the same province.
On the other hand, the relationship between the current and previous place of residence varies among the main cities. Thus, Córdoba (57.3%), Murcia (54.9%), and Seville (50.8%) showed the highest percentages of the population who have always lived in the municipality where they were born. At the opposite end are L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (18.0%), Palma (33.9%), and Alicante (35.0%).
For example, in the case of Madrid, 24.9% of residents came from another autonomous community, while 25.5% of residents in Barcelona came from abroad, and 20.6% of residents in Valencia came from another municipality in the same province.
The statistic also addresses the educational level and reveals that 32.9% of people aged 15 and over had higher education in 2023, compared to 15.4% who had only completed primary or lower education. For the population aged 25 to 64, 41.8% had higher education.
This percentage is divided into 45.9% for women and 37.7% for men. By age group, the greatest difference was in the 25 to 29 age group (58.2% of women versus 44.1% of men).
By nationality, the percentage of foreigners with higher education was 24.7%, while 28.7% had completed primary or lower education. These percentages were 27.2% and 23.3%, respectively, for those born abroad.
MOROCCO, ROMANIA, AND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, WITH FEWER HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREES
Among the main countries of birth, those born in Venezuela (48.7%), France (44.7%), and Argentina (43.6%) showed the highest percentages of the population with higher education. In contrast, those born in Morocco (9.0%), Romania (13.7%), and the Dominican Republic (17.0%) had the lowest percentages of higher education graduates.
The provinces with the highest percentage of the population with higher education in 2023 were Guipúzcoa (43.9%), Vizcaya (42.6%), and Madrid (41.8%). On the other hand, Cuenca (23.3%), Almería (23.4%), and Toledo (24.0%) had the lowest percentages.
Municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants with the highest percentage of people aged 15 or over with higher education were concentrated in the outskirts of Madrid and Barcelona: in Tres Cantos and Las Rozas, both in Madrid, and Sant Cugat del Vallés, where they exceeded 62%. On the contrary, Rojales (Alicante), Níjar (Almería), and Jódar (Jaén) were the municipalities with the lowest percentage of the population with higher education, at 7.6%, 8.7%, and 12.8%, respectively.
CHINA, ECUADOR, AND BOLIVIA, WITH A HIGHER PROPORTION OF EMPLOYED POPULATION
Among the main countries, the nationalities that had a higher proportion of employed individuals among the population aged 16 and over on January 1, 2023, were Chinese (62.1%), Ecuadorian (58.5%), and Bolivian (55.8%), compared to British (23.3%), Colombians (29.9%), and Peruvians (32.8%), with lower percentages of employed individuals.
The employed population according to the 2023 census increased across the territory compared to the figures recorded in 2022. Considering municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants, those that showed the highest increases in the employment rate of the population aged 16 to 64 were Palos de la Frontera (Huelva), Los Llanos de Aridane (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), and Boiro (A Coruña), all with increases around five percentage points.
Conversely, those that experienced the largest decreases were Orpesa/Oropesa del Mar (Castellón/Castelló), Lloret de Mar, and Castell-Platja d’Aro (both in Girona), all with decreases exceeding two percentage points.