And while Spain takes in fewer asylum-seekers than other European countries, it’s in the rare position to attract millions of economic migrants from South America who swiftly incorporate into Spain's job market and social fabric thanks to the common language.
Practically all of Spain’s population growth since the COVID-19 pandemic is due to immigration, with 1.1 million people arriving in 2022, according to the Bank of Spain.
The Bank of Spain estimates that an aging Spain will need 30 million working-age immigrants over the next 30 years to sustain the balance between workers and retirees-plus-children.
Pedro Aznar, professor of economics with the Esade Business School in Barcelona, said the influx of foreign workers has helped Spain fare far better than Germany, the traditional motor of Europe’s economy, whose manufacturing industry is in crisis.
Tapping into foreign labor helped Spain’s economy grow by about 3% last year, smashing the euro zone average of 0.8%, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
