Overview
- The INE, which released provisional first‑quarter figures Thursday, put Spain at 49,687,120 residents and reported the quarterly rise was led by 123,076 more people born abroad as those born in Spain fell by 26,055.
- Non‑Spanish nationals reached a record 7,346,414 after a quarterly increase of 94,182, and INE notes foreign‑born totals now exceed foreigners because many recent arrivals have obtained Spanish citizenship.
- Regional shifts stand out, with Andalusia at a record 8,758,481 outpacing Catalonia, Madrid up 57,464 year over year on a 70,238 jump among other nationalities, and Castilla y León posting its 16th straight quarter of growth.
- Galicia rose to 2,730,134 residents after adding 13,920 in a year, a gain that INE attributes entirely to foreigners as the Spanish‑national population edged down.
- A local wrinkle appeared in Vigo, where the INE’s provisional count shows a small loss to 295,657 residents, clashing with the city’s register above 302,000 and signaling that totals may change as records are reconciled for funding and service plans.