Moroccans Make Up 25% of Residence Permit Holders in Spain

Agadir – Moroccans are the largest group holding residence permits in Spain. They constitute a quarter of all beneficiaries under the immigration system in Spain, according to the latest data released by the Spanish State Secretariat for Migration.

The data shared in the report showed that in the last year, 862,190 Moroccan nationals held valid residence permits in Spain. This accounts for 25% of the total. 

They are followed by Ukrainians at 9%, Colombians at 8%, Chinese at 7%, and Venezuelans at 6%, which collectively represent more than half of all holders.

In 2025, the number of foreign residents under the general immigration system increased by 9% to 3,497,284 by the end of December.

The report further indicates that close to half (47%) of all individuals holding valid residence permits hold long-term residence, showing more stable settlement patterns in migrant communities.

Foreign nationals holding residence permits in Spain increased very rapidly over the year, specifically by 33.5% compared to the previous year.

Regionally, African nationals represent the largest share at 35%, followed by migrants from Central and South America (33%), Asia (16%), and non-EU European countries (15%).

In terms of the gender distribution, the report pointed out that Moroccan and Colombian nationals have the highest proportion of women, with each country having 60%. The lowest proportion is among Portuguese nationals, with 38%, indicating an increase in the gender imbalance in the Moroccan national residents in Spain. 

These figures are expected to increase this year as Spain’s government is planning to take a massive regularization step to provide legal residence permits to 500,000 undocumented migrants. 

Moroccan nationals have been among the largest groups of undocumented migrants to Spain, implying that they could be among the largest beneficiaries of this move.

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