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Demographics
Demographics
In 2008 Spain officially reached 46 million people registered at the Padrón municipal, an official record analogous to the British Register office.
Spain's population density, at 89.6/km² (231/sq mi), is lower than that of most Western European countries and its distribution along the country is very unequal.
With the exception of the region surrounding the capital, Madrid, the most populated areas lie around the coast.
The population of Spain doubled during the 20th century, due to the spectacular demographic boom in the 1960s and early 1970s.
The pattern of growth was extremely uneven due to large-scale internal migration from the rural interior to the industrial cities during this period.
No fewer than eleven of Spain's fifty provinces saw an absolute decline in population over the century.
Then, after the birth rate plunged in the 80s and Spain's population growth rate dropped, a new population increase started based initially on the return of many Spaniards who had emigrated to other European countries during the 70s.
More recently, it has been boosted by a large numbers of immigrants, mostly from Latin America (39%), Eastern Europe (16%), North Africa (15%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (4%).
In 2005, Spain instituted a 3-month amnesty program through which certain hitherto undocumented aliens were granted legal residency.
Also there are some significant pockets of population that have come from other EU countries - 21% of foreign residents - especially on the Mediterranean costas and Balearic islands, where many Europeans choose to live their retirement or telework.
These are mostly English, French, German, and Dutch and, from outside the EU, Norwegian.
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Immigration
According to the Spanish government there were 4.5 million foreign residents in Spain in 2007; independent estimates put the figure at 4.8 million people, or 11% of the total population.
According to residence permit data for 2005, about 500,000 were Moroccan, another 500,000 were Ecuadorian, more than 200,000 were Romanian, and 260,000 were Colombian.
Other sizeable foreign communities are British (8%), French (8%), Argentine (6%), German (6%) and Bolivian (3%).
Since 2000, Spain has experienced high population growth as a result of immigration flows, despite a birth rate that is only half the replacement level.
This sudden and ongoing inflow of immigrants, particularly those arriving clandestinely by sea, has caused noticeable social tension.
Within the EU, Spain has the second highest immigration rate in percentage terms after Cyprus, but by a great margin, the highest in actual numbers of immigrants.
There are a number of reasons for the high level of immigration, including Spain's cultural ties with Latin America, its geographical position, the porosity of its borders, the large size of its underground economy and the strength of the agricultural and construction sectors which demand more low cost labour than can be offered by the national workforce.
Another statistically significant factor is the large number of residents of EU origin typically retiring to Spain's Mediterranean coast.
In fact, Spain was Europe's largest absorber of migrants from 2002 to 2007, with its immigrant population more than doubling as 2.5 million people arrived.
According to the Financial Times, Spain is the most favoured destination for West Europeans considering a move from their own country and seeking jobs elsewhere in the EU.
Unemployment among immigrants has risen 67% in 2007.
Spain's new Plan of Voluntary Return encourages immigrants to leave Spain for three years and offers up to €25,000, but so far, only 186 Ecuadorans have signed up to return.
The number of immigrants in Spain has grown up from 500,000 people in 1996 to 5,2 million in 2008 out of a total population of 46 million.
In 2005 alone, a regularisation programme increased the legal immigrant population by 700,000 people.
Minority groups
Spain has a number of descendants of populations from former colonies (especially Equatorial Guinea) and immigrants from several Sub-Saharan and Caribbean countries have been recently settling in Spain.
There are also sizeable numbers of Asian immigrants, most of whom are of Chinese, Filipino, Middle Eastern, Pakistani and Indian origins; the population of Spaniards of Latin American descent is sizeable as well and a fast growing segment.
Other growing groups are Britons, 760,000 in 2006, Germans and other immigrants from the rest of Europe.
Modern Jewish community in Spain has been formed in three waves: migration from what was formerly Spanish Morocco, the flight of Jews escaping from Nazi repression, and immigration from Argentina.
Spanish law allows Sephardi Jews to claim Spanish citizenship.
The arrival of the Gitanos, a Roma people, began in the 16th century; estimates of the Spanish Gitano population fluctuate around 700,000.
Source: CIA Factbook, Wikipedia
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