MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Four million foreigners are residents in Spain

Almost 4 million foreigners are residents in Spain out of a total population of 44.495.286, according to the latest, January first 2006, review from the Spanish Statistics Office. Foreigners represent 8.7% of the Spanish population and increasing.

Moroccans is the most numerous of communities with 535.000 people followed by Ecuador, 399.600 and Romania with 382.000 and which has proved the fastest growing in 2005 with an absolute increase of 64.000. However in percentage Bolivians top the list with a 35% growth last year followed by Poles, 25% and Brazilians 24%.

Of the 3.884.600 foreigners recorded in the national census, South America leads with 1.212.400 equivalent to 31.2%, followed by the European Union with 916.100 (23.5%); Africa, 741.600 (19%); the rest of Europe 645.000 (16.6%); Asia 201.100 (5.2%) and North and Central America 162.000 equivalent to 4.17%.

Besides Ecuador the Latinamerican country with most immigrants in Spain is Colombia, 238.000 (6.14%); Argentina 136.000 (3.5%); Bolivia 132.400 (3.4%); Peru 86.900 (2.24%); Brazil 67.500; Dominican Republic 56.100; Venezuela 47.000; Uruguay 42.800 and Cuba 41.700.

Catalonia (Barcelona) is the Spanish region which most immigrants attracts, 866.000 followed by Madrid, 695.600. The latest Spanish census also shows that the country has 527.000 more women than men.