Spain has seen spectacular demographic and migratory transformations in recent years, a shift becoming an increasingly important factor not only at a social, but also at an economic and political level. The population is at an all-time high – exceeding 49 million in 2024 – while natural reproduction remains negative and population growth is almost exclusively driven by immigration. Low birth rates, an ageing society and structural labor shortages combined to create a situation where migration is not only a necessity but also a key to economic stability and growth. In response, the Spanish government introduced new immigration legislation to make it easier for immigrants to obtain legal residence status, while at the same time seeking to curb irregular migration through “circular migration programs”. Behind these changes, there is a clear sense of a strategic shift that could determine Spain’s social structure and economic model in the long run.
The full text of the analysis is available in Hungarian here
