Moroccans Dominate New Spanish Citizenship Acquisitions in 2023
Catalonia and Madrid Lead Regions in New Citizenship Grants
In a significant demographic shift, Moroccans have emerged as the most prominent recipients of Spanish nationalities in 2023, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). A total of 54,027 Moroccans were granted Spanish citizenship last year, marking a notable 32% increase from the previous year.
The gender breakdown of these new citizens reveals that 54% were women while 45% were men. The age groups most represented among the new citizens were individuals between ages 30 and 39, closely followed by those aged 40 to 49.
Catalonia and the Community of Madrid were at the forefront of this wave of new citizens, with Catalonia recording over 60,800 cases and Madrid following with 50,000.
Residency was the primary pathway to citizenship, with more than 212,700 individuals acquiring Spanish nationality through this route. Additionally, 26,800 people, predominantly minors under 20 years old, obtained citizenship by option, accounting for 95% of this category.
In a related development, February 2024 data from the Spanish Ministry of Social Security highlighted that Moroccans were the largest contributors to Spain’s Social Security Fund, with 318,700 Moroccans affiliated with social security in 2023.
Other notable contributors to Spain’s new citizens in 2023 included Venezuelans (30,100), Colombians (18,700), and Ecuadorians (11,300).
Interestingly, Spain itself was the most common country of birth among new citizens, totaling 52,451 cases. Analyzing the historical data, 2018 was the most frequent year of arrival for those who acquired citizenship in 2023.
While Catalonia and Madrid dominated in sheer numbers of new citizens, regions like La Rioja and Extremadura saw the fewest acquisitions, with just 952 and 1,309 cases respectively.
This substantial increase in Moroccan nationals acquiring Spanish citizenship underscores the broader demographic and social trends shaping contemporary Spain.