Seven out of ten new residents in Malaga province in the last ten years are foreigners

From the Phoenicians thousands of years ago to the British in the last half century, the province of Malaga has been a draw for other cultures and nationalities throughout the ages. In recent decades, this destination becoming a permanent place to live for many is a trend that has grown, fuelled by the good weather and the strength of Malaga city and its surrounds as one of the best destinations in the world to live and work.

From 2011 to 2021 the population of this province which includes the Costa del Sol has grown by 6.7%. This translates into 106,848 new residents for Malaga province, of whom 75,251 (70.4%) were born abroad. In total, and according to the data for 2021, 341,751 people of foreign origin reside in the province, 20.2% of the total population of the area. Over those ten years, the number of foreign residents has grown by 28.2%, according to data from the INEnational statistics institute’s population and housing census.

This demographic database, although not the most updated of the public institution, is the one with the most detailed and consolidated municipal and infra-municipal information. Thus, it is possible to know all the countries of origin of these foreigners from Malaga.

The United Kingdom continues to be the most represented nation in the province with 50,721 people. It is also the one that occupies the first position in the ranking of foreign residents in more municipalities (57 territories). But although they are still the majority, the British are one of the few communities, along with those from Germany, which have had a negative variation with respect to 2011 (-0.9%).

This is the opposite of the number of Moroccan-born inhabitants, with a variation of 34.2% in these ten years and a figure of 50,397 compatriots in 2021 - only 324 people away from unseating the United Kingdom in first place.

Despite these figures, the population of Moroccan origin only leads the ranking of countries in 15 municipalities in the province, compared to 57 in the United Kingdom. However, these won fiefdoms are large municipalities such as Marbella, Ronda, Vélez-Málaga, Torremolinos or the provincial capital itself, hence the large total population figure.

In third position in the province are foreigners from Argentina, although at a great distance from the British and Moroccans with 25,113 representatives. The largest group resides in the provincial capital (6,018) and the largest proportion of the total population in Benalmádena (3.9%).

This demographic database, although not the latest from this government body, is the one with the most detailed information that also provides data on a town hall level. From this we can find out all the countries of origin of foreigners who live in Malaga province.

The United Kingdom continues to be the most represented nation in the province with 50,721 people. It is also the one that occupies the first position in the ranking of foreign residents in most municipalities (57 out of the 103 local council areas). But, although they are still the majority, the British are one of the few communities, along with those from Germany, which have had a drop with respect to 2011 (-0.9%).This is the opposite of the number of Moroccan-born inhabitants, with a variation of 34.2% over those ten years and a figure of 50,397 in 2021 - only 324 people away from unseating the United Kingdom from first place..

The following map shows in which municipality there is a higher proportion of inhabitants from the 50 countries of origin most present in the province of Malaga with respect to the total number of inhabitants of the municipality:

Despite these figures, the population of Moroccan origin only leads the ranking of countries in 15 municipalities in the province, compared to 57 in the United Kingdom. However, these are large municipalities such as Marbella, Ronda, Vélez-Málaga, Torremolinos and the provincial capital itself, hence the large total population figure.In third position in the province are foreigners from Argentina, although at a great distance from the British and Moroccans with 25,113 representatives. The largest group resides in the provincial capital (6,018) and the largest proportion of the total population in Benalmádena (3.9%). But only one location ranks first in the municipal ranking: Rincón de la Victoria. This large municipality in the province is home to 906 people born in Argentina.

“We have found a real home”

Mariana Vázquez, her husband and their two children are four of those Argentinians living in the La Cala del Moral area of Rincón. “We had been thinking about emigrating for some time because of the insecurity in Buenos Aires,” explained Mariana.

Among their first choices were Madrid or Barcelona. But this woman from Buenos Aires wanted a quiet place to raise her children:

“Browsing Google Maps, we came across Malaga. We liked it because it seemed quiet (despite being a big city), the proximity to the beach and the job opportunities in the technology sector,”

Looking for information about the province, they found out more on social media from fellow Argentinians who already lived in Rincón de la Victoria and by March 2023 they were already registered residents there. “We have found a real home in La Cala del Moral. We love the customs here: the fair, the festivals, the way Christmas is celebrated, the children’s school.... We will stay in Malaga forever, we see our children growing up here,” said Mariana.

Among the municipalities with the most foreign-born residents are the most populated towns in the province such as Malaga city (73,965 foreigners), Marbella (50,070) and Fuengirola (34,134). If the ranking is based on the proportion of the total number of residents, it is Benahavís which occupies the first position, as 6 out of 10 Benahavillians are of foreign origin. It is followed by Cómpeta with 43.3% and Sayalonga with 42.2%.

If only municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants are measured, Fuengirola has the highest proportion of foreign residents with 41.6% and Marbella has experienced the highest percentage variation in ten years (41.3%).

In all the large municipalities in the province of Malaga, the difference between 2011 and 2021 in foreign residents is positive, except in one area: Ronda, which saw a drop of 5.5%.