Mapping foreign immigration in Spain (1998–2018). Trends and spatial patterns

Abstract

The last 20 years of sociodemographic history in Spain cannot be interpreted without considering the impact of foreign immigration, numerous publications have shown. The aim of this article is to contribute a clear spatial representation of migrants in Spain by combining statistical and mapping methods. Maps showing the rate of variation of immigrant populations point to the existence of an uneven distribution around Spain, during both the period of economic growth and the years when migratory flows waned. On the other hand, the immigrant clusters show that certain geographic areas in Spain attract specific groups; the extent of their presence can be seen on density maps based on location coefficients. In short, this article provides an understanding of foreign immigration in Spain, which other approaches have not achieved.

Is land abandonment remarkable in the so-called Empty Spain?

“…However, this growth trend obscures a widespread phenomenon of rural outmigration, which mostly occurred during the 1960s and 1970s (García Coll & Stillwell, 1999). Since the turn of the 21st century, the economics of Spain has experienced two quite contrasting decades: the so-called building boom of the early 2000s, and a deep economic crisis and slight recovery during the late 2000s and early 2010s (Parreño-Castellano et al, 2021). Under this socio-economic context, extensive rural areas of Spain have lost their population by outmigration and urbanization.…”