Spanish Migration: Historical Trends and Patterns
Spanish Migration: A Historical Overview
Spain’s strategic location between Europe and Africa has shaped its active migratory past, serving as both a transit point and settlement for diverse populations. The loss of population in the hinterland and peripheral conditions led to an unequal population distribution. Emigration to America after 1492 marked a key event in the history of Spanish migration. The most significant migratory flows have varied in composition by age, sex, and profession, occurring both within and beyond the country’s borders.
Nineteenth Century (until 1959)
- Population pressure and seasonal farm work freed farmers to seek employment in other regions.
- Spanish peasants migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas, attracted by economic opportunities.
- Host countries, unable to absorb all labor, imposed restrictions on immigration.
- After the World Wars and the Spanish Civil War, qualified young professionals emigrated.
- Galicia was the most populated region during this period.
External Migration Destinations
- America: Reactivated in the late nineteenth century, with approximately 100,000 people emigrating annually from 1889 to 1896, totaling nearly 1.5 million. This flow was interrupted by the 1929 economic crisis, world wars, and the Spanish Civil War, but resumed after World War II. Migrants primarily came from Atlantic regions.
- Europe: Migrants from Spanish regions with higher population growth, such as Andalusia and Extremadura, sought better living standards. They were often accompanied by people from other Mediterranean countries.
- North Africa: Migration coincided with labor demands during French colonization in the late nineteenth century.
Internal Migration
Before agricultural mechanization, people moved to other farming areas for seasonal work. With industrialization in Catalonia, Madrid, and the Basque Country, permanent displacement began, marking the start of the rural exodus, which was interrupted by the Civil War and resumed afterward.
Spanish Migration: A Historical Overview
Spain’s strategic location between Europe and Africa has shaped its active migratory past, serving as both a transit point and settlement for diverse populations. The loss of population in the hinterland and peripheral conditions led to an unequal population distribution. Emigration to America after 1492 marked a key event in the history of Spanish migration. The most significant migratory flows have varied in composition by age, sex, and profession, occurring both within and beyond the country’s borders.
Nineteenth Century (until 1959)
- Population pressure and seasonal farm work freed farmers to seek employment in other regions.
- Spanish peasants migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas, attracted by economic opportunities.
- Host countries, unable to absorb all labor, imposed restrictions on immigration.
- After the World Wars and the Spanish Civil War, qualified young professionals emigrated.
- Galicia was the most populated region during this period.
External Migration Destinations
- America: Reactivated in the late nineteenth century, with approximately 100,000 people emigrating annually from 1889 to 1896, totaling nearly 1.5 million. This flow was interrupted by the 1929 economic crisis, world wars, and the Spanish Civil War, but resumed after World War II. Migrants primarily came from Atlantic regions.
- Europe: Migrants from Spanish regions with higher population growth, such as Andalusia and Extremadura, sought better living standards. They were often accompanied by people from other Mediterranean countries.
- North Africa: Migration coincided with labor demands during French colonization in the late nineteenth century.
Internal Migration
Before agricultural mechanization, people moved to other farming areas for seasonal work. With industrialization in Catalonia, Madrid, and the Basque Country, permanent displacement began, marking the start of the rural exodus, which was interrupted by the Civil War and resumed afterward.
1960-1975
The creation of the Spanish Institute of Migration (IEE) in the early 1950s encouraged emigration, driven by foreign exchange needs, industrial growth, and the mechanization of agriculture. This was the most intense period of Spanish emigration, with primary destinations being Europe and the interior of the peninsula.
- External Migration: Massive emigration to Europe to rebuild cities affected by World War II. Initially, predominantly male migrants intended to return to their place of origin, with women joining later. Family reunification led to permanent settlement in some countries. Migrants often took low-paying jobs unwanted by locals.
- Internal Migration: A significant rural exodus to large cities like Madrid and Barcelona, and metropolitan areas, spurred by pendular migration for work. Many women entered the service sector and moved to the Mediterranean coast.
Migration during this period contributed to economic development through remittances, but also led to an aging population in emigration areas and a younger population in immigration zones, creating a significant imbalance in population distribution.
1976-1985
Political changes and the economic crisis due to higher oil prices slowed Spanish emigration and reduced job opportunities in destination countries, reversing previous migratory trends.
- External Migration: Destination countries in Europe encouraged migrants to return to Spain with aid and incentives. The economic situation in South America also prompted returns. Unemployment and housing shortages were challenges faced by returnees, leading some to seek opportunities in other economically developed areas.
- Internal Migration: Traditional migration areas lost their capacity to absorb immigrants due to industrial restructuring and rising housing costs. Municipalities grew larger, and metropolitan areas continued to expand. Improved transportation facilitated urban mobility and reduced inter-community migration, while increasing intra-community and intra-province migration.
The importance of return migration marked the beginning of a shift towards Spain becoming a country of immigration.
1986 to Today
Areas with greater economic dynamism remained the primary destinations, with job searches becoming more complex due to higher worker qualifications.
- External Emigration: Dramatically slowed, with return migration dominating. Over a million Spaniards still reside outside the country. Emigration to Europe increased as payment and employment contracts were no longer required for residency within the European Community.
- Internal Migration: Slowed, but large metropolitan areas continued to grow. Medium-sized towns experienced significant growth. Policies promoting local endogenous development, supported by EU subsidies, created job opportunities in previously underdeveloped regions.
Spain definitively transitioned from a country of emigration to a country of immigration.