Increase in Immigrant Students in Spain
Recent data from Spain’s socialist government indicates that almost 13 percent of students in the country are immigrants.
On Thursday, Spanish news outlets reported a significant rise in this demographic, showing a remarkable 55 percent increase over the last decade, hitting an all-time high.
This information comes from the 2026 edition of The State Education System Index, a comprehensive annual report by the Spanish Ministry of Education, which provides the latest insights on the education system in Spain.
A report by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo reveals that during the 2024-2025 academic year, there were 1,125,860 immigrant students enrolled, representing 12.9 percent of the total student body.
To put this into perspective, only 141,916 immigrant students were registered in Spanish schools in the year 2000, accounting for a mere 2 percent of all children and teenagers at that time.
Over the last twenty years, the number of immigrant students has consistently risen, with only a minor dip in the 2011-2012 academic year, after which it resumed its upward trajectory.
By the 2015-2016 fiscal year, that number had surged to 716,736. The Spanish government classifies immigrant students as those without Spanish nationality, while students with dual citizenship are counted among Spanish citizens.
The ministry suggests that this trend reflects broader immigration patterns, the birth of foreign nationals in Spain, and the acquisition of Spanish citizenship.
Officials from the Ministry of Education referred to the “immigration phenomenon,” calling it “a reality that enriches diversity and leads to increased heterogeneity in classrooms and schools.”
Furthermore, the ministry noted a rise in the number of students categorized as having “special needs,” jumping from 5.6 percent in 2014 to 14 percent in 2024. It pointed out that many immigrants fall into these categories due to mid-year enrollments, language barriers, or the need for support based on their backgrounds.
According to El Mundo, while immigrant students from Latin America have seen the most significant growth since 2018, Moroccan students still represent the largest group, with nearly 200,000 enrolled. Colombia follows with 114,477 students, then Romania with 97,633, and Venezuela with 76,574.
Reportedly, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, and La Rioja are the autonomous communities with the highest percentages of registered immigrant-born students, with around 74.7 percent of all immigrant students attending public schools.
