Foreign residents make up almost 25 per cent of the population in the province of Alicante

Foreign nationals continue to account for an increasing proportion of the population in the province of Alicante. According to a report titled “Statistical Approach to the Foreign Population in the Province of Alicante 2026”, prepared by ASTI, 497,387 people of foreign nationality were resident in the province. This represents an increase of 32,786 compared to the previous year. The figure accounts for 24.5 per cent of Alicante’s total 2.03 million inhabitants, which is the highest proportion among all Spanish provinces.

Alicante holds third place nationally in absolute numbers of foreign residents, behind only Madrid and Barcelona, but ranks first when considering foreign population as a proportion of total residents. Within the Valencian Community, the province accounts for 47.1 per cent of all foreign residents, compared to 41.6 per cent in Valencia and 11.3 per cent in Castellón.

The demographic makeup of foreign nationalities is shifting. The United Kingdom remains the primary country of origin, with 68,904 residents making up 13.9 per cent of the total foreign population. However, the British population fell by 1,882 people, marking a third consecutive year of decline. Meanwhile, Colombia has moved into second place with 51,224 residents, following a single-year increase of 8,227 people.

Behind British and Colombian nationals are residents from Morocco (49,749), Ukraine (32,831), Romania (24,034) and Algeria (23,662). Together, these six nationalities represent 50.3 per cent of the foreign population in the province. Notable increases were recorded among nationals from Algeria, up by 3,831 people, as well as Ukraine, Morocco and the Netherlands.

The gender split among foreign residents is largely balanced, with 50.2 per cent men and 49.8 per cent women. However, clear variations exist depending on continent of origin: women form the majority among those from the Americas and Europe, whereas men predominate among African and Asian populations.

Foreign residents are concentrated in specific geographic areas. Alicante city records the highest number of foreign residents at 76,685, followed by Torrevieja with 49,699, Elche with 35,421, Orihuela with 30,946 and Benidorm with 26,862. These five municipalities combined account for 219,613 foreign nationals, representing 44.2 per cent of the provincial total.

Proportions are even higher in smaller municipalities. Foreign residents make up 68.1 per cent of the population in Rojales, 66.8 per cent in San Fulgencio, 54.1 per cent in Calpe, 50.5 per cent in Finestrat and 50.4 per cent in L’Alfàs del Pi.

A strong territorial concentration is also evident within church administrative divisions. Vicarage I, covering Vega Baja, accounts for 154,665 foreign residents—38.6 per cent of its total population—making it the area with the highest relative proportion. Torrevieja and Orihuela alone account for 52.1 per cent of the foreign residents within this vicarage.

Immigration is helping to cushion the region’s overall demographic decline. In 2024, Alicante registered 13,207 births against 16,946 deaths, resulting in a negative natural population growth of 3,739 people.

However, the balance was positive among foreign residents, with 4,303 births and 3,065 deaths creating a natural growth of 1,238 people. In contrast, Spanish nationals registered a negative balance of 4,977 people. The report concludes that foreign residents help mitigate the demographic imbalance caused by an ageing population in the province.

Furthermore, births to foreign mothers now account for 32.6 per cent of all registered births in Alicante—nearly one in three. Morocco and Colombia represent the main nationalities of foreign mothers, accounting for 20.8 per cent and 18.5 per cent of these births respectively.

Foreign presence is also increasing across the local labor market and education system. At the end of 2025, there were 135,550 foreign nationals registered with Social Security in Alicante, comprising 17.8 per cent of the provincial total after 10,457 new registrations during the year. Non-EU citizens accounted for 66.1 per cent of foreign workers.

Certain sectors rely particularly heavily on foreign labour: 54.7 per cent of agricultural workers and 35.3 per cent of domestic workers in the province are foreign nationals.

In education, foreign students numbered 77,949 during the 2024–2025 academic year, representing 21.5 per cent of all enrolled pupils in the province—an increase of 5,367 from the previous year. The Americas represent the largest origin group in schools, followed by Africa and the rest of Europe.

Integration is also evident through naturalisation trends. In 2025, Spanish citizenship was granted to 9,460 applicants based on residence in Alicante, an increase of 113 over the previous year. Colombian and Moroccan nationals led acquisitions, with 1,655 and 1,651 grants respectively, followed by Venezuelan nationals with 791. These three nationalities combined accounted for 43.3 per cent of all naturalisations in the province.