Where the British, Germans and other expats live in Spain
Residents by nationality in 333 Spanish towns of 25,000+ (INE population register, 1 January 2022): which towns are British, German, French or Italian, where foreigners are a majority, and where you will hardly meet one.
"Where do the expats live?" has an official answer: the municipal register (Padrón) counts every resident by nationality. For the 333 towns compared here, that is 31,138,635 residents, of whom 3,957,171 hold a foreign passport (12.7%). The largest groups are not the ones the "expat" word brings to mind: Moroccan and Romanian residents outnumber the British. EU citizens are 26% of all foreigners.
Foreign residents in the 333 towns, by nationality (residents, 1 Jan 2022)
The British
159,603 British residents live in these towns, and they are concentrated: the ten towns with the most of them hold 42% of the total, all in Andalusia, Catalonia, Madrid, Murcia and Valencian Community. By share of the population, Xàbia/Jávea is the most British town in Spain: 17.3% of its residents.
| Place | Region | British residents | Share of all residents | All foreign residents | Jan night | Appraised €/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xàbia/Jávea | Valencian Community | 4,964 | 17.3% | 44.0% | 5.6°C | 3,511 €/m² |
| Mazarrón | Murcia | 4,601 | 13.7% | 37.1% | 7.8°C | 1,558 €/m² |
| Orihuela | Valencian Community | 10,419 | 12.9% | 34.5% | 6.8°C | 2,004 €/m² |
| Alhaurín el Grande | Andalusia | 2,669 | 10.1% | 23.4% | 7.3°C | – |
| Mijas | Andalusia | 8,804 | 9.8% | 32.2% | 8.1°C | 3,214 €/m² |
| Calvià | Balearic Islands | 4,362 | 8.3% | 32.3% | 7.8°C | 5,430 €/m² |
| Adeje | Canary Islands | 3,620 | 7.3% | 47.3% | 13.6°C | 3,592 €/m² |
| Coín | Andalusia | 1,780 | 7.3% | 20.0% | 7.7°C | – |
| Calp | Valencian Community | 1,711 | 7.1% | 49.2% | 5.7°C | 3,036 €/m² |
| La Oliva | Canary Islands | 1,903 | 6.8% | 44.3% | 13.6°C | 3,168 €/m² |
| Fuengirola | Andalusia | 5,507 | 6.6% | 37.5% | 11.3°C | 3,614 €/m² |
| Estepona | Andalusia | 4,838 | 6.5% | 25.6% | 10.0°C | 3,418 €/m² |
The Germans
65,875 German residents, 42% of them in ten towns in Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Catalonia, Madrid and Valencian Community. The most German town is Calvià (4.8%).
| Place | Region | German residents | Share of all residents | All foreign residents | Jan night | Appraised €/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvià | Balearic Islands | 2,500 | 4.8% | 32.3% | 7.8°C | 5,430 €/m² |
| Calp | Valencian Community | 1,052 | 4.4% | 49.2% | 5.7°C | 3,036 €/m² |
| San Bartolomé de Tirajana | Canary Islands | 2,249 | 4.2% | 26.6% | 10.0°C | 3,167 €/m² |
| Puerto de la Cruz | Canary Islands | 1,188 | 3.9% | 17.3% | 15.1°C | 2,871 €/m² |
| Llucmajor | Balearic Islands | 1,260 | 3.2% | 17.8% | 5.1°C | 3,638 €/m² |
| La Oliva | Canary Islands | 857 | 3.1% | 44.3% | 13.6°C | 3,168 €/m² |
| Santa Eulària des Riu | Balearic Islands | 1,203 | 3.0% | 29.2% | 7.9°C | – |
| Xàbia/Jávea | Valencian Community | 758 | 2.6% | 44.0% | 5.6°C | 3,511 €/m² |
| Dénia | Valencian Community | 1,027 | 2.3% | 23.7% | 5.6°C | 2,786 €/m² |
| Adeje | Canary Islands | 842 | 1.7% | 47.3% | 13.6°C | 3,592 €/m² |
| Sitges | Catalonia | 506 | 1.6% | 24.7% | 5.4°C | 4,676 €/m² |
| Manacor | Balearic Islands | 676 | 1.5% | 21.4% | 5.4°C | 2,775 €/m² |
The French and the Italians
French residents (81,533) are spread thinner: 50% of them live in ten towns in Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Catalonia, Madrid and Valencian Community, and no town is more than 2.4% French (El Campello). Italians (223,708) are the largest published European nationality in the Canary Islands (Italian, 37,112) and the Balearic Islands (Italian, 16,335); the most Italian town is La Oliva (16.9%).
| Place | Region | French residents | Share of all residents | All foreign residents | Jan night | Appraised €/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Campello | Valencian Community | 715 | 2.4% | 18.6% | 7.0°C | 2,759 €/m² |
| Sitges | Catalonia | 754 | 2.4% | 24.7% | 5.4°C | 4,676 €/m² |
| Calp | Valencian Community | 464 | 1.9% | 49.2% | 5.7°C | 3,036 €/m² |
| Santa Eulària des Riu | Balearic Islands | 754 | 1.9% | 29.2% | 7.9°C | – |
| Castelldefels | Catalonia | 1,190 | 1.8% | 21.5% | 5.3°C | 4,278 €/m² |
| La Oliva | Canary Islands | 441 | 1.6% | 44.3% | 13.6°C | 3,168 €/m² |
| Adeje | Canary Islands | 742 | 1.5% | 47.3% | 13.6°C | 3,592 €/m² |
| Sant Josep de sa Talaia | Balearic Islands | 433 | 1.5% | 21.6% | 6.6°C | – |
| Place | Region | Italian residents | Share of all residents | All foreign residents | Jan night | Appraised €/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Oliva | Canary Islands | 4,715 | 16.9% | 44.3% | 13.6°C | 3,168 €/m² |
| Adeje | Canary Islands | 5,378 | 10.9% | 47.3% | 13.6°C | 3,592 €/m² |
| Arona | Canary Islands | 7,087 | 8.5% | 38.0% | 11.3°C | 2,793 €/m² |
| San Bartolomé de Tirajana | Canary Islands | 3,026 | 5.7% | 26.6% | 10.0°C | 3,167 €/m² |
| Granadilla de Abona | Canary Islands | 2,570 | 4.9% | 24.0% | 11.2°C | 2,303 €/m² |
| Santa Eulària des Riu | Balearic Islands | 1,901 | 4.7% | 29.2% | 7.9°C | – |
| Eivissa | Balearic Islands | 2,042 | 4.0% | 26.4% | 7.9°C | 5,521 €/m² |
| Puerto de la Cruz | Canary Islands | 1,177 | 3.9% | 17.3% | 15.1°C | 2,871 €/m² |
Where foreigners are (almost) the majority
These are the towns with the highest foreign share, with the two largest nationalities in each. A high share means English (or German) is spoken in shops and surgeries; it also means many homes are second homes, and prices follow foreign incomes.
| Place | Region | Foreign residents | Largest group | Second |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calp | Valencian Community | 49.2% | British 7.1% | Romanian 5.4% |
| Adeje | Canary Islands | 47.3% | Italian 10.9% | British 7.3% |
| Níjar | Andalusia | 47.2% | Moroccan 31.9% | Romanian 5.4% |
| La Oliva | Canary Islands | 44.3% | Italian 16.9% | British 6.8% |
| Xàbia/Jávea | Valencian Community | 44.0% | British 17.3% | Colombian 3.0% |
| Torrevieja | Valencian Community | 40.6% | British 5.7% | Russian 4.8% |
| Salt | Catalonia | 38.1% | Moroccan 13.1% | Romanian 1.7% |
| Arona | Canary Islands | 38.0% | Italian 8.5% | British 5.2% |
| Fuengirola | Andalusia | 37.5% | British 6.6% | Moroccan 3.2% |
| Mazarrón | Murcia | 37.1% | British 13.7% | Moroccan 12.3% |
| Lloret de Mar | Catalonia | 36.2% | Russian 5.2% | Romanian 3.1% |
| Orihuela | Valencian Community | 34.5% | British 12.9% | Moroccan 3.1% |
And where you will hardly meet one
At the other end, the ten cities of 100,000+ with the lowest foreign share. Spanish only, lower prices, and the public services are built for residents rather than visitors.
| Place | Region | Population | Foreign residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cádiz | Andalusia | 109,950 | 2.2% |
| Córdoba | Andalusia | 323,262 | 2.5% |
| Dos Hermanas | Andalusia | 142,519 | 2.6% |
| Jaén | Andalusia | 112,235 | 2.9% |
| Jerez de la Frontera | Andalusia | 213,634 | 2.9% |
| Telde | Canary Islands | 104,168 | 3.0% |
| Badajoz | Extremadura | 150,209 | 3.5% |
| Huelva | Andalusia | 143,215 | 5.0% |
| Vigo | Galicia | 294,489 | 5.4% |
| Gijón | Asturias | 269,894 | 5.4% |
Dutch, Belgian, Irish, Scandinavian?
The INE publishes only the main nationalities per town; the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and the Nordic countries are not among them and sit inside the EU total. Province-level figures exist and show the same pattern as the Germans and British: Alicante, Málaga and the islands. The foreign-residents article covers the total share and the over-65s; every place page shows the nationality breakdown under "Who lives here".
How we did this
INE, Estadística del Padrón continuo, population by municipality and main nationality, 1 January 2022 (the latest year published per municipality), one table per province (ids 33658-33976), fetched through the INE API; Sexo = Total. Shares are of all registered residents. The register counts people registered as living in the town; second-home owners who stay registered abroad are not in it, so the British and German figures understate the people actually present in winter. Check: the sum of all residents in the 333 towns is 31,138,635. Built 2026-10-18.