Spain Welcomed 18,700 Moroccan Arrivals in Three Months as 8,900 Left
Migration flows involving Moroccans in Spain declined in the third quarter of 2026. Between July and September, 18,700 Moroccan nationals arrived in the country, while 8,900 left. In both cases, the figures were down from the spring.
Spain welcomed 2,400 fewer Moroccans than in the previous quarter. Arrivals fell from 21,100 between April and June to 18,700 in the following three months, a decline of around 11.4%. These figures are included in the new statistics published on November 12 by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).
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Moroccans now rank fourth among the nationalities most represented among arrivals in Spain. They ranked third in the previous quarter. Between July and September, Colombians topped the list with 33,200 arrivals, ahead of Spaniards returning from abroad (23,600) and Venezuelans (19,000).
Departures followed a similar trend, with an even sharper decline. The INE recorded 8,900 departures of Moroccan nationals in the third quarter, compared with 10,900 between April and June. That was 2,000 fewer departures, a decrease of 18.3%.
Despite this decline, Moroccans remain the second-largest nationality group among people who left Spain during this period. Only Colombians left in greater numbers, with 9,100 departures. Spaniards came next, with 7,500 departures.
More arrivals than departures
The difference between the two flows continues to favor arrivals. For Moroccan nationals, net migration stood at around 9,800 people in the third quarter, compared with 10,200 in the previous quarter. Flows slowed in both directions, but Spain continues to welcome significantly more Moroccans than it sees leave.
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These statistics concern people’s nationality and their changes of residence involving another country. Departures may therefore be to Morocco or another country. The INE notes that quarterly results are preliminary estimates, with final migration figures established in its annual report.
