Madrid’s Latino population surpasses one million

The number of Latin American-born residents in the Madrid region has surpassed the symbolic milestone of one million, according to the population census published on Thursday by Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE). As of January 1, 2024, the census recorded 1,038,671 people from the 18 Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas. This remarkable figure takes on even greater significance when put into context. Immigrants from this community, who identify as Latinos, now make up one in every seven inhabitants in the Madrid region.

If this group were to form a separate city, it would surpass the populations of Cuba’s second-largest city, Santiago (707,000), Peru’s Arequipa (984,000), and Chile’s Valparaíso (1.02 million), and would be close to the populations of Managua and San Salvador, the capitals of Nicaragua and El Salvador, respectively, which are both home to around 1.1 million people. The size of this hypothetical city would be comparable to that of Málaga, which, with 1.03 million inhabitants, is the fifth largest urban area in Spain, and would be larger than Bilbao or Zaragoza.

Census data reveals how the distribution of the Latino community varies by country of origin: Venezuelans are spread throughout the Madrid region, while Ecuadorians, Peruvians, and Colombians are more prominent in neighborhoods outside the M-30 ring road. Dominicans have established their own enclave in the Tetuán district, often referred to as “Little Santo Domingo,” and Argentines are concentrated in the central areas.

When comparing the figure of one million with historical data, another striking revelation emerges that warrants further reflection: just a quarter of a century ago, in 1999, only 81,552 people were born in those 18 Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas. At that time, Madrid was a European capital w

ith little diversity and minimal connection to the world it had once dominated for centuries. Only 25 years have passed since then, and demographic experts predict that this trend will continue to grow. Immigration to the major metropolises of the wealthy world is reaching record levels, with cultural affinity being one of the key factors driving these movements. Thanks to these new Madrileños, the capital has rediscovered its Latin American identity.

The year 1999 marked a turning point. That year, the arrival of Ecuadorians fleeing the serious economic crisis in their country accelerated. The collapse of the national currency, the sucre, left the population in ruin. Until then, political exiles from Argentina, Cuba, Chile, and Uruguay had been the main Latin American presence in Madrid. Many of them came from affluent families who had fled dictatorships. Ecuadorian immigrants, however, were escaping another evil: poverty. In the wake of Ecuador’s economic crisis, flights from Quito began arriving at Barajas airport, filled with working-class families who, in a short time, transformed the face of the capital. They came to Spain because the economy was in desperate need of workers: men to build houses and women to care for the elderly.

Mónica Guamán was one of the first to arrive when the clouds were already gathering on the horizon of her home country. She boarded a plane in Quito on August 16, 1998, the first flight of her life. At Barajas, she was met by a friend who had left two years earlier. She was 21 years old, and the Ecuadorian crisis had derailed her plans. She had to abandon her university studies in accounting halfway through because rising taxes made it impossible for her to continue paying. She clearly remembers her first days in Madrid: the fascination she felt when cars stopped at red lights, and the modernity of the Metro. She slept in a 40-square-meter apartment with 15 fellow Ecuadorians. A week later, she found a job as a caregiver for the elderly. The new life was difficult but filled with hope. “I had to decide,” she recalls today, reflecting on that adventure. “Either I remained stagnant, or I began to fly. And I decided to fly.”

Ecuadorians were soon joined by tens of thousands of Colombians, Peruvians, Bolivians, and Dominicans, who were fleeing crises in their own countries or seeking a better future, encouraged by Spain’s economic boom. By 2009, shortly after the construction bubble burst, almost 600,000 Latin American immigrants were living in Madrid.

That figure remained stable until 2017, when a second wave began, which continues today. The main countries of origin are now Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru, and their socioeconomic profiles are more diverse. Peope with large fortunes are also arriving (17% of residents in the Salamanca district are Latino, according to the municipal register) as well as students (14,776 Latin Americans enrolled in Madrid universities during the 2022-23 academic year, a 40% increase compared to eight years earlier).

Latinos are also transforming other regions of Spain, although none has as many Latin American-born immigrants as Madrid, where they make up 62% of the immigrant population. The next most-popular destinations are Catalonia and Valencia, with 883,548 Latin Americans (43% of immigrants) and 446,453 (37%), respectively.

As of early 2024, a total of 1,668,418 immigrants were residing in Madrid. The four most common countries of origin among immigrants are Spanish-speaking Latin American countries: Venezuela (184,387), Colombia (180,983), Peru (150,590), and Ecuador (136,309). The only non-Spanish-speaking countries in the top 10 are Romania (115,911), Morocco (98,360), and China (53,204), while Brazil ranks 15th (29,865).

This new wave is part of an unprecedented migration flow to wealthy countries. In 2023, many OECD nations saw record numbers of permanent migrants, totaling 6.5 million, along with a record 2.7 million asylum seekers. According to Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the OECD, one key factor is the strong demand for labor, coinciding with these countries’ aging population. “The growing number of labor migrants has contributed to sustained economic growth,” he said.

The children of these Latin American immigrants born in Spain do not appear in the INE statistics as a separate group, but they tend to self-identify as Latinos, meaning the cultural impact of this new community is likely even greater than the census figures suggest.

Miami's rival?

The influx of wealthy Latinos has spurred comparisons between Madrid and Miami, an idea amplified by both Spanish and American media, including Bloomberg and The New York Times. The argument is that the Spanish capital has become a serious rival to the Florida city for Latin American investment. Wealthy Latinos are buying luxury apartments in the Salamanca district and acquiring stakes in major IBEX companies. This investment surge has sparked enthusiasm among local politicians. Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, told the BBC in March that “the time will come when people in Miami will wonder why Madrid is looking at us in the rearview mirror.”

Madrid’s growing Hispanic-American connection is viewed as a strategic asset in the global city competition. In his book Madrid DF, published in September, urban planner Fernando Caballero envisions a metropolis with 10 million inhabitants by 2050. He argues that Madrid should leverage its differences with Miami to capture the unique position the southern Florida city holds in the Latino imagination.

“The two cities have very different mentalities,” Caballero explains. “Those who want to live in a dollar-based economy have their place in Miami. But they will encounter a less dynamic society and more barriers to entry. Madrid is much more accessible for newcomers, and its immigration laws are more friendly. In fact, a political strategy in Madrid is to lower these barriers,” Caballero adds, referring to Madrid’s regional premier, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who announced last year that in the future, university fees for Latinos would be reduced to the same level as those paid by Spaniards.

The authorities are working to make Madrid’s Latino identity more visible, a characteristic that isn’t entirely new. Most people are unaware that one of the oldest trees in the capital, an ahuehuete from Mexico, stands in Retiro Park, or that for centuries, Latinos came to court and left their mark. Regional premier Ayuso has stated that Madrid is “the common home of Spaniards from both hemispheres” and has promoted the celebration of Hispanic heritage every October, with festivities that grow each year. Ayuso has also expressed her aspiration to “challenge the U.S. for the center of Spanish music production.”

However, this comparison between Madrid and Miami does not convince sociologist Alejandro Portes. A Cuban-American professor at the University of Miami, Portes is known for his studies on migration. Two years ago, he published Emerging Global Cities, where he draws parallels between Miami and two other global metropolises: Dubai and Singapore. All three cities have become hubs for trade, finance, arts, and culture in their respective regions.

Portes believes geography prevents Madrid from joining this league. Unlike Miami, Dubai, or Singapore, Madrid does not have a seaport that could serve as a hub for goods. In a video conference with EL PAÍS, Portes argues that Madrid is too far from the region it aims to influence. “The influx of immigrants is understandable due to cultural affinity, but saying that Madrid and Miami are going to be similar is an exaggeration,” he says. “First, Madrid has no sea. Second, it’s in Europe, not Latin America. Third, Madrid is the political capital of Spain and thus has different characteristics.” He continues: “Latin American banks prefer to establish their regional headquarters in Miami over Madrid. Madrid is too far away and is highly regulated.”

Portes suggests a different approach: “I think Madrid has more to gain by investing in technology. It’s not Venezuelan capital or Dominican workers that will catapult Madrid to prominence.”

Regardless of Madrid’s future role on the global stage, the face and soul of the region have already been transformed. The Latin American influence will continue to shape the language, customs, music, gastronomy, and business culture of Madrid.

A shared dream

The lives of many immigrants who made the journey have also been transformed. When Ecuadorian Mónica Guamán arrived in 1998, she thought she would make money and return home soon. However, she soon realized that life is unpredictable. The friend who picked her up at Barajas, Luis Lincango, later became her partner. In 2001, they had their first child. In 2003, they moved out of their sharehome and rented their own apartment. By 2005, they bought a place in Getafe. In 2018, Lincango opened his own business — a car workshop. Guamán works in a large company that cares for the elderly. Their eldest son, Diego, now 23, is a mechanic, and their youngest, César, 17, is a high school student.

They have prospered, but at a high price. Guamán has always missed her homeland. She would like to return, but her children, especially the eldest, feel that they belong in Madrid and do not want to move to a foreign country. Was it worth emigrating? “I tell those who arrive,” she responds, “If you’ve dared to cross the ocean, go ahead, but know that this is hard.”

Those who walk through the doors of the international arrivals hall at Barajas today with the intention of staying share the same dreams as the million people who preceded them. Venezuelans Dariela Sosa, Federico Ortega, and their two children, Emiliana and Cristóbal, aged nine and five, landed on June 25 of this year.

The couple, married and both professionals — he an economist and she a journalist — had previously lived in Venezuela, the United States, and Argentina. Federico works remotely for an American company, while Dariela founded and directs Arepita, a newsletter about Venezuela that has earned a prestigious Online Journalism Award in the United States.

For five years, they had been researching potential cities to emigrate to, using an Excel sheet to compare them. They filled out columns with categories that mattered most to them: security, democracy, language, culture, art, climate, job opportunities, and global connectivity. As they crossed the threshold at Barajas airport, Sosa thought, “I’ve come to the right place.”

Their rented apartment, located in a residential area with a swimming pool in the north of Madrid, betrays their newcomer status. The walls are still bare, with only a picture frame waiting for a photo. In one corner, they’ve placed the largest Christmas tree they’ve ever had — nearly two meters high — as a way to send a message to their children: “We are staying here,” says Sosa. “I’ve placed my bet on Madrid.”

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