Bar chart showing the growth of Spanish citizenship grants from 2009-2011 to 2022-2024, highlighting a significant increase in Latin American migration to Spain | Sources: Observatorio Permanente de la Inmigración, Latinometrics
Largest migration swings to Spain

Try Spain, which is getting an impressive 12 shows spread out across Barcelona and Madrid next May and June. Ignoring the multi-month 31-show Puerto Rican residency Bad Bunny just wrapped up last weekend, Spain is by far the destination receiving the most love from the world’s biggest Hispanic superstar.

And it’s little surprise, really, especially given that Spain has become one of the largest destinations for emigrating Latin Americans. Besides the local Spaniards and visiting tourists, Bad Bunny knows he’ll have no trouble filling up stadiums for twelve nights with just the Latinos in the country.

So where exactly are these stadium-filling crowds coming from, and why does Honduras outpace Argentina?

Bubble map comparing Latin American migration to Spain, showing Venezuela and Colombia send the most emigrants | Sources: Observatorio Permanente de la Inmigración, Latinometrics
Latin America's migration to Spain

Spain, along with other southern European countries like Italy and Portugal, has done a lot in recent years to help attract Latin Americans. Through a number of migration schemes involving family ancestry, historical roots, and even Sephardi Judaism, the country has become an attractive citizenship option for thousands across Central and South America.

On Spain’s end, the motivation is crystal clear. The Iberian country’s fertility rate is just 1.12 births per woman, or well below the replacement rate, meaning that without immigration it faces the same demographic collapse as other developed countries like Italy or South Korea.

Latinos, including mostly Hispanics but also a few thousand Brazilians who have chosen Barça over Lisbon, also provide an immigrant population that tends to be younger, have the same religion and language, and faces less culture clash than counterparts from North Africa or South Asia.

Meanwhile, on the flip side Latin Americans who successfully obtain Spanish citizenship get access to a safe and economically dynamic country with both gorgeous cities and a solid pension system. They also secure a European Union passport, one of the most powerful in the world, since let’s face it: some Latin American passports don’t get you very far.

Unsurprisingly given the last decade, Venezuelans are by far the people who have been most granted Spanish papers in the last half-decade. Fleeing the chaos of their home country, thousands of Venezuelans have landed in Madrid, Barcelona, and other major metropolitan areas, bringing their skills and sometimes even careers with them.

And whether it be these Venezuelans or their Andean, Mexican, and Argentine counterparts, the story is made infinitely more interesting given Spain’s colonial history with Latin America.