MOROCCO
706,520
ALGERIA
56,569
SENEGAL
49,930
NIGERIA
30,484
GHANA
12,157
MAURITANIA
8,612
MALI
17,742
CÔTE
D’IVOIRE
EQUATORIAL
GUINEA
19,522
GUINEA
9,7 8 0
THE
GAMBIA
17,178
E
U
R
O
P
E
AFRICA
Lepe
Madrid
SPAIN
AFRICAN COUNTRIES
WITH THE LARGEST
MIGRANT POPULATIONS
LIVING IN SPAIN (2017)
African migrants living in
Spain in 2017 originated
from almost every
country on the continent.
Ninety-five percent were
from 10 African nations,
including Morocco—
which accounted for
roughly three-quarters
of the total.
*INCLUDES REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS
RYAN MORRIS AND KAYA BERNE, NGM STAFF
SOURCES: UNITED NATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS,
POPULATION DIVISION; UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
THE LURE OF SPAIN
Waves of African migrants have come to Spain in recent
decades, most of them enticed by Spanish demand for foreign
labor, some by the need to escape instability or conflict.
Nearly a million Africans now call Spain home.
Spain has a bilateral
migration agreement
with Morocco for
Spanish employers
to recruit Moroccan
agricultural workers.
6
5 4
3
2
1
AFRICA
1991 2017
1996 2017
1991 2017
1993 2017
2010 2017
1994 2017
250
250
500
750
250
250
500
750
250
500
750
1,000
1,250
1,500
1,750
250
500
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
War overwhelmed the resource-rich
Democratic Republic of the Congo
beginning in 1996. - Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Civil war began in 2002; in 2010 a
contested presidential election further
divided the country between north
and south. - Equatorial Guinea
Decades of authoritarian rule drove
political dissidents and others to Spain,
the country’s former colonial power. - Somalia
Thousands have fled Somalia due
to ongoing armed conflict since
1991, as well as periods of severe
drought and famine. - Mali
Rebellion in the north
and a coup in 2012 led to
refugee departures and
the internal displace-
ment of hundreds of
thousands. - Algeria
A 1992 military coup and 10-year civil
war between the Algerian govern-
ment and Islamist groups sent
thousands fleeing to Spain.
LEADING COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR
AFRICAN REFUGEES AND ASYLUM
SEEKERS IN SPAIN (1991–2017)
1990 ’95 2000 ’05 ’10 2017
979,000
170,000
Morocco
706,520
SPAIN’S MIGRANT
POPULATION FROM
ALL AFRICAN
COUNTRIES*
SEEKING
REFUGE