More than 42,000 Moroccans became Spanish citizens in 2025, enough people to fill a small town and more than any other foreign nationality in Spain.
Official figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) show that 42,114 Moroccans obtained Spanish citizenship last year. Colombians were next with 37,712 new citizens, followed by Venezuelans with 36,271.
In total, Spain granted citizenship to nearly 300,000 foreigners in 2025. That is about 47,000 more people than the year before and the highest number recorded in more than a decade.
Most people who became Spanish citizens had already spent years living legally in the country. More than 253,000 citizenships were granted through the residency route.
Women accounted for just over half of the new citizens, while people aged between 30 and 39 made up the largest group.
The regions of Catalonia and Madrid were home to almost half of all successful applicants. Together, they recorded more than 140,000 new citizens.
Moroccans remain the largest foreign community in Spain, with more than 1.1 million Moroccan-born residents living in the country. Their long-standing presence helps explain why they continue to lead the citizenship figures year after year.
Under Spanish law, most Moroccans must live legally in Spain for 10 years before they can apply for citizenship. The process has become faster in recent years after Spain moved more applications online, helping clear long-standing backlogs.
