Expansion and Economic Crisis of Spain at the Beginning of the XXI Century: Its Reflection on Latin American Migration

Abstract

This article analyses the evolution of migrations in Spain during 1998-2015, highlighting the population with Spanish nationality in Latin-American countries. Mainly from the National Statistics Institute of Spain, primary data sources are used, explaining their methodological limitations and the underestimation of demographic data in migration matters. Firstly, it examines foreign immigration received in Spain during the economic expansion, and secondly, it analyses return migration to the American continent, as well as Spanish emigration. This analysis attempts to contribute to the current discussion about the migratory destinies of the Spanish population, comparing stock population data with trends in population flows. It is argued that one important aspect of the out-migrations from Spain includes the return of foreign population that gained the Spanish naturalization, to their countries of origin in Latin America, Central America or the Caribbean.