In a notable development, Moroccan nationals have once again topped the list of foreign residents awarded Spanish citizenship in 2025, with an impressive total of 42,114 Moroccans naturalized, according to the latest figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), as reported by Spanish media outlet El Confidencial. This figure represents a slight decline from the previous year, 2024, when over 42,900 Moroccans successfully obtained their Spanish nationality. The statistics highlight the enduring presence and integration of Moroccan communities within Spain.
Following Moroccans, Colombians ranked second in the naturalization statistics, with 37,712 individuals granted citizenship, while Venezuelans secured the third position with a total of 36,271 naturalizations. On a regional scale, Catalonia emerged as the leading area for citizenship grants, recording a total of 70,933 cases. The Community of Madrid closely followed, documenting 69,566 naturalizations, indicating a distinct trend in migration and settlement patterns within Spain.
The report further emphasizes that the majority of the nationalities represented in the naturalization figures hail from Latin America, with nine out of the ten most frequently granted citizenships originating from this region. Notable mentions include Honduras with 20,745 cases, Peru with 15,920, Cuba with 14,390, Ecuador with 13,689, Argentina with 11,291, the Dominican Republic with 9,915, and Nicaragua with 8,951. Overall, a remarkable total of 299,732 foreigners acquired Spanish nationality in 2025, marking an 18.7% increase from 2024 and representing the highest number of naturalizations recorded in the past decade.
The report indicates that a significant majority of the citizenships were granted through the residency route, with 253,836 cases documented under this category. Additionally, 45,715 individuals obtained citizenship by option, a process mostly involving those who were or had been under the parental authority of a Spanish citizen or were born to Spanish parents in Spain. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that this option route was predominantly utilized by younger individuals under the age of 20, who accounted for an impressive 88.9% of all cases.
As reported by en.hespress.com.
