Thousands of Romanians have left Spain in just three months, one of the countries that attracted the largest Romanian communities after 2000. Romanians are now among the nationalities with the most departures, at a time when housing costs are putting increasing pressure on low-income households.
The data is presented by the Spanish publication El Economista, which writes about the changes in migration patterns and the economic difficulties faced by some families in Spain.
Official statistics from the National Institute of Statistics in Spain (INE) show that 5,100 Romanian citizens left the country in the first quarter of 2026. Romanians were thus the fourth most numerous nationality among those who emigrated, on par with Venezuelans.
More departures were recorded for Moroccans, with 11,700 departures, and Colombians, with 11,200.
However, Romanians do not appear among the top ten nationalities by the number of arrivals in the same period.
### A Country that Continues to Attract Migrants
The situation of Romanians contrasts with the significant population flows that continue to come from other parts of the world.
In the first three months of 2026, 38,600 Colombians, 25,700 Moroccans, and 21,200 Venezuelans arrived in Spain.
The case of Ukrainians must also be carefully considered. El Economista includes them among the communities experiencing departures. INE data shows that 2,600 Ukrainians left Spain in the first quarter. However, during the same period, 7,000 arrived. Therefore, the number of arrivals was 4,400 higher than that of departures.
Spain remains one of the main entry points for migrants into the European Union. In 2024, it received nearly 1.29 million people, the highest number among EU states, according to Eurostat.
### Romanians Remain One of the Largest Communities
The recent departures do not change the fact that there is still a very large Romanian community in Spain.
As of January 1, 2025, there were 6.9 million foreign citizens living in the country. Romanians accounted for 8.8% of them and were the third largest community of foreign citizens, after Moroccans and Colombians, according to data published by INE.
The phenomenon of departures did not appear in 2026. In the statistics for the entire year 2024, Romanians represented 7.6% of the people who emigrated from Spain.
However, the data must be interpreted with caution. Statistics based on citizenship do not capture the entire Romanian-origin community, as some long-established Romanians have acquired Spanish citizenship.
### From „Strawberry Pickers” to One of the Largest Romanian Communities in Europe
Spain has a special place in the history of Romanian migration. After visa restrictions were lifted in 2002, thousands of Romanians started to work there, and agriculture was one of the main entry points.
Many arrived in the southern part of the country, including in the province of Huelva, for strawberry picking. This is where the term „strawberry pickers” originated, used in Romania for those who went to work in Spain and later extended, often pejoratively, to Romanians working abroad.
However, the community has radically changed in the years that followed. Romanians have entered construction and services, opened businesses, or moved into highly skilled professions. Many have settled permanently and brought their families.
That’s why the data showing thousands of departures now also carry a symbolic weight: Romanians are beginning to leave one of the countries that defined the first major wave of emigration after 2000.
### Why Did Romanians Leave Romania
Romanian migration to Western Europe increased significantly after 1990 and accelerated in the 2000s. Spain and Italy became two of the main destinations, and Romania’s accession to the European Union made mobility even easier.
The main reason was work.
A comprehensive OECD study on the Romanian diaspora shows that nearly two-thirds of Romanians who moved to other European countries cited professional reasons. In the case of those who arrived in Spain, the proportion was 63%. Family represented the second major reason for emigration.
However, the map of Romanian migration has changed over time.
Recent OECD data shows that 244,000 Romanian citizens emigrated to OECD countries in 2023. Germany attracted 36% of them, Spain 19%, and Italy 11%. In other words, Spain remains an important destination, but Germany has become the primary magnet for new departures.
### The Most Mobile Population in the EU
The scale of the phenomenon is evident from Eurostat data.
At the beginning of 2024, approximately 3 million Romanian citizens lived in another EU member state. They represented 22% of the total EU citizens settled in another member state and formed by far the largest such group.
And Romania continues to bear the marks of this exodus. Between 2005 and 2025, the country’s population decreased by about two million people, or 11%, one of the largest reductions in the European Union.
However, there is also movement in the opposite direction. Of the people who came to Romania in 2024, 64% held Romanian citizenship, according to Eurostat. The data suggest a significant return flow, without indicating from which countries these Romanians are returning.
Therefore, the 5,100 departures recently recorded in Spain do not automatically mean 5,100 returns to Romania. Some may return, while others may move to another European state.
What is certain is that the map of the Romanian diaspora continues to change, and one of the destinations that defined the major emigration wave of the 2000s no longer attracts Romanians in the same way as before.