Foreigners accounted for a record 15.98% of all homes purchased in Spain in the second quarter of 2026, buying more than 26,800 properties even as the country’s overall housing market contracted, according to data from Spain’s College of Registrars reported by idealista/news. Total Spanish home sales fell for a second consecutive quarter to 167,934 transactions, down 5.7% from the previous quarter and 2.3% year-on-year — the lowest total in seven quarters. New-home sales dropped the sharpest, down 11.5% to 34,919 transactions, while existing-home sales fell 4% to 133,015.
The foreign-buyer share rose in every one of Spain’s autonomous communities. It was highest in the Balearic Islands (32.27%) and the Valencian Community (31.03%) — the only two regions where foreigners made more than three in every ten purchases. By nationality, British buyers led foreign purchases at 6.99%, followed by the Netherlands at 6.94% and Germany at 6.11%; buyers from European Union countries made up 57.39% of all foreign transactions, with the rest of Europe accounting for a further 16.75%.
Separately, Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) reported that the country had 10,154,722 foreign-born residents as of 1 April 2026. The number of foreign nationals stood lower, at 7,346,414 — a figure INE said reflects the pace at which foreign residents are acquiring Spanish nationality — and rose by 94,182 during the first quarter of 2026. Spain’s overall population reached 49,687,120 on the same date, up 97,021 for the quarter.
References
idealista/news – Foreign buyers claiming a record share of Spain’s shrinking housing market
