Why Tens of Thousands of Colombians Are Choosing Spain Over Home

(Analysis) Official figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute show that Colombians were the largest group of new immigrants to Spain in the second quarter of 2025.

In just three months, 36,100 Colombians arrived, surpassing Moroccans, Venezuelans and Peruvians. This continues a trend that began last year, with sustained high emigration numbers.

Data from Colombia’s Migration Office confirms over 145,000 Colombians left between January and May 2025 alone. On paper, Colombia’s economy is improving.

The International Monetary Fund forecasts growth of 2.5% in 2025, after a 1.7% rise in 2024. Inflation has eased compared to recent years. Yet these numbers hide deep problems.

Most Colombians still earn very low wages, and the cost of living erodes any gains. Many jobs are informal, without contracts or benefits. The profits from growth concentrate in sectors tied to government spending rather than private enterprise, limiting opportunities for sustainable development.

Public finances are strained. The fiscal deficit reached 6.7% of GDP in 2024, exceeding government targets, while public debt rose to 61.3% of GDP.

These figures signal dependence on foreign capital and remittances. Investors, both domestic and foreign, see rising risks, with unpredictable policy changes adding to uncertainty.

Security is also a major driver of emigration. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency and Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Colombia has over five million internally displaced people, one of the highest figures in the world.

Armed groups operate in rural and border regions, where eight ongoing conflicts displace tens of thousands each year. In 2024 alone, 180,000 Colombians were forced from their homes due to violence—three times the figure from two years earlier.

Surveys show that 74% of Colombian migrants leave for economic reasons, and over 60% flee violence or insecurity. Spain attracts many because of its shared language, cultural ties, quicker legal paths to residency, and its relatively open labor market compared to other European countries.

The story behind these statistics is about more than migration. It shows a country where official progress indicators coexist with widespread hardship and insecurity.

State-driven economic policies have not closed the gap between growth on paper and reality on the ground. Rising fiscal pressure, weak private sector momentum, and an unstable security situation push both workers and professionals to look abroad.

For outside observers, Colombia’s situation is a reminder that GDP growth alone does not guarantee stability or opportunity. When a large and growing share of a nation’s citizens choose to leave, the message is clear.

People are making a rational calculation that opportunities and safety are more certain elsewhere. The scale and pace of this exodus speak volumes about the challenges Colombia must address if it hopes to reverse it.

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