Research · Spain · Official data
British buyers are still the largest foreign group in Spain's land registry figures, but only just: 1,843 purchases in the second quarter of 2026, against 1,830 by Dutch buyers. Their share of foreign purchases has fallen from 21.34% in 2015 to 6.99% in that quarter, when foreign buyers as a whole reached a record 15.98% of all registered purchases. The official series follow, each with its source and period.
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See what fits →The Colegio de Registradores records the nationality of every buyer whose purchase enters the Land Registry. British buyers have topped that list every year since 2015, though their share has fallen in most years; the registrars' 2017 yearbook notes it once exceeded 35%, in 2008.
| Period | British share of foreign purchases | British share of all purchases | British purchases registered | Rank among foreign buyers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 21.34% | 2.81% | not published | 1st |
| 2016 | 19.00% | 2.52% | more than 10,100 | 1st |
| 2017 | 15.01% | 1.97% | just over 9,100 | 1st |
| 2018 | 15.54% | 1.96% | about 10,200 | 1st |
| 2019 | 13.94% | 1.74% | about 8,800 | 1st |
| 2020 | 13.05% | 1.48% | not published | 1st |
| 2021 | 11.01% | 1.19% | 6,562 | 1st |
| 2022 | 11.07% | 1.52% | 9,693 | 1st |
| 2023 | 9.53% | 1.43% | 8,173 | 1st |
| 2024 | 8.64% | 1.26% | 7,946 | 1st |
| 2025 | 7.97% | 1.10% | 7,665 | 1st |
| Q1 2026 | 6.82% | not published | 1,668 | 1st |
| Q2 2026 | 6.99% | not published | 1,843 | 1st |
Source: Colegio de Registradores, Estadística Registral Inmobiliaria, Anuarios 2015 to 2025 and quarterly reports for Q1 and Q2 2026. The 2026 rows cover one quarter each. Counts for 2016 to 2019 are the registrars' own approximations; none was published for 2015 or 2020.
The British decline is not part of a wider retreat. Foreigners' share of registered purchases dipped to 10.80% in 2021, then set records of 14.98% for a year (2023) and 15.98% for a quarter (April to June 2026).
| Period | Registrars: share of registered purchases | Notaries: share of free-market sales, first half | Notaries: share, second half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 12.45% | 18.6% | 18.5% |
| 2020 | 11.32% | 17.3% | 15.9% |
| 2021 | 10.80% | 15.4% | 18.6% |
| 2022 | 13.75% | 20.2% | 21.1% |
| 2023 | 14.98% | 21.3% | 20.9% |
| 2024 | 14.60% | 20.3% | 19.5% |
| 2025 | 13.82% | 19.2% | 18.4% |
| Q1 2026 | 13.92% | not yet published | not yet published |
| Q2 2026 | 15.98% | not yet published | not yet published |
Sources: Registradores Anuario 2025 and 2026 quarterly reports; Notariado, CIEN annex tables to the H2 2025 report (9 April 2026). The registrars revised 2019 from 12.61% to 12.45%; we use the revised figure.
British buying is concentrated in the south and south-east. In 2025 British buyers led foreign buying in Andalucía and the Región de Murcia, came second in the Comunitat Valenciana and the Balearics, and third in the Canaries.
| Region | Foreign buyers' share of all purchases, 2025 | British share of foreign purchases, 2025 | British position, 2025 | British share and position, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andalucía | 13.34% | 13.34% | 1st (next: Dutch 8.62%) | 14.28%, 1st |
| Región de Murcia | 21.42% | 20.97% | 1st (next: Moroccan 13.73%) | 22.88%, 1st |
| Comunitat Valenciana | 27.65% | 8.48% | 2nd (first: Dutch 10.22%) | 9.02%, 1st |
| Illes Balears | 29.86% | 9.36% | 2nd (first: German 39.05%) | 9.64%, 2nd |
| Canarias | 25.65% | 8.35% | 3rd (first: Italian 16.34%) | 9.31%, 3rd |
Source: Registradores Anuarios 2025 (pp. 73, 81 to 82) and 2024 (pp. 81 to 82). The 2025 commentary says British buyers lead in the Comunitat Valenciana, but the report's own table puts Dutch buyers first; we report the table. Andalucía's two 2025 figures are both 13.34% in the source.
At provincial level they led in five provinces in 2025: Almería, Cádiz, Granada, Málaga and Murcia. Compared with 2024 they moved ahead of Moroccan buyers in Almería, but lost first place in Alicante to Dutch buyers and in Córdoba to Moroccan buyers.
| Province | Foreign buyers' share of all purchases, 2025 | British share of foreign purchases, 2025 | British position, 2025 | British share and position, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almería | 17.47% | 22% | 1st (next: Moroccan 20%) | 22%, 2nd (first: Moroccan 26%) |
| Cádiz | 5.10% | 15% | 1st (next: Moroccan 12%) | 17%, 1st |
| Granada | 7.56% | 12% | 1st (next: Moroccan 11%) | 15%, 1st |
| Málaga | 32.80% | 12% | 1st (next: Dutch 11%) | 15%, 1st |
| Alicante | 43.29% | 10% | 2nd (first: Dutch 12%) | 12%, 1st |
| Las Palmas | 21.72% | 11% | 3rd (first: Italian 17%) | 13%, 3rd (first: Italian 24%) |
| Córdoba | 2.37% | 6% | 3rd (first: Moroccan 9%) | 17%, 1st |
Source: Registradores Anuarios 2025 (pp. 76, 84) and 2024 (p. 84); provincial shares are published as whole numbers. For Murcia, a one-province region shown in the regional table, the 2024 provincial table gives 25% against 22.88% in the regional table; we use the regional figure.
For prices and winter weather by region, see property in Spain for British buyers, and for the Almería coast our area guides on Almería and Mojácar.
The notaries publish the average price per square metre paid by each nationality. In the second half of 2025 British buyers paid €2,627, above the foreign average of €2,479 but below Swedish, German, American, Irish, Belgian, Italian and French buyers, among others.
Residence matters as much as nationality: non-resident foreigners averaged €3,242 per m², resident foreigners €1,963 and Spanish buyers €1,839. British non-residents paid €2,952 and British residents €2,215.
| Buyer group | Price per m², H2 2025 | Change on H2 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish | €3,654 | +10.9% |
| German | €3,559 | +10.4% |
| American (US) | €3,501 | +3.3% |
| All non-resident foreign buyers | €3,242 | +5.8% |
| Norwegian | €3,085 | +10.2% |
| Swiss | €3,080 | +8.0% |
| Polish | €3,053 | +10.7% |
| British non-residents | €2,952 | +8.6% |
| Irish | €2,805 | +18.6% |
| Belgian | €2,737 | +8.3% |
| Italian | €2,720 | +13.6% |
| French | €2,673 | +9.3% |
| British (all) | €2,627 | +8.7% |
| Dutch | €2,596 | -0.4% |
| All foreign buyers | €2,479 | +5.0% |
| British residents | €2,215 | +14.6% |
| All buyers | €1,964 | +6.3% |
| All resident foreign buyers | €1,963 | +9.4% |
| Spanish buyers | €1,839 | +7.4% |
| Romanian | €1,350 | +12.1% |
| Moroccan | €768 | +1.9% |
Source: Consejo General del Notariado (CIEN), H2 2025 foreign-buyer report and annex tables, 9 April 2026. Free-market homes only, and the latest data are provisional. Averages reflect where and what each group buys, not just what it pays.
On 1 January 2025 Spain had 266,462 residents of British nationality, according to INE: the sixth-largest foreign group and 3.9% of all foreign residents. The total has fallen each year since 2022, by 8.5% overall, while the share aged 65 or over rose from 37.9% to 40.6%.
| 1 January | British nationals | Aged 65 or over | Share aged 65 or over |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 291,365 | 110,298 | 37.9% |
| 2023 | 284,037 | 110,293 | 38.8% |
| 2024 | 272,402 | 108,157 | 39.7% |
| 2025 | 266,462 | 108,235 | 40.6% |
Alicante and Málaga hold 44% of the total. In Almería, Alicante and Murcia provinces more than half of British residents are 65 or over; in Barcelona and Madrid, about one in ten.
| Province | 1 Jan 2022 | 1 Jan 2025 | Change | Share aged 65 or over, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alicante | 76,944 | 68,904 | -10.4% | 55.1% |
| Málaga | 54,843 | 49,298 | -10.1% | 43.0% |
| Illes Balears | 19,797 | 18,448 | -6.8% | 25.0% |
| Murcia | 17,849 | 16,522 | -7.4% | 54.9% |
| Barcelona | 16,410 | 15,818 | -3.6% | 9.6% |
| Almería | 17,074 | 15,397 | -9.8% | 56.9% |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 15,456 | 13,118 | -15.1% | 40.8% |
| Las Palmas | 14,325 | 12,622 | -11.9% | 36.3% |
| Madrid | 11,476 | 10,938 | -4.7% | 10.9% |
| Valencia | 9,543 | 9,350 | -2.0% | 31.2% |
| Cádiz | 7,106 | 7,150 | +0.6% | 26.6% |
| Granada | 6,841 | 6,151 | -10.1% | 40.6% |
| Spain | 291,365 | 266,462 | -8.5% | 40.6% |
Source: INE, Censo anual de población (table 68521), whose national totals match INE's continuous population statistic (table 56936). The 65-plus counts, changes and shares are our calculations from INE's age groups. Dual British-Spanish nationals count as Spanish, and figures by nationality for 2026 were not yet published.
Only the notaries record whether a buyer lives in Spain. In 2025 non-residents made 56.3% of British purchases before a notary, against 38.2% for all foreign buyers.
In the second half of 2025 British non-residents were third among non-resident buyers, with 11.5%, behind Dutch (12.6%) and German (11.9%) buyers, and fourth among foreign residents, with 5.6%. British non-resident purchases fell 22.4% year on year; British resident purchases fell 1.9%.
| Year | British residents of Spain | British non-residents | All British buyers | Non-resident share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4,584 | 8,466 | 13,050 | 64.9% |
| 2020 | 3,730 | 5,793 | 9,523 | 60.8% |
| 2021 | 5,110 | 6,768 | 11,878 | 57.0% |
| 2022 | 5,739 | 9,191 | 14,930 | 61.6% |
| 2023 | 5,064 | 7,407 | 12,471 | 59.4% |
| 2024 | 4,771 | 7,164 | 11,935 | 60.0% |
| 2025 | 4,773 | 6,152 | 10,925 | 56.3% |
| All foreign buyers, 2025 | 85,473 | 52,781 | 138,254 | 38.2% |
Source: Notariado, CIEN annex tables (9 April 2026). Annual figures sum the two published half-years, and the shares are our calculation. The registrars cannot split by residence, which they say is not recorded in the deed data they use.
Non-residents are limited to 90 days in any 180 without a visa: see the 90-day rule and the Entry/Exit System and our Spain visa guide.
The lead is down to a handful of sales. British buyers registered 13 more purchases than Dutch buyers in the second quarter of 2026, and 64 more in the first. In the notaries' figures for late 2025 they were 24 ahead of Moroccan buyers.
The share has fallen by almost two-thirds since 2015, from 21.34% to 7.97% of foreign purchases, while Dutch purchases rose 23.3% in 2025 alone. Share is falling faster than numbers: since 2018 the British share has roughly halved, while registered British purchases fell by a quarter, from about 10,200 to 7,665.
Five southern provinces. British buyers came first only in Almería (22% of foreign purchases), Murcia (21%), Cádiz (15%), Granada (12%) and Málaga (12%). Everywhere else another nationality led.
Mid-market prices. At €2,627 per m², British buyers paid 6% more than the average foreign buyer and 19% less than the average non-resident foreigner. Swedish, German and American buyers paid over €3,500.
Resale homes with space. Resale homes were 81.32% of British purchases in 2025, and 45.23% were over 100 m², against 35.83% for all foreign buyers. Among the main nationalities, only American and Dutch buyers had a higher share of homes that size.
A smaller, older community. British residents fell by 24,903 between 2022 and 2025, and four in ten are now 65 or over. Yet most British purchases are still made by people living outside Spain.
The two main sources measure different moments of the same sale. The notaries (Consejo General del Notariado, via its statistics centre CIEN) count free-market sale deeds by the date of signing. The registrars (Colegio de Registradores) count sales entered in the Land Registry by the date of registration, on average 45 days after the deed, and only where full ownership passes.
The registrars classify buyers by nationality only. The notaries add residence, count mixed-nationality groups of buyers separately and treat their latest data as provisional. Their foreign share runs roughly five to seven points above the registrars' each year, so compare each series only with itself.
INE counts people, not purchases. Its annual census starts from the municipal register (padrón) and keeps only people confirmed by other administrative records; it replaced INE's padrón-based statistics in 2023.
We copied every figure as published, and our own arithmetic (sums of half-years, changes and shares) is marked in the notes. There are no estimates or projections, and all figures were checked against the source documents on 28 September 2026.
The Expat Investor, British Buyers in Spain 2026, theexpatinvestor.com/research/british-buyers-in-spain-2026/
Please also credit the Colegio de Registradores, the Consejo General del Notariado and INE, listed in the sources below. Each table on this page is available as a CSV file.
Download the tables: british-buyers-in-spain-2026.csv
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Talk to us about Spain →The land registrars recorded 7,665 home purchases by British buyers in 2025, 3.5% fewer than in 2024. The notaries, who count signed deeds for free-market homes rather than registrations, recorded 10,925 across the two halves of 2025. The two series measure different things, so do not mix them.
Yes, narrowly. In the second quarter of 2026 British buyers registered 1,843 purchases to the Dutch 1,830, and in the notaries' figures for the second half of 2025 they made 5,178 to the Moroccans' 5,154. In the registrars' annual figures they have come first every year since 2015.
INE's census put the number of British nationals resident in Spain at 266,462 on 1 January 2025, down from 291,365 in 2022, with 40.6% aged 65 or over. The census is built from the municipal register (padrón) and counts dual British-Spanish nationals as Spanish, so British-born residents with Spanish passports are not included.
Mostly on the south and south-east coast. In 2025 British buyers were the top foreign nationality in the provinces of Almería, Murcia, Cádiz, Granada and Málaga, and second to Dutch buyers in Alicante. The largest British communities are in Alicante (68,904 residents) and Málaga (49,298).
British buyers paid an average of €2,627 per square metre in the second half of 2025, according to the notaries, 8.7% more than a year earlier. Non-residents paid €2,952 per m² and residents €2,215. These averages reflect where and what people buy, not the price of any one home.
Last checked 2026-09-28. Rules and rates change; this is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm your own position with an independent Spanish lawyer or tax adviser before you act.