Note
Which nationalities buy property in Spain
Quick answer
In the second quarter of 2026 British buyers led the registrars’ table with 6.99% of foreign purchases, just ahead of Dutch buyers at 6.94% and German buyers at 6.11%. The gaps are small, so rankings can change from one quarter to the next.
Applies toBuyers curious about who else is buying, and which communities have grown in Spain.
On this page: 9 sections
What changed
- Added how the notaries’ first-half 2026 data rank nationalities, from press reports.
§ 1The top eight
The property registrars list the nationalities with the largest weight among foreign purchases in the second quarter of 2026. British buyers come first with 6.99%, followed by Dutch buyers with 6.94%, German buyers with 6.11%, Moroccan buyers with 6.09%, Romanian buyers with 5.70%, Italian buyers with 5.13%, French buyers with 4.97% and Polish buyers with 4.33%. This page belongs to the chapter in more on the market overview.
§ 2How to read the ranking
The shares are percentages of purchases by foreigners, not of all purchases. They add up to well under the whole, because many other nationalities share the rest. The differences between neighbours in the table are small, a few tenths of a point, so a single quarter can reorder them. Look at several quarters before saying that one nationality has overtaken another.
§ 3Two kinds of buyer
The list mixes two groups. Some nationalities, such as the Moroccan and Romanian communities, are largely made up of people who live and work in Spain and buy as residents. Others, such as the British, Dutch and German groups, include many people who live in other countries and buy second homes or retirement homes. The registrars’ nationality table does not separate them, which is why more on foreign buyers warns about reading the share as non-resident demand.
§ 4The notaries rank differently
For the first half of 2026, press reports of the notaries’ data put Moroccan buyers first among foreign purchasers, followed by British, Italian, Romanian and German buyers, and say that British and American purchases fell on the year. Among non-residents, the leading groups were reported as Dutch, German, British and Polish. We read these in press reports, not in the council’s tables, and the notaries’ count differs from the registrars’ ranking above.
§ 5What it means for your nationality
The rules for buying are the same for everyone, but the rights that come with the purchase, the military-zone rules and the tax treatment differ. The by-nationality section explains those differences for the largest groups of buyers. Within the registrars’ list, the position of your nationality says little about how easy your own purchase will be.
§ 6Regional patterns
Foreign communities cluster. Northern Europeans favour the Mediterranean coast and the islands, while other groups are spread across large cities. We have not read the regional tables in the latest release, so we do not describe patterns for particular provinces. If you want that detail, the registrars’ quarterly publication has regional sections, and the statistics section of this handbook will explain how to read them.
§ 7What the ranking cannot say
It cannot say how much each group spends, what kind of home it buys or how long it stays. Prices paid by foreigners are reported in some series but not in the one we read, so we do not compare them with prices paid by Spaniards. For the national price picture, see the official statistics explained.
§ 8A note on freshness
The ranking reflects one quarter and will be replaced by the next release. We record the date we read it on the source line, and the page is updated when new figures arrive.
§ 9More on this topic
The rental market explained explains what official sources say about rents and the risk of a price fall explained explains what the central bank says about risk.
Whether Spain has a bubble explained explains how today compares with the years before 2008.
FAQRelated questions
Who buys the most?
In the registrars’ latest quarterly release the top places went to British, Dutch and German buyers, then Moroccan, Romanian, Italian, French and Polish buyers. The shares are close together, so the order shifts between quarters.
Do these shares cover Americans and Canadians?
The release lists the eight largest groups, and it does not show the others in the part we read. Americans and Canadians may appear in the full tables, so check the release if your nationality matters.
Is this where each group buys?
No. The ranking is national and says nothing about location. Each nationality concentrates in particular regions, and the registrars publish regional tables separately. Use them if you want to know who your neighbours might be.
Sources
- Colegio de Registradores: Estadística Registral Inmobiliaria, 2T 2026 (official source, opens in a new window), Sales, foreign buyers, price per m², mortgagesLast checked 17 October 2026
General information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser.