Spanish emigration in times of crisis and austerity

The crisis and the austerity policies driven by Spanish governments have had a significant effect on the dynamics of international migration processes. These changes mark the beginning of a new migratory phase in which Spanish emigration -without being a massive phenomenon- occupy a prominent place in the media and political agenda. Even though Spanish population account for only 13% of departures, its volume has doubled in five years, from 34,000 in 2008 to 56,000 in 2012. The pace of change and the timing of departures give prominence to this phenomenon in the current economic and social context. This paper examines the growth of Spanish emigration from 2008 to 2012, using disaggregated data by age, sex, country of birth and destination as well as geography detail at provincial level from the Residential Variation Statistics.