The number of Moroccans living legally in Spain, as of July 1, 2014, is estimated to 697,074 people, according to figures released Wednesday by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE).
Despite a drop in 20,917 persons (-2.9 pc) compared to last January, Moroccans are the largest foreign community outside the European Union (EU) legally installed in the Iberian countries, notes a statement from the Ine.
Ecuadorians (187,025) are in second place, followed by Chinese (165,571) and Colombians (154,320) states the same source, adding that Romanians are the largest foreign group in a European country in Spain with 721,445 immigrants.
According to the Institute, since the 1st of July 2014, out of the 46.4 million inhabitants, 4,538,503 were foreigners. Thus, the foreign population living legally in Spain was down 3 pc due to the economic crisis.
Spanish census population totaled 46,464,053 people, representing a decline of more than 47,000 people in six months, the source said.