Iranians in Spain

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Iranians in Spain
Total population
8,202 / 5,135 (2018)[a]
Languages
Spanish, Persian
(Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, and other languages of Iran).
Religion
Shia Islam, Zoroastrianism

  1. ^ 8,202 is the size of the population in Spain born in Iran (including those with Spanish citizenship). 5,135 is the size of the foreign population (thus, with no Spanish citizenship) in Spain with Iranian citizenship.[1][2]

Iranians in Spain have a history going back for over a millennium and form a minor population in modern day.[3][4] They are a part of the Iranian diaspora.

Migration history[edit]

Razi wrote in the 10th century that some Iranians had already settled in Al-Andalus, and Ibn Battuta later claimed the Iranians of Al-Andalus preferred to live in Granada because of its similarity to their homeland.[4] However, the impetus for modern Iranian immigration to Spain came largely from the 1979 Iranian Revolution, as a result of which some Iranians went to Spain as political refugees.[5][6]

Demography[edit]

A 1992 survey found that 31.7% worked in administrative jobs, 18.2% were professionals or technicians, 25.7% worked in trade, and another 11% worked in agriculture. The vast majority were 25-54 years of age, and only one-fifth were women.[7] This is actually a relatively large proportion of women compared to other Muslim migrant communities in Spain, which may be attributed to the fact that most Iranians in Spain are political, rather than economic migrants.[6]

Notable people[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Población (españoles/extranjeros) por País de Nacimiento, sexo y año". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Población extranjera por Nacionalidad, comunidades, Sexo y Año". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  3. ^ López García & Planet Contreras 2002, p. 162
  4. ^ a b Kenesson 1992, pp. 107–108
  5. ^ Jamshid 1982
  6. ^ a b López García & Planet Contreras 2002, p. 164
  7. ^ López García & Planet Contreras 2002, p. 165

Sources[edit]