Spain: A New Gravity Centre for Latin American Migration

Abstract

This chapter examines emigration patterns of the Latin American population from Spain abroad during the period 2002--2012, with a particular focus on the period before and after the 2008 crisis. The analysis is based on micro-data from the municipal register and takes into account two types of international move: returns to the country of birth and emigration to other countries. The chapter reviews the potential and limitations of Spanish data sources on international emigration, provides estimates of the intensity and demographic characteristics of the two types of migration and discusses the impact of the crisis on each migration flow as well as their regional distribution.