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UNDERSTANDING SPANIARDS

Spaniards think France is ‘superior’…and so do the French 

Both Spanish and French people believe France has a stronger economy and exerts more power and influence on the global stage, a study by a prestigious Spanish think tank has found, but they also agree the quality of life in Spain is better.  

Spaniards think France is 'superior'...and so do the French 
France's President Emmanuel Macron greets Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (L) at Versailles in March. France and Spain have put past rivalries behind them, but their views about each other's countries vary, a new study reveals. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

Neighbours Spain and France have for centuries been rivals. At one stage it was focused on the expansion of their empires across the globe, in more recent times it’s been the promotion of their gastronomy, language and culture overseas.

In the 21st century, their relationship has turned into friendly competitiveness as both nations have grown closer together; they’ve even brokered a dual nationality agreement recently

But a survey by Spain’s Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies reveals that there continues to be a sense of superiority on the part of the French towards Spain, which contrasts with Spaniards’ ingrained inferiority complex.

Citizens from both nations agree that France is better on most fronts – they have a stronger economic system, a better democracy, more developed scientific and technological industries, and more power and influence on the global stage. 

To give an example, only half of French respondents could name a Spanish brand (Zara and Seat being the best known), whereas Spaniards were quick to name Carrefour, car manufacturers Renault, Peugeot and Citroen as well as French cosmetic brands.

However, both French and Spanish people concurred, albeit to a lesser extent, that the quality of life, cultural offering and sporting level are better in Spain, with Spaniards tending to be more convinced about this than the French. 

For the study, 1,001 people from each country were asked a series of questions relating to their views on the EU, current economic and social affairs, the war in Ukraine, as well as their opinions about each other’s countries. 

Young supporters hold French and Spanish flags at the Tour de France in 2022. There’s a mutual admiration between both countries but both agree France is a bigger power on the world stage. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)

Asociación Diálogo (Dialogue Association), a group which promotes France-Spain relations, also took part in the research.

French tourists cross over into Spain more often than Spaniards visit France, which according to Real Instituto Elcano researcher Carmen González has helped to improve French people’s views about Spain overall, including Spanish infrastructure.

French people consider Spaniards friendly, but a majority of Spanish respondents don’t feel the same about their Gallic neighbours.

 When asked to define themselves, both French and Spanish respondents referred to their own societies as tolerant, democratic, trustworthy and traditional, whilst stressing that they have a distinct cultural identity. 

A greater percentage of Spaniards considered themselves first from their city or region rather than from Spain as a whole, whereas French people identify first with being French. On the other hand, two thirds of Spanish respondents are happy to be identified as European, whereas only 42 percent of French respondents have a positive view of belonging to the EU.

Seventy-nine percent of Spaniards also defined their country as emotionally-driven, whereas French people believed they were more split between emotion and rationality. 

Around 60 percent of respondents from both countries agreed that a strong bilateral relationship between Spain and France is important, whether it be in the fight against terrorism, energy, economic ties or tourism.

Whatever their differences, it’s clear that French and Spaniards have put past rivalries behind them and have a mutual admiration for each other’s countries. 

READ ALSO: “Africa starts at the Pyrenees” – Eight memorable quotes by historical figures who hated or loved Spain 

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UNDERSTANDING SPANIARDS

Record numbers of Spaniards living outside of Spain’s borders

Spain has long been a dream destination for foreigners looking to start a new life, but Spaniards are themselves living abroad in record numbers and the vast majority are of working age.

Record numbers of Spaniards living outside of Spain’s borders

The number of Spaniards living abroad continues to rise, reaching a record level of almost three million people in 2023. In total there are 2,908,649 Spaniards living outside Spain, the highest figure since records began. This is according to data collected for the Padrón de Españoles Residentes en el Extranjero (PERE) by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).

Since the database was started in 2009, the number of Spaniards living abroad has increased by a staggering 97 percent, meaning that around 1.5 million Spaniards have left the country in that time.

However, less than a third of Spanish nationals living abroad were actually born in Spain (855,303 people) whereas well over half (1,706,529 people) were born in their current country of residence, the majority of them in Latin America.

READ ALSO: Foreigners account for almost 100% of Spain’s population increase

By continent, 58.7 percent are resident in the Americas, 37.7 percent in Europe, and just 3.6 percent around the rest of the world, although the largest increases in 2023 in relative terms were in Asia (7.9 percent) and Africa (4.8 percent).

In terms of age breakdown, the results are unsurprising. Just 15 percent of Spaniards living abroad are under 16.

62 percent are of working age, that is to say, between the ages of 16-64, and 22 percent are over 65.

By continent, 58.7 percent of those registered were resident in the Americas, 37.7 percent in Europe and 3.6 percent around the rest of the world.

By country, the highest number of Spanish nationals live in Argentina (482,176), France (310,072) and the United States (206,278). However, Mexico is the country that has experienced the greatest increase, with a total of 15,918 Spaniards registered in the last year alone.

This is no coincidence, as Spain’s Democratic Memory Law established the Grandchildren’s Law (Ley de Nietos), which opened up citizenship routes to descendants of victims of the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship and potentially grants citizenship hundreds of thousands of people around Latin America.

READ ALSO: Spain’s new ‘grandchildren’ citizenship law: What you need to know

The ‘brain drain’

With rising housing costs and consistently poor job prospects for younger, educated Spaniards, the INE data confirms the long-established ‘brain drain’ affecting the Spanish labour market and economy more broadly. The issue has become significant enough that the Ministry of Social Security recently outlined plans for a strategic plan to try and entice Spaniards living abroad back to the country.

With almost 1.7 million Spaniards of working age abroad, the Ministry plans to try and tempt them back by increasing the budgets for aid given to returnees, and will place a special emphasis on health and educational professionals, as well those working in the social and cultural sectors.

On a regional basis, the parts of Spain where the most people are leaving are Galicia, Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and the Canary Islands.

A recent study by BBVA and the Valencian Institute of Economic Research (IVIE) estimated the impact of the loss of Spain’s educated workforce, concluding that the roughly 400,000 Spaniards with higher education qualifications who left the country in 2022 represented a loss of wealth equivalent to 1 percent of the total value of the labour force available to the Spanish economy.

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