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MOVING TO SPAIN

Spain named country where Brits most want to retire in the world

Analysis of search engine data has revealed that Spain is officially the country where most Britons want to retire.

Published: 21 April 2023 09:20 CEST
Spain named country where Brits most want to retire in the world
A man sunbathes in a designated roped-off area on Poniente Beach in Benidorm on June 21, 2020. Photo: JOSE JORDAN/AFP.

Though it’s long felt anecdotally true to say that Spain is the favourite retirement destination among Brits, there is now data to back up the claim.

After a new study revealed the top 10 countries in the world where Brits want to spend their retirement, Spain has come out on top.

Experts at Retirement Solutions have dug into the data and studied the average monthly Google search volume for different search phrases relating to retiring abroad.

READ ALSO: MAP: Where do Spain’s British residents live in 2023

They combined different Google search terms with each country to calculate the total search volume and ranked them according to the results. The following searches were analysed:

  • ‘retire in X’ 
  • ‘best place to retire in X’ 
  • ‘best places in X to retire’ 
  • ‘can I retire in X’ 
  • ‘how to retire in X’ 
  • ‘retire in X from UK’ 

Spain – a retirement paradise?

In news that might not surprise many, the country with the highest average monthly search volume was Spain, with 1,050. Spain has long been a popular retirement destination for Britons, and remains so despite the bureaucratic complications of Brexit. In fact, even after Brexit Spain’s British population continues to grow.

That’s according to new data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), which shows that the number of Brits residing in Spain has actually increased by 11,047 over the past year.

READ ALSO: 

The reasons why Britons might want to retire in Spain seem limitless, but the main draws are the pleasant climate, affordability, proximity to friends and family in Britain, and the gentle pace of life. With the rising cost of living across Europe, particularly skyrocketing utilities bills in the UK, many retirees from across Europe have decided Spain is the best place to live off their savings and pension while avoiding rising prices.

Where do British retirees live in Spain?

According to the latest figures from Spain’s Ministry of Migrations, there are a total of 409,763 Brits living in Spain. This is over 115,000 more than the figure stated by Spain’s official stats body INE, who gauge the number by those with TIE cards, which not all Brits have.

The sociological profile of British residents in Spain may be unsurprising to many. The average age is 54 years old, considerably higher than other non-Europeans migrant groups, most notably Pakistanis and Moroccans, both groups with median ages of 33 years.

READ MORE: The places in Spain where Brits outnumber locals

Most popular Spanish regions for Brits to live in

It might not come as a surprise to discover that in early 2023 the biggest number of Brits in Spain lived in the southern region of Andalusia, home of the famous Costa del Sol, with a total of 92,180.

This was followed closely by the Valencia region, which includes Alicante province, with a total of 87,699, and then the Canary Islands with 29,631. 

Other autonomous communities with a sizeable British population are Catalonia with 24,689, the Balearic Islands with 19,569, Murcia with 17,562 and the Spanish capital of Madrid with 11,831.

READ ALSO: How much money do Britons need to move to Spain in 2023?

Most popular provinces

Meanwhile, the latest data from the padrón register also shows where the majority of Brits live on a provincial level. And unsurprisingly the provinces housing the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol are the most popular.

Of Spain’s 50 provinces, Alicante in the Valencia region comes top once again with 76,739 Brits. This coastal province is of course home to popular spots among Brits such as Benidorm, Torrevieja and Jávea, where those from Blighty represent anywhere between 10 and 30 percent of the total population and sometimes even run in municipal elections.

READ ALSO: What makes Spain a great place to retire to?

The Spanish province with the second biggest British population in 2023 is Málaga province with 56,019. Similarly, places like Benahavís, Marbella or Estepona have a sizeable British representation. 

In third place are the Balearic Islands, which isn’t classified as a province but rather a region made up of four main islands, with Mallorca housing the bulk of the 20,000 Brits who live in the archipelago. 

Murcia, which is also not a province but a region, has its British population living mainly along the coast and in particular in the municipality of Mazarrón, where a 8,000-strong British population make up a third of residents.

The Retirement Solutions Rankings

Spain came out on top in the rankings, and the rest of the top 10 was made up of familiar retirement destinations, including Australia (2nd), Iberian neighbour Portugal (3rd), Thailand (4th),  Canada (5th), France (6th), India (7th), New Zealand (8th), Italy (9th), and Greece (10th).

A spokesperson from Retirement Solutions said of the study’s findings: “There are many ways to spend your retirement, whether that be picking up new hobbies or becoming more active – but one thing that many people may not get to experience as well as they’d like to is visiting different countries and exploring new cultures. For this reason, retiring abroad is very appealing to many Brits.” 

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BARCELONA

The most affordable areas to live in and around Barcelona

It’s well known that Barcelona is one of the most expensive cities to live in Spain, and becoming more and more costly every year. There are however still areas that are much more affordable than others in 2024, writes Barcelona-based Esme Fox.

Published: 6 May 2024 12:19 CEST
The most affordable areas to live in and around Barcelona

The average rental price in Barcelona now, according to property portal Idealista, is €21.1 / m2 which will set you back around €1,235 per month. And if you want to buy somewhere, you’ll be paying an average of €4,317 /m2.

So are there still any affordable areas left to live in around the city? The good news is that there definitely are, even within a 20-30 minute journey of the very centre.

The bad news, however, is that while some of them are nice spots away from the tourist zones, several of them are cheaper because they’re undesirable, unattractive or have social issues with relatively high crime rates.

We’ve listed 10 of the most affordable neighbourhoods in and around the city, what you can expect from them, which places are the best and which are best avoided.

Santa Coloma de Gramenet

Santa Coloma lies just to the northeast of Barcelona across the River Besòs and is actually considered a separate town, even though it’s on the Barcelona metro system and has very good connections with the city. It is in fact one of the cheapest places to live if you want to be within striking distance of Barcelona with the average price to buy just around €1.965 /m2 according to property giant Idealista and rent around 14,3 €/m2.

It’s a relatively safe area compared to many of the cheapest in and around Barcelona and has a very multicultural population, as well as close proximity to big superstores such as Ikea and DIY specialist Leroy Merlin.

Badalona

Badalona is another separate town that lies to the east of Barcelona and is probably one of the best options on the list. In recent years a wave of young professionals and families have moved here, having been priced out of Barcelona itself. The main advantage of living here is that you have an excellent beach, plus lots of attractive-looking houses and good restaurants surrounding it, at a fraction of the price for what you’d pay in Barceloneta or Poblenou. The best spots are near the beachfront, while the northern part of the neighbourhood doesn’t have the nicest feel to it. 

According to Idealista you’d pay an average of €14.4 / m2, which would be around €1,152 per month for an apartment of 80m2. And if you want to buy somewhere, it would set you back €2,162 / m2.

Sant Adrià de Besòs

Sant Adrià de Besòs is the neighbourhood which lies between Barcelona and Badalona, straddling the mouth of the River Besòs. The main benefit of living here is that you’re within easy distance of the river and the large green park that sits either side of it, perfect for cycling, rolling blading and numerous other sports. While some spots are ok to live, the main problem, however, is that you really have to know where to look and where to avoid.

For example, La Mina is part of Sant Adrià de Besòs, one of Barcelona’s most dangerous areas with a relatively high crime rate and lots of social issues such as drugs. And don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s a cheap area near the beach. There’s a reason for this, the beach located here lies right in front of the Les Tres Xemeneies (The Three Chimneys) an old factory and is often quite polluted and smells, so it’s not ideal for swimming. For rent the average price is around €14 / m2, while to buy you’ll pay around €2,343 / m2.

Ciutat Meridiana

Ciutat Meridiana is one of the least-well known neighbouhoods on the list because it lies right at the very northeastern corner of the city above Trinitat Vella and Torre Baró areas. Technically it’s part of the wider Nou Barris district and takes its name from the big Meridiana Avenue, one of the main roads that comes into the city from the north.

The area is definitely not the best looking, with mainly 80s-style town blocks and council-type estates, but it’s not particularly dodgy or dangerous. Live here and you’ll be treated to excellent city views, however, plus be located close to the green Collserola Natural Park, a great hiking spot.

Many of the most affordable areas are in the northeast of the city near the Collserola Natural Park. Photo: Carlos Pernalete Tua / Pexels
 

El Bon Pastor

Bon Pastor extends from the village-like barrio of Sant Andreu de Palomar all the way to the River Besòs and the very edge of the city. It’s home to places such as the Westfield Maquinista shopping mall, one of the best in Barcelona, as well as many car showrooms and lots of big warehouses with a kind of industrial vibe. It’s a relatively safe area, even though it’s not one of the most attractive. The average price to rent an apartment here costs around €601.40 and to buy it’s €2.312 / m2.  

Trinitat Nova

La Trinitat Nova is located in the larger district of Nou Barris in the northeastern corner of the city. It sits to the left of the big Avinguda Meridiana and borders the Collserola Natural Park along the western edge. It’s not particularly a dodgy place to live, but it doesn’t best vibe and the edge along the Collserola does have a small shanty town. Its advantages, however, are that it’s well connected to the city. Taking the yellow line, you can be in the centre of Barcelona in just over 20 minutes. Rent costs an average of €662,3 per month and to buy you’ll pay €2,113 / m2.

Trinitat Vella

La Trinitat Vella sits to the right of Trinitat Nova, directly above the neighbourhood of Sant Andreu de Palomar. It has a similar feel to Trinitat Nova too, but does have the benefit of being located around the large Trinitat Vella park. Built around the top of a hill, it features a large lake, as well as grassy meadows and forested areas. There are also basketball courts and even a model racing car track. The average rental price here costs €674,7 per month and to buy you’ll pay around €2,386 / m2.

Roquetes

Located in the larger district of Nou Barris, Roquetes lies to the west of Trinitat Nova, along the edge of the Collserola. It’s characterised by steep streets and high-rise tower blocks. Again like some of the others above it’s not a pretty neighbourhood with a lot going on, but it’s not particularly dodgy or dangerous either. It’s ideal for those who love hiking, being so close to the natural park and many of its best trails, so you won’t even need to take public transport before you’re in the heart of nature. To rent here will cost you around €728.70 and the average cost to buy is €2,113 / m2.

El Carmel 

El Carmel lies more to the northern central part of the city within the municipality of Horta-Guinardó, stretching north from Gaudí’s Parc Güell and Parc del Guinardó up to Horta. It too is characterised by very steep streets and has a chilled residential atmosphere. While the centre of the neighbourhood is nothing to write home about, the southern part lies within walking distance to two of the city’s best parks and the northern part is situated close to the lovely, leafy village-like barrio of Horta, great for families. Living here will set you back an average of €769 to rent and €3,170 / m2 to buy. 

Verdun

Verdun is a small area compared to many of the others and sits right below Roquetas until it meets Via Júlia. It’s mostly residential and is also relatively safe. The nicest part is centred around Via Júlia which is like the area’s own Rambla, lined with many shops and cafes. Renting here will cost you an average of €770 and €2,386 / m2 to buy, being located within Nou Barris.

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